Dune is not a game of subtlety. It’s a 4x real-time strategy game, where you lead your faction in an attempt to create the most powerful, vast, and (mostly) mutually exclusive empire in the entire galaxy. It’s a cross between Civilization and Starcraft where war, espionage, diplomacy, and sabotage are the core tenants to success and survival.
As the leader of one of 4 factions, you must lead your armies and battle for control and dominance over the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. Your greatest resource is time as it leaves traces on everything you do. You must choose between immediate actions, or making better use of it with research or building improvements. Opposing AI factions will fight to defeat you and take what is yours.
Dune: Spice Wars Story Plot
In Dune Spice Wars, The players take control of one of the several factions that are vying for control over the planet Arrakis and its precious spice. The spice is a drug that makes interstellar travel possible, but it also expands consciousness and extends life; it’s the most valuable resource in the universe. The planet Arrakis, which is also known as Dune, is the only place in the universe where the spice can be found.
Gameplay
Players start with a base and some troops and harvesters that they can deploy onto the board to collect spice or attack other players’ units. Players also receive cards that grant them special abilities or let them cause trouble for their opponents. Each faction in the game has a special ability that makes it unique–for example, House Atreides increases their ability to use spies when they’re not holding any spice. After setting up a network of harvesters and troops, players can launch attacks against each other to take over more territory or steal their opponent’s spice, but there are no dice rolls during combat; rather, all combat is determined by adding up power points from various sources and then comparing them to a combat table on the board. During gameplay, players can also negotiate alliances and trade resources, though these deals are not binding so they may be broken or renegotiated at any time, depending on how the game progresses.
Dune: Spice Wars Key Notes
If you’re after a spiritual successor to Dune 2000/Dune 2, then please don’t buy this. This is not that game and the developers were not just going to jump into making what people expected. It would’ve been poor PC ports and poor gameplay, and no one wants that. If however you are like me and want a slicker game that captures some of the political elements (through trading with Houses/Species, or by forcing them through War), then you might find this game enjoyable.
Pay attention to every notification or else you will miss out on a trade opportunity or something even better.
Time management is crucial in this game, every second matters so make sure you have a plan in motion.
The most important thing in the game is the spice. You need to harvest as much of it as possible to win, which means placing your spice harvesters on tar pits in the desert. However, you also need to protect them from sandworms, which can pop up at any time and devour your harvesters whole.
The game has a few different paths to victory: crushing your opponents in combat, besting them through political intrigue, or undermining them with your network of elusive spies. It’s best to choose your faction wisely and pick the right set of counselors to assure your success.