Customer Reviews

Dominion Intrigue

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dominion, Intrigue, is both a stand-alone game and an expansion for the original "Dominion" game published in 2008. Previous players of the original dominion game will be right at home with this new set as the cards follow the established format of the previous set and the only "new" rules are simply clarifications of commonsense practices most players would intuit from the original rules anyway. The game is also a stand-alone set which is accessible all-on-its own to new players and those not familiar with previous dominion products.

Game play is straight forward, all players start with identical 10 card decks/hands, and throughout the course of the game, they add to their deck by buying and stealing cards from the central pool and from other players. Game play is a balance of building the necessary resources to purchase victory points, defending against the strategies of other players, and balancing the need to accumulate the highest victory point total with the fact that the victory point cards don't accomplish anything when drawn.

What you get:
*250+ cards including 25 entirely new kingdom cards and a full compliment of coins, curses, victory points, and randomizer cards.
*Card organizer.
*Rule book.

The game itself can accommodate between 2-4 players for the individual set or up to 8 players (rules provided in the intrigue expansion book) when combined with the previous set. There is no moderator and every player starts the game with the exact same cards and access to the exact same resources.

For those familiar with the original Dominion core game at first glance "Dominion Intrigue" looks fairly straightforward. This is however not the case. The intrigue set is more interactive than the core set, constantly requiring the active player and his opponents to make choices based on cards played. The feel of these cards is more group oriented, with more diversity and dependence on the other players with each action card played. For example, the card Masquerade requires each player to select a card from their hand and pass it to the player to their left, with the active player being able to trash one card from their hand (possibly an unwanted gift from the person to their right?) Also, cards like Barron and Duke provide much more defined strategies from the very beginning of games for players who want to specialize (both interact with victory point cards in hand for benefits.) Other cards like great hall, Noble, and Harem act as victory point cards as well as coins or action cards. If this sounds complicated, it's not, but turns can take longer as many of the action cards require all the players to perform actions and make choices while others require the active player to follow a series of instructions, often requiring him to make a value based choice which can take a second to figure out. This set also requires the players to be much more aware of how many cards they have in their discard pile, deck, in hand, in the kingdom card piles, and what other players are potentially holding/doing. Play through the recommended scenarios a few times first before randomizing to get a feel for the new game, trust me its better that way.

For new players, this game is entirely accessible and a great deal of fun. It is however more complex than the original core set and as a result it takes longer to get the rules down and start slinging the cardboard. If you've played collectable card games like magic the gathering, you'll love this game. If you've never played a card game in your life, this is still a fantastic game worth picking up. I won't say that a new player has to start with the previous "dominion" set before playing "Dominion Intrigue." What I will say is that Intrigue is far easier to strategize and grasp after having played the original core set.

Personal impressions:
I don't think it's fair to compare this new game of dominion with the older set. The game experience with "Dominion Intrigue" is entirely different than that of the main set, keeping the established mechanics but using decision making and group dynamics to force a much more unified and group dependent competition. I've played tons of games with the previous set and although there are cards like militia and witch which certainly affect the other players in the group, my interest in what other players were doing was limited to what they were likely to be doing to me and who had started the end run for the provinces. Dominion Intrigue requires players to be--very--aware of what other players are doing and very aware of how their strategies are advancing.
Another aspect of the game that is different is the feel of some of the cards when played. Previously, "attack cards" like witch, Militia, and burocrat were commonly played, to the detriment of all. Cards like the Thief and spy require the active player to make a decision regarding all the other players, again to their detriment. One of the most frustrating and defining qualities of Dominion Intrigue is that it forces the players to decide often how they will take it on the chin, in essence to choose the method of their punishment. The feel of play is more personal than the play with the core set--because--cards like torturer and masquerade don't just hit everyone equally as the witch and militia do, they make the other players complicit in their own downfall.
The net affect is a set that forces players to make value based choices constantly--sometimes to their benefit--sometimes not.

I like this game. It has great potential when the kingdom cards are combined with those of the previous set for random games. As a stand alone game though it doesn't have the raw crack--like addictiveness that the previous set possesses. It's different--not worse--and the things that make it different make it less fun for my friends and I. 4/5.

Before I get into reviewing this game - my personal experience says if you only have money for either Dominion or Dominion: Intrigue (either is playable on it's own), you're better off with the base Dominion game. The replay value is just as good and it has a lot of basic cards that the Intrigue expansion fails to make up for.
If you've played Dominion then you already know what to expect from this game. The biggest surprise here are the 3 sets of combo cards (2 victory/actions and 1 victory/treasure). Other notable features include cards with the ability to chose between several options and host of new cards designed to interfere with other players.
While it is important to note this box has all the cards necessary to play the game on it's own and over 3 million possible unique game scenarios (with 25 'special' cards, choosing 10 cards at a time) this game is much improved when combined with the base Dominion game, resulting in well over 12 billion unique scenarios (that's 51 special cards, still choosing 10 at a time). The replay value of Dominion and Dominion: Intrigue is truly unique.

This is a standalone expansion to Dominion. Meaning you can buy it buy itself and play the game without needing anything else. That said, I'd suggest buying the base set first and later working up to this. With both sets, you can play the game as 2-6 player. Normally one set is only enough for 4 player. The box actually says the game can be played with 8 people but in reality the "rules" for 7 or 8 player games are to divide up into 2 different games. I'd hardly call that an 8 player game. So when I tell people about Dominion I tell them it is 2-4 player normally, 2-6 if you have both sets.

This expansion plays just like the original only with 25 new kingdom cards. Some of these cards are far different than anything in the base set. Some have more utility (AKA more choices) so I'd consider Intrigue to be slightly more "complicated" which is why I'd suggest buying the base set first.

There are a few new types of cards. One are Victory/Actions or Victory/Treasure cards. These are victory point cards that are not just dead cards in your hand during the game. The problem is these hybrid cards are expensive (Nobles and Harems for example cost 6 coin each and are only worth 2 victory points).

Another type of card that is new are the "or" cards. These are cards that have multiple abilities but you must choose which ones to use. Maybe you want +3 cards from your Noble one turn and +2 actions another. You cannot get both +3 cards and +2 actions off of one Noble card though.

Intrigue has a lot more "interaction" than the base set. This means more messing with other peoples' decks and hands. It did add a new reaction card (similar to Moat from the base set) but it works differently but does a good job dealing with some of these new attack actions.

Intrigue is a great expansion for advanced (not that advanced since it is a fairly simple to learn game) Dominion players. It adds several new ideas to the game and the extra kingdom cards adds more variety to gameplay if you are using random card setups (picking 10 random kingdom cards to play with). I would definitely suggest that anyone that liked Dominion consider picking this up (along with the promotional cards Black Market and Envoy and the next expansion coming out in October). Some of the new cards helped tone down some of the more powerful cards and combinations from the base set and added a little more complexity to the game. I am looking forward to future expansions for Dominion and so is anyone else that I have shown the game to.

Other reviewers have done a great job praising Intrigue, and rightfully so. It is a great expansion to one of the best games out there. Like others have said, you can play Intrigue with or without the original Dominion game, but consumers would be wise to start with the first. Having both sets also allows up to 6 people to play at a time (compared to a max of 4 with only one set). While the manufacturer still recommends 2-4 players, I've found 6 player games to be enjoyable.

In addition to doubling the original game's supply of treasure, curse, and victory cards, Intrigue brings 25 new kingdom cards to the fold. Here are some highlights:

Great Hall, Nobles, and Harem --
These ACTION - VICTORY CARDS are playable during the game AND they are worth VICTORY POINTS at the end. Rather than just taking up space in your deck like standard victory cards (Estate, Duchy, and Province), these multi-purpose kingdom cards actually contribute to the action phase of your turn. I love playing with at least one, if not more of these cards in the supplies.

Saboteur and Swindler --
These ACTION - ATTACK CARDS each force other players to trash a card. Swindler forces players to simply trash the top card of their deck, so it's entirely random what they'll end up losing. With Saboteur, the trashed card needs to be worth at least 3 coins, so no matter what card ends up being trashed, it will hurt the players affected.

Pawn, Steward, and Minion --
These ACTION (and in the case of Minion, ATTACK) CARDS each provide options for the player using them during their turn. For example, Pawn - at a cost of only 2 coins - allows the player to choose two of the following: +1 Card, +1 Action, +1 Buy, +1 Coin. So it's a very versatile card at a very reasonable cost. Nobles, mentioned earlier as an ACTION - VICTORY CARD, also allows the player a choice of extra cards or extra actions.

Baron, Conspirator, Ironworks, Mining Village, Shanty Town, Tribute, and Mining Village --
These ACTION CARDS all have variable effects according to variable determinants. In other words, IF a certain condition is met, THEN the card does X, Y, or Z. For example, Baron gives you the opportunity to discard an Estate Card and gain 4 coins for doing so. Or, if you have no Estate Cards in your hand, you gain an Estate. But who would want a measly Estate? Well...

Upgrade --
This ACTION CARD allows you to trash a card from your hand and gain one costing exactly 1 coin more. Maybe you have an Estate Card taking up room in your deck. You can trash it and gain a Great Hall (remember the new ACTION - VICTORY CARDS?) which gives you one Victory Point just like the Estate Card, but ALSO gives you an action of +1 Card and +1 Action.

Duke --
This VICTORY CARD is worth 1 Victory Point for every Duchy you have in your hand. At the same cost as a Duchy, it becomes valuable when you have 4 or more Duchies in your deck.

Which leaves 9 other new kingdom cards, each a worthy addition to Dominion. You'll develop your favorites and stick to those, but it's always nice to be able to mix it up a little. I've been playing Dominion for 2 years and there are still cards between the 3 sets I have that I haven't played with. Interestingly, just the other night I played with a new card I didn't think looked interesting and it has become a new favorite. That's the genius of Dominion!

And for those that haven't read my review of the original Dominion game, let me just remind you that I'm NOT your typical 'gamer'. Dominion (and other Euro Games) have proven you need not be a 'geek' to enjoy geeky games.

Of course, leaving this detailed of a review doesn't support my claim that I'm not a geek, does it? ;)

I'm a pretty big board game geek, and Dominion is, at least at the moment, my favorite game. It's a great value because every game is different; I've been playing it for at least a year and it continues to be interesting every time.

I agree with other reviewers that it would be unwise to purchase this product without first playing the original Dominion game. This is an excellent addition to the original, and it worth playing, but when I only have access to one or the other, the original deck is a better standalone. It's also easier for those who have never played before to learn the original Dominion because in my opinion the rules on the cards are a little more straightforward and less likely to incite questions like, "what about this odd situation where I play card x but only have card y," etc.

That said, I don't own the original and play with friends who do, so having the standalone with my own set of the basic cards is great for entertaining out-of-town Dominioners.

I was very surprised to find that I liked playing Dominion as much as I do. I am not a big card game kind of person.
Dominion is probably the best card game (but it doesn't SEEM like a card game when you play it) that I have ever played. It has the feel more of a board game, but you aren't moving pieces around a board.
Dominion intrigue has actually improved on this by introducing new cards that have the ability to be useful not only in the current round, but in the next round as well.
I bought this game for my daughter's boyfriend who fell in love with Dominion the fist time he played it. Now with him having this newer version he can borrow my copy of Dominion and have even more choices in setting up games.
If you don't own Dominion yet you can choose between Dominion Intrigue or the original Dominion. I would say the more you play the game the more you would want Dominion Intrigue. If you only play every now and then Dominion (orignial) would probably be a better choice.
Either way you can't go wrong.
One word of caution however.... There is a new expansion out called Dominion Seaside. It is a great EXPANSION.. but not a standalone game. You NEED either Dominion or Dominion Intrigue to play Dominion Seaside. I have played Dominion Seaside expansion once and loved it. But remember you need Dominion or Dominion Intrigue to play Dominion Seaside.

Dominion: Intrigue is a great expansion/standalone. It forces you to play completely different (most of the time) when you are just using the intrigue cards. Rather than accumulating money, actions, and buys for the ultimate race to snap up provinces, Intrigue forces you to be a bit more clever in your pursuit for prosperity. Intrigue can get VERY cutthroat, which is not for all, but I find it refreshing because it keeps you engaged in all your opponents' strategies so you have a better idea of how to change your own tactics. If dominion is a game you often take out for your game nights, intrigue is deffinately worth looking into. If aggressive games are not your thing and you take things to personally, i'd skip it.

Intrigue has a bit more in the way of "attack" cards compared with the original Dominion. This makes the game a little more interactive than the base game of "competitive solitaire". Mixing with the base game gives a great deal of variation from game to game, and having both allows you to play with up to 6 (either game on its own only goes to 4). Some blurbs for this game say that together with the base game you can play up to 8, but the "rules" for this version are to play two games of 4.

The card Masquerade introduces the first real hidden information, which you may or may not enjoy.

Production quality is good. Cards are sturdy and will last with care, or you can purchase some sleeves for extremely long lifetime (though storage would probably become an issue). The game is of middling difficulty; it's easy to pick up on the basic rules, but developing strategy takes some time.

Purchased from Amazon, some of the card packs arrived opened. They were undamaged and all present, but seeing the cards strewn about the box was distressing.

This is a stand alone expansion to Dominion. Comes with everything you need to play the game. The cards in this deck are more interactive and also many of the cards have choices to be made. Both of these combined can lead to longer games than the original. With experienced players you should still be able to finish a game in under 30min.
The rules are the same. You pick 10 of 25 cards to play with each game and whoever ends up with the highest victory score at the end wins. The gameplay changes quite a bit depending on the 10 cards available and how you choose to use them. You can also add cards from the other versions for even more possibilities.
The game is pretty easy to pick up. If this is going to be your first venture into the game though, I would recommend you start with the original.

Dominion: Intrigue is a great game to play as a stand alone game or in combination with the original Dominion set. The additional cards represent a whole new playing field and challenge for the game overall. I really like the very noticeable difference between Intrigue and Dominion. While it is an expansion to the original set it also presents a uniquely different playing style and set.