Eminent Domain

by Tasty Minstrel Games

• For 2-4 players
• Takes about 45 minutes to play
• Survey the galaxy to expand your empire! Will you colonize nearby planets, or take them by force? Harvest resources for trade, and do research to improve your technology. Build the best empire to win the game.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 2.6 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: China
• ASIN: 0984155856
• Item model number: 1005TTT
• Manufacturer recommended age: 13 - 15 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,276 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Build your empire. Survey the galaxy to expand your empire. Will you colonize nearby planets or take them by force? Harvest resources for trade and do research to improve your technology. Build the best empire to win this space civilization/empire deck building game. Eminent Domain is an empire building game in which your empire?s abilities are based on a deck of Role cards. At the beginning of the game each player has the same deck of cards with just 2 cards for each Role in it. Every turn you must choose a Role to execute (your opponents will get a chance to follow suit) and in doing so you will add one of those Role cards to your deck. When executing a Role you can boost its effect by playing cards out of your hand matching the Role you have chosen. So for example the more you Research the better you get at Researching (because you?ll have more Research cards in your deck).

Product Description

Eminent Domain is an empire building game in which your empire's abilities are based on a deck of Role cards. At the beginning of the game each player has the same deck of cards. Every turn you must choose a role to execute and in doing so you will add one of those Role cards to your deck. When executing a role,you may Boost its affect by playing cards out of your hand matching the role you have chosen. For instance, the more research done by your empire, the better your empire gets at doing research - because there will be more research cards in your deck!

During the game players gain influence throughout the universe by expanding their empire, doing research, and trading. You'll survey the find planets, Colonize them or use Warfare to incorporate them into your empire and gain access to their abilities and influence. The player whose empire has the most influence at the end of the game will rule the galaxy!

Contents of Eminent Domain:

• 162 cards


• 35 Sculpted Fighters


• 24 Wooden Resources


• 32 Influence Tokens


• 1 Game Board

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun game, but feels "samey" fast February 24, 2012

By Jonathan L. Schindler

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

Eminent Domain is a fun game combining several popular game elements into one slick package. I enjoy the gameplay, and the components are fantastic, but the game starts to feel the same after several plays.

The reason this is so is that the same cards are present in every game, and the same cards are accessible at the same time in every game. The cards included in the technology stack are always available, and the stacks on the tableau are the same from game to game.

I don't mean to say that every game is identical; far from it. The planets players draw vary from game to game, and these planets determine different strategies. And because the game involves "learning" different roles--that is, the more a player performs actions like research, survey, or colonize, the better he gets at it--a player's deck and strategy will necessarily change from game to game. However, even with these layers of difference, there isn't much that differentiates each game experience. My play group got bored with it after several plays.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars a good meld of other popular games November 17, 2011

By J. Wallis

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

This is a card game that appears to take features from several other games. Specifically, Eminent Domain has mechanics from:

* Dominion - start with limited cards, add to your deck and re-use them on future turns.
* Glory to Rome - the "leader" chooses a role, and others follow that role, or gain a card instead. The leadership then passes to the next player.
* Race for the Galaxy - gain planets and technology cards, which give special abilities and victory points.

If you have played and enjoy the above games, you'll like Eminent Domain.

If you have never heard of the above games, it will be a bit harder learning the flow of the game. You might want to watch a video review of the game at boardgamegeek.com

Survey for planets, conquer or settle them to gain victory points, trade resources to get more victory points. Overall, a fun game for a "frequent gamer", with several possible paths to victory.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant meld of other card games January 1, 2012

By Dan

Durability: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

As was mentioned in another review, this game is a combination of Dominion-style deck building and Race For The Galaxy (or Puerto Rico)-style role selection. I received this as an unsolicited Christmas gift, and I am very pleased with it on the following counts:

* Component quality is excellent. The cards are high-quality. The start planet and player aid cards are well thought-out. The little plastic ships that come with the game are a fun addition, and the fact that they (unnecessarily) utilize three different molds adds to the enjoyment.

* The recommended beginner game (with Technology and Research removed) is actually a very good way to learn the mechanics, and some people actually prefer this version of the game. It is good to play with those who appreciate more simplistic choices, but it still offers a lot of competitive decision making.

* With the technology added in, the number of possible paths to victory is almost overwhelming. There are many possible decisions to make, but it is manageable, and for those who like some depth to their games, there is a lot to explore here.

* The rule book is extremely well thought out, and while the rules themselves can be very confusing, the rule book does a great job of answering your questions before you even need to ask them.

Bottom line: I like this game a lot. I have enjoyed every game I have played, and eagerly look forward to my next opportunity.