Card games
Dominion
Ystari GamesDonald X. Vaccarino2008
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 40
- years
- 13+
Deutscher Spiele Preis 2009Golden Geek 2009Spiel des Jahres 2009
In the box
500 cards, including 25 piles of Kingdom cards · 1 rulebook
Box details
- Designer
- Donald X. Vaccarino
- Artwork
- Matthias Catrein, Julien Delval, Tomasz Jedruszek, Ryan Laukat
- Publisher
- Ystari Games
- Mechanics
- Deck BuildingDelayed PurchaseHand ManagementOpen DraftingTake That
- Expansions
- Dominion: Seaside
- Dominion: Prosperity · 2013
- Dominion: Alchemy · 2010
- Dominion: Dark Ages · 2012
- Dominion: Hinterlands · 2013
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Each player starts with a small deck of Coppers and Estates and improves it turn after turn by buying cards from the Supply, to end up with the most Victory cards. A turn has three phases: an optional Action card, one buy paid for with your Treasures, then you discard everything and draw five cards. The game ends when the Province pile is empty, or when any three piles are, and the most victory points wins.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
7 Coppers, 3 Estates, 5 cards in hand, 10 Kingdom piles
- Each player starts with seven Coppers and three Estates, shuffles them into a face-down deck and draws five cards.
- The Supply always includes Copper, Silver, Gold, Estate, Duchy, Province and Curse, plus ten Kingdom card piles chosen from the twenty-five.
- Estate, Duchy and Province piles: 12 cards with three or four players, 8 with two. Curses: 10 with two players, 20 with three, 30 with four. If Gardens is in play, it has the same number as the other Victory cards.
- First player chosen at random; in later games, the player to the left of the last winner starts.
How to play
Action then Buy, Discard everything, Draw 5 cards
- A turn has three phases: Action (one Action card, optional), Buy (one card from the Supply, paying its cost with your Treasures and the coins from your Actions), then Clean-up (discard everything, cards played and hand, and draw five cards).
- Action cards change these numbers: +1 Action, +1 Buy, +2 Cards, and so on. Resolve an Action completely before playing another.
- Cards you buy go to your discard pile; you cannot use a card on the turn you gain it.
- When your deck is empty and you need to draw, shuffle your discard pile to form a new one. Trashed cards go to the Trash, for good.
Scoring
Estate 1, Duchy 3, Province 6, Curse −1
- Estate: 1 point. Duchy: 3. Province: 6. Colony: 10, only with the Prosperity expansion.
- Curse: -1 point.
- Gardens: 1 point per full set of ten cards in your deck at the end of the game.
- Count all your cards: deck, hand and discard pile.
End of the game
Provinces gone, Or 3 piles empty, Tie: fewer turns
- The game ends at the end of the turn in which the Province pile is empty, or any three Supply piles are.
- If tied, the player who has had fewer turns wins; with the same number of turns, the victory is shared.
House rules and pitfalls
Buying points too early clogs your deck: it is the most common beginner's mistake.
- Buying points too early clogs your deck: it is the most common beginner's mistake.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · Rules on video · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
How does a turn work?
Three phases: Action (play an Action card), Buy (spend your coins to buy a card), then Clean-up (discard your hand and draw five new cards). By default, one action and one buy per turn.
Why do you shuffle your discard pile?
When your draw pile is empty, you shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck. Everything you buy ends up in your discard pile, and so in your deck: this is how you "build your deck" as the game goes on.
Should you buy lots of Victory cards?
They score points but clog your hand without doing anything during the game. Buying them too early slows your engine; too late, and you run out of time. Timing is the whole game.
What are Action–Attack cards?
They harm your opponents (making them discard, gain a Curse…). A Reaction card such as Moat lets you protect yourself by revealing it.
When does the game end?
As soon as the Province pile is empty, or any three Supply piles are. You then count the victory points in your whole deck, including your discard and draw piles.
Rules on video
Videos in French, hosted on YouTube.