How To Play: Dune

Overview

If you think spice is just for pumpkin lattes, Dune is about to school you. I grabbed my friends, some snacks, and after a few arguments about the rulebook, we finally played. This guide is for you if you want a simple outline of the game rules and, most importantly, the best strategies for winning Dune—without flipping the table. Strap in, because this game gets spicy quick.

What’s in the box

1 Game Board
6 Player Sheets
6 Player Screens
30 Spice Tokens
54 Treachery Cards
33 Alliance Cards
21 Storm Cards
6 Faction Wheels
1 Storm Marker
1 Turn Marker
1 Storm Deck
6 Reference Cards
80 Player Tokens (in 6 colors)
1 Rulebook

How To Play Dune: Rules Summary

Setup

Pick your faction. Each player chooses or gets assigned a faction card. I always fight for the Bene Gesserit because mind games are fun, and also, I like to look mysterious.
Grab your starting spice, troops, and tokens as listed on your card. Don’t worry, you will lose them soon enough.
Place troops in your faction’s home territory. Keep reserves aside for now. It’s like camping, but with more betrayal.
Shuffle all decks: battle, treachery, and spice cards. Place them within reach. Don’t hide them under snacks!
Deal out your starting hand of treachery cards. Try not to let your poker face slip.
Set the storm marker and turn marker to the start spots on the board. Prepare for chaos.

Gameplay

Each turn, move the storm marker. The storm always ruins someone’s day, so watch out!
Reveal a spice card. Drop spice tokens where it shows. There’s a mad dash to grab it—friendships have been tested here.
Bid for treachery cards. Use your precious spice and don’t let your enemies see you cry when you overpay.
Plan and make your moves: ship in troops, march them bravely (or cluelessly) toward spice or strongholds.
Fight when you bump into enemy troops. Battle involves secret dials, with much bluffing and pretending you totally know what you’re doing.
Collect spice, complete deals, and never trust the person to your left—they’re up to something.

Winning

At certain points, check if anyone holds enough strongholds (usually three). If yes, they win. If not, keep playing and plotting!
After the final turn, if nobody meets the win condition, see the rules for special endgame win conditions. Sometimes, it gets weird.

Special Rules & Conditions

Each faction breaks the rules in some wild way. Remember to use your powers or you’ll regret it when your friend gloats.
Use alliances for sneaky team victories. But don’t trust your allies too much. This is Dune!
The storm, sandworms, and traitor cards can totally flip the game. Never say you have it in the bag—it’s probably a mirage.

If you ever get lost, shout “How To Play Dune” and pretend the rulebook is the voice of God. Enjoy chaos and remember: spice makes the game go round.

Best Dune Strategies

Unleash Your Faction and Forge Ruthless Alliances

Own Your Secret Skills

Read your faction powers out loud to your group for extra drama—and so you remember them! It’s easy to forget you have an edge.
Use your special abilities early; surprise your rivals before they catch on.

Choose Your Friends Carefully

Team up with factions that fix your weaknesses. For example, if you’re weak at combat, find a strong fighter as an ally.
Switch sides if an alliance no longer benefits you—but always blame the sandworms.

How To Play dune With Unlikely Partners

Persuade others by offering spice or battle tips. Sometimes fake kindness goes far, especially when plotting behind their backs.

Spice Is Life: Winning With Smart Spice Moves

Grab Early Spice

Right off the bat, you need to collect spice fast. Everyone rushes for it, so don’t be shy! Here’s how I usually do it:

Send cheap troops to low-risk spice blows.
Use movement abilities to beat rivals to new spice spots.

Spend It, Don’t Hoard It

If you just sit on spice, someone else will use theirs to smack you. Spend smartly:

Buy treachery cards or hire more troops when needed.
Bribe others with a little spice to gain favors or alliances.

Block Opponents

As soon as you spot where others are heading, use your spice to stop them:

Pay to ship troops into contested spice-rich areas.
Bid high on cards that can keep your rivals poor.

So, that’s how to play Dune with solid spice moves. If you stay broke, you lose. If you get rich and clever, you win (sometimes… unless you forget about sandworms, which I have, twice).

Brawl and Bargain: Mastering Dune’s Showdowns

Bluff Like a Pro

Pretend you’ll throw in a strong leader, then slide in a weak one instead. Your friends will second-guess every move.
Keep your real treachery cards a secret—play dumb till the last second.

Maximize Your Battle Wheels

Go high or low with troops and spice, but always keep your enemy guessing.
Remember, sometimes it’s worth losing a skirmish to bait your opponent into overcommitting next time.

Negotiate Like a Spice Tycoon

Offer up empty promises if it means you get what you want. Just don’t be shocked if friends hold a grudge.
Always weigh a short alliance against your long-term chances for victory. Winning is sweet, but payback is spicy!

Honestly, half my wins happened because I smiled, bluffed, and then stabbed my friends in the back. That’s Dune, baby. If you want more tips, look up How To Play dune—I promise you’ll find ways to take home the win.

You’re Ready to Ride the Sandworm!

Congrats, you made it through my wild tour of Arrakis! Now you know more Dune strategies than a Sardaukar knows ways to flex. Remember, sometimes the best move is just to form an alliance and immediately betray your friends. (Sorry, Mike!) Whether you’re plotting as the Atreides, sucking up spice as the Harkonnen, or just praying for sandworms to eat your enemies, keep these tips in mind. The most important rule? Have fun, argue loudly, and never trust someone offering you spice coffee. Good luck out there!

How To Play dune has never been clearer. Unless you lose. Then just blame the rules.

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