How To Play: Dune

So, you just got your hands on Dune and now you’re staring at the rulebook like it’s in Fremen. Been there! Lucky for you, I made this handy guide that gives an outline of the game rules and shares the best strategies for winning. Whether you’re new or just want to stop losing to your cousin, I’ve got your back.

Overview

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 6 Faction Sheets
• 6 Player Shields
• 6 Sets of Player Tokens (20 each, total 120)
• 6 Player Markers
• 1 Storm Marker
• 1 Turn Marker
• 1 Spice Marker
• 1 Rulebook
• 1 Quick Start Guide
• 166 Cards (Battle, Treachery, Spice, Traitor, Alliance, etc.)
• 1 Pad of Battle Wheels (2 wheels)
• 1 Pad of Alliance Wheels (2 wheels)
• Spice Tokens (various values, total 96)

How To Play Dune: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Choose your factions. Brag about how you picked the Spacing Guild because you love teleporting… or just draw randomly with your friends.
2. Place your forces and starting spice on the board as listed in the rulebook, unless you enjoy house rules like starting everyone in Arrakeen for instant chaos.
3. Shuffle those card decks: Treachery, spice, and storm—all need a good mix. Someone will always bend a card in the shuffle. It’s a law of nature.
4. Give out player screens, tokens, and turn order wheels. Watch as everyone instantly forgets where they put their tokens.

Gameplay

1. Each round follows phases: Storm, Spice Blow, Bidding, Revival, Movement, Battle, and Collection. Try not to mess up the order. Or do, for extra confusion!
2. Storm phase: Move the storm marker and yell “Sandworm!” for added immersion. The storm always ruins someone’s day.
3. Spice Blow: Reveal new spice on the map. Suddenly everyone cares about the sand.
4. Bidding: Auction treachery cards. Someone always overpays for a lasegun. Every. Time.
5. Revival: Get your slain troops back. Or just mourn them dramatically.
6. Movement: Move troops, ships, and sometimes your snacks—all on the board.
7. Battle: When troops meet, duel using cards, secret wheels, and lots of bluffing.
8. Collection: Pick up spice if you can. Spend it on plans, or on snacks after the game.

Winning

1. Hold 3 strongholds at the end of a turn to win. Yes, alliances count, but you better trust your partners!
2. If nobody wins after 10 rounds, check which alliance controls the most strongholds. If it’s a tie, the Spacing Guild throws a victory party.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Each faction has weird powers. Use them! Or forget and blame your loss on it later.
2. Sandworms randomly show up and eat everything. Don’t say you weren’t warned about worm snacks.
3. Betrayals are not only allowed, but encouraged. Break alliances at the perfect moment for maximum drama.
4. Check the rulebook often, because nobody ever remembers all the weird exceptions (except that one friend who never lets you forget).

And that’s how to play Dune! It sounds complicated, but after a round or two, you’ll be yelling about sandworms (and alliances) with the best of them.

Best Dune Strategies

Mastering Faction Powers in Dune

You can’t win Dune by ignoring your faction’s unique tricks. After several evenings of plotting with my friends, I learned the hard way—leaning into your strengths leads to glory (and fewer salty arguments). Here’s how to use those spicy powers!

Atreides: Foresee and Manipulate

1. Ask for battle card previews every chance. Knowledge is evil and good.
2. Feed info to partners for better alliances.

Harkonnen: Ruthless Tactics

1. Stockpile traitor cards. Surprise people; laugh at their shock.
2. Trap others with your endless supply of tricks.

Spacing Guild: Patience Pays

1. Monopolize shipping lanes and force bribes.
2. Delay victories—then sweep the win from right under everyone.

I always check which faction works with my group’s chaos. Learning How To Play dune helps you figure out when to play sneaky or strong!

Spice is Life: Winning Tactics for Spice Management in Dune

Plan Your Spice Runs Carefully

1. Watch the storm and jump onto spice blows when it’s safe.
2. Never send all your forces for spice—split them up.

Save Early, Spend Wisely

1. Bank spice for key auctions. Sometimes, patience pays off more than hoarding.
2. Pay for shipments only when you see a real gain.

Negotiate for Spice

1. Offer safe spice collection to allies in exchange for future favors.
2. Use spice as a bargaining chip at every table (but don’t get too greedy).

How To Play dune means mastering spice—think ahead, trade smart, and always keep an eye on your stash!

Mastering Alliances and Betrayal: Make Friends, Then Fool Them

When learning How To Play dune, I found alliances can make or break you. Yet betrayal is the best plot-twist in any game night. Here’s how I kept my friends guessing.

Building Trust

1. Offer info or small trades early on.
2. Support allies in critical battles.
3. Share spice in a pinch.

Watching for Weakness

1. Note who’s running low on spice.
2. Spot desperation or weak holdings.
3. Track shifting table talk or sudden deals.

Switching Sides

1. Break alliances when you gain the upper hand.
2. Betray with flair for dramatic effect.
3. Act fast—hesitation ruins a good backstab!

Sealing the Win

1. Time betrayal with the victory condition close.
2. Don’t look too eager, or you’ll become the next target.

The Spice Must Flow (and So Should Your Fun!)

Well, that’s it! Now you know how to squeeze every drop of fun (and maybe betrayal) out of Dune. I’ve lost friends, alliances, and more sleep than I’d like to admit just to write this, so you better win at least once. Remember, in How To Play dune, nothing is certain—except that someone is probably plotting against you. Go out there, master your faction, grab all the spice you can, and don’t trust Paul Atreides with your last bag of chips. May your sandworms be big and your losses small!

Want to know what we think of Dune? Read our detailed review of Dune here