Spice, sandworms and 10 tabletop games

Dune Board Games: Imperium, Uprising and the 1979 Classic

By Updated

Dune: Imperium and its standalone follow-up, Dune Imperium Uprising, lead this list of ten Dune board games and card games. The lineup also includes the 1979 strategy classic and War for Arrakis miniatures. Each card gives publisher-confirmed specs and notes whether the game follows a novel or film.

  • 10 games
  • 1979 to 2024
  • 1 to 8 players

Spice must flow. First, pick a game and check its player count.

Dune has fewer tabletop games than Star Wars or Marvel, but the lineup ranges from a 1979 negotiation classic to a 1984 film tie-in and a modern worker-placement series. Most draw on the novel, so knowing the films won’t always help much. For a look at where Dune fits in the genre, visit the sci fi board games hub.

New to the series? Uprising is standalone, so the base game isn’t needed.

How to start with Dune board games

Rise of Ix and Immortality expand the original Dune: Imperium box.

  • Newcomers to Imperium

    Dune: Imperium Uprising

    A standalone sequel, so you don’t need the base game. It adds spies, contracts, sandworm riding and a six-player team mode.

    Difficulty
    Time to explainabout 25 min
    Player experience
    Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
    How we rate

  • Miniatures fans

    Dune: War for Arrakis

    Atreides and Fremen face Harkonnen in the Desert War. The game is for 1 to 4 players, takes about 2 hours and is for ages 14+.

    Difficulty
    Time to explainabout 50 min
    Player experience
    Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
    How we rate

  • Social deduction fans

    Dune: Betrayal

    A social deduction card game from the maker of The Resistance. Players secretly join either Atreides or Harkonnen.

    Difficulty
    Time to explainabout 8 min
    Player experience
    Geek Level4 / 10Owns the soundtrack
    How we rate

These ten cards span the 1979 Avalon Hill game to the 2024 miniatures game. Each links to a game explainer, with ratings explained on how we rate. Check the standout cards first, then filter by the play style you want.

Every Dune board game and card game

Out of print doesn’t mean unplayable. Check the print status on each card.

Showing all 10

Dune: Imperium

  • 2020
  • 1-4 players
  • 60-120 minutes
  • Ages 14+

This is what most people mean by the Dune board game today: deck-building meets worker placement. It came out in November 2020 and was nominated for the 2022 Kennerspiel des Jahres. Four expansions or upgrades followed, from Rise of Ix to Bloodlines.

How it plays

Each round, play cards from your deck to send agents to board spaces and gain resources, faction influence, troops or new cards. Reveal your remaining cards for benefits, then resolve combat and claim rewards. Most victory points wins.

The film or show connection

Dire Wolf made the game under Gale Force Nine’s Dune tabletop master license. It was released in November 2020, ahead of the 2021 film, and builds on the Dune universe rather than retelling the plot.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 25 min
Player experience
Geek Level7 / 10Can explain the timeline
How we rate

Type deck-building game In print

  • deck-building
  • worker placement
  • solo mode
  • expansions
Publisher
Dire Wolf (with Gale Force Nine)
Designers
Paul Dennen

Source 1 (direwolfdigital.com) Source 2 (en.wikipedia.org) Source 3 (asmodee.co.uk) Source 4 (denverpost.com)

How to play Dune: Imperium

Dune: Imperium Uprising

  • 2023
  • 1-4, 6 players
  • 60-120 minutes
  • Ages 13+

A standalone sequel in the Imperium series, it adds spies, contracts, sandworm riding and a six-player mode with two teams facing off. Bloodlines (2025) works with it.

How it plays

On your turn, play a card and, if you like, send an agent to a matching board space to gain resources, build faction influence or prepare for conflict. At round’s end, reveal your remaining cards to gain persuasion and buy cards. Combat uses the troops you committed.

The film or show connection

Dire Wolf released it in November 2023, timed to Dune: Part Two. The maker’s description names Fremen, spies and sandworms, but doesn’t list specific film scenes or actors.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 25 min
Player experience
Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
How we rate

Type deck-building game In print

  • deck-building
  • worker placement
  • standalone
  • six players
Publisher
Dire Wolf
Designers
Paul Dennen

Source 1 (direwolfdigital.com) Source 2 (asmodee.co.uk) Source 3 (denverpost.com)

How to play Dune: Imperium Uprising

Dune: War for Arrakis

  • 2024
  • 1-4 players
  • 120 minutes
  • Ages 14+

An asymmetric miniatures strategy game about the Desert War between House Atreides and House Harkonnen. The Harkonnens begin in control of the main settlements, and each side has a different path to victory. The Spacing Guild expansion adds to the core box.

How it plays

In a two-player game, each player leads one faction. With three or four players, they form two teams. The Harkonnen player wins with 10 Supremacy Points; the Atreides player must reach a secret Prescience objective. In solo mode, one player leads Atreides against a Harkonnen opponent run by the game.

The film or show connection

Based on Frank Herbert’s novel, not a film, it uses Dune characters, factions and miniatures.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 50 min
Player experience
Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
How we rate

Type strategy board game

  • miniatures
  • asymmetric
  • war game
  • solo mode
Publisher
CMON
Designers
Francesco Nepitello, Marco Maggi

Source 1 (cmon.com) Source 2 (store.asmodee.com) Source 3 (asmodee.co.uk)

How to play Dune: War for Arrakis

Dune (Avalon Hill, 1979)

  • 1979
  • 2-6 players
  • 60-180+ minutes
  • Ages 14+

The original Dune strategy game comes from the designers of Cosmic Encounter. It began as a Roman Empire game called Tribute, and each player leads a distinct faction. Gale Force Nine reissued it on October 30, 2019, 35 years after the 1984 edition, with only 3 to 5 percent of the rules tweaked.

How it plays

Each player takes a faction with its own powers and fights for control of Arrakis. Battles use secret troop commitments and combat cards, while alliances and diplomacy shape the outcome.

The film or show connection

Based on Frank Herbert’s novel, not a film, the game had a second edition from Avalon Hill in 1984 tied to David Lynch’s film. The 2019 reissue was timed ahead of the 2021 film.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 40 min
Player experience
Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
How we rate

Type strategy board game

  • asymmetric factions
  • negotiation
  • classic
  • reissue
Publisher
Avalon Hill (Gale Force Nine reissue 2019)
Designers
Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka

Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

How to play Dune (Avalon Hill, 1979)

Dune (Parker Brothers, 1984)

  • 1984

Parker Brothers published a Dune board game in 1984 as a tie-in to David Lynch’s film. Brad Stock, also credited with designing Parker Brothers’ Shadowlord!, designed it. This is a different game from Avalon Hill’s second edition of the 1979 strategy game, which appeared the same year.

How it plays

No current rights holder publishes the rules for this 1984 game, so this page doesn’t describe its turns.

The film or show connection

A licensed tie-in to David Lynch’s 1984 film.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 15 min
Player experience
Geek Level4 / 10Owns the soundtrack
How we rate

Type board game Out of print

  • film tie-in
  • vintage
  • 1984
Publisher
Parker Brothers
Designers
Brad Stock

Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org) Source 2 (artsandculture.google.com)

How to play Dune (Parker Brothers, 1984)

Dune: Eye of the Storm (Dune Collectible Card Game)

  • 1997
  • 2-8 players
  • 60 minutes

Eye of the Storm launched the Dune collectible card game in 1997, with each player running a minor House. Judge of the Change followed in December 1997, and Thunder at Twilight arrived in 1998. The game ended after the 1998 sets and is out of print.

How it plays

Players build a House from a Homeworld, Allies and Holdings, then use a second deck of Aides, Personnel, Equipment, Plans and Tactics. Allies and Holdings come from auction-style bidding. Players attack one another through Intrigue, Battle, Arbitration and Dueling Rites.

The film or show connection

The first license covered the 1984 film. By December 1997, it covered all of Frank Herbert’s Dune novels, and the cards draw on the first three books.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 30 min
Player experience
Geek Level8 / 10Argues about the extended cut
How we rate

Type trading card game Out of print

  • collectible
  • auctions
  • out of print
  • vintage
Publisher
Five Rings Publishing Group (Last Unicorn Games)
Designers
Owen Seyler, Matthew Colville

Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

How to play Dune: Eye of the Storm (Dune Collectible Card Game)

Dune: Betrayal

  • 2021

A social deduction game from Don Eskridge, the maker of The Resistance. Players join House Atreides or House Harkonnen. Gale Force Nine announced it in 2021 for an October release at a $25 retail price.

How it plays

Atreides players work to expose Harkonnen agents. Harkonnen players try to assassinate members of House Atreides and destabilize their rival house.

The film or show connection

It uses imagery from Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film, including Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 8 min
Player experience
Geek Level4 / 10Owns the soundtrack
How we rate

Type social deduction game

  • social deduction
  • bluffing
  • card game
  • 2021 film
Publisher
Gale Force Nine
Designers
Don Eskridge

Source 1 (comicbook.com)

How to play Dune: Betrayal

Dune: House Secrets

  • 2021
  • 1-4 players
  • 2-3 hours per adventure
  • Ages 14+

A cooperative, story-driven adventure game from Portal Games for 1 to 4 players. It includes a short prologue and three big adventures, each taking 2 to 3 hours. The game premiered at SPIEL Essen in October 2021.

How it plays

Players guide rebels through story chapters, choosing where to explore, which leads to follow and how to spend allies, time and resources. At each chapter’s end, they record what they learned in a status report, and Asset cards become available to the whole group.

The film or show connection

An officially licensed Dune game made with Gale Force Nine, Legendary Entertainment and Herbert Properties, released alongside Denis Villeneuve’s film. It tells its own story about rebels on Arrakis.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 20 min
Player experience
Geek Level4 / 10Owns the soundtrack
How we rate

Type cooperative game

  • co-op
  • story-driven
  • campaign
  • licensed
Publisher
Portal Games
Designers
Ignacy Trzewiczek, Weronika Spyra, Jakub Poczęty (design), Przemysław Rymer (story)

Source 1 (en.portalgames.pl) Source 2 (en.portalgames.pl) Source 3 (portalgames.blob.core.windows.net)

How to play Dune: House Secrets

Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy

  • 2021
  • about 1 hour

Gale Force Nine made this streamlined game in the style of the 1979 classic in 2021. The publisher says it isn’t a reskin or a replacement for the classic. It has four factions, a five-turn limit and a new two-player mode. A game generally lasts about an hour.

How it plays

Control three of the five strongholds at the end of a turn to win. If no one does after five turns, score the strongholds and spice. In battle, secretly set your forces on a battle wheel and choose whether to add a weapon or defense card. Then everyone reveals.

The film or show connection

This game draws on the classic, with leader portraits and card art from Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film. Its four factions are Atreides, Harkonnen, Fremen and the Imperium.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 15 min
Player experience
Geek Level6 / 10Has a favorite side character
How we rate

Type strategy board game

  • negotiation
  • streamlined
  • two-player mode
  • 2021 film
Publisher
Gale Force Nine
Designers
Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, Greg Olotka, Jack Reda

Source 1 (web.archive.org) Source 2 (ign.com) Source 3 (comicbook.com)

How to play Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy

Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen

  • 2022

This Fremen-focused strategy game takes place more than 100 generations before the Atreides arrive on Arrakis. It comes from the team behind the classic Dune game. Win by controlling enough sietches, or wait until the other players agree your victory is inevitable.

How it plays

Each round moves through six phases. Players bargain, trade, scavenge, ship tokens and attack territories as they build stillsuits, crysknives and sietches. They can turn sandworms against rivals, develop advanced weapons or use bribery to sway who joins an attack.

The film or show connection

Its connection is to the Dune setting and Fremen culture, not a specific film adaptation.

Difficulty
Time to explainabout 25 min
Player experience
Geek Level6 / 10Has a favorite side character
How we rate

Type strategy board game

  • area control
  • negotiation
  • Fremen
  • alliances
Publisher
Gale Force Nine
Designers
Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, Greg Olotka, Jack Reda

Source 1 (web.archive.org) Source 2 (comicbook.com)

How to play Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen

Dune games compared

Dune games compared by year, players, play time, ages and type
GameYearPlayersPlay timeAgesType
Dune: Imperium20201-460-120 minutes14+deck-building game
Dune: Imperium Uprising20231-4, 660-120 minutes13+deck-building game
Dune: War for Arrakis20241-4120 minutes14+strategy board game
Dune (Avalon Hill, 1979)19792-660-180+ minutes14+strategy board game
Dune (Parker Brothers, 1984)1984Not listedNot listedNot listedboard game
Dune: Eye of the Storm (Dune Collectible Card Game)19972-860 minutesNot listedtrading card game
Dune: Betrayal2021Not listedNot listedNot listedsocial deduction game
Dune: House Secrets20211-42-3 hours per adventure14+cooperative game
Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy2021Not listedabout 1 hourNot listedstrategy board game
Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen2022Not listedNot listedNot listedstrategy board game

Dune tabletop games over the years

From the 1979 strategy classic to the Imperium line, Dune has had tabletop games for more than four decades.

New to the series? Uprising is standalone, so the base game isn’t needed.

Most Dune buyers today land in the Imperium line, where the box names can get confusing. The steps below put each product in order and flag which ones need the base game. That makes it easier to see where Dune: Imperium ends and the standalone spin-off starts.

The Dune: Imperium line, one box at a time

Six products carry the Imperium name, and only some require the base game.

  1. Dune: Imperium (2020)

    The base game combines deck-building with worker placement. Dire Wolf calls it the first new Dune board game in nearly 40 years.

  2. Rise of Ix (2021)

    The first Dune: Imperium expansion adds an Ix board, a CHOAM board overlay, 18 tech tiles, two dreadnoughts, a freighter token and six leaders.

  3. Immortality (2022)

    The second Dune: Imperium expansion includes more than 75 cards, a Bene Tleilax board and a Research Station overlay. Harvest genetic specimens and graft them to empower your agents.

  4. Deluxe Upgrade Pack (2021)

    This cosmetic upgrade for Dune: Imperium replaces the wooden pieces with 65 miniatures: agents, a Mentat, troops and alliance tokens. It comes in an oversized box with trays.

  5. Dune: Imperium Uprising (2023)

    This standalone sequel needs no base game. It adds spies, contracts, sandworm riding and a six-player team mode.

  6. Bloodlines (2025)

    The pack adds 7 Sardaukar Commander miniatures, 18 tech tiles, 9 leaders and 8 contracts. Dire Wolf says it works with both Dune: Imperium and Uprising.

Dune games draw from three sources, which affects how much a film fan will recognize. The next section sorts them by the novel, the 1984 film and the newer films. For another sci-fi license with strong film ties, check out Star Wars board games.

Check the film connection line on each card. Dune games draw from the book, the 1984 film or the new films.

The novel, the 1984 film or the new films?

Dune games draw from different sources, so check which one a box follows.

  • Frank Herbert's novel

    The 1979 strategy game and Dune: War for Arrakis are based on the first novel. The 1997 card game draws on the first three books, while Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen takes place long before the novel begins.

  • David Lynch's 1984 film

    The Parker Brothers game of 1984 ties in with the film, and Avalon Hill timed the second edition of its 1979 game to that same movie. The 1997 card game began with a license for the 1984 film, then expanded to the novels.

  • The 2021 film

    Dune: Betrayal uses imagery from the film, including Duke Leto. Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy uses its leader portraits and some card art, while Dune: House Secrets is an officially licensed story released alongside the film.

  • Dune: Part Two

    Dune: Imperium Uprising launched in November 2023, timed to the release of Part Two. Its description mentions Fremen and sandworms, but no specific scenes.

New players often ask which Imperium box to buy first. Both share a designer and a style of play, so choose based on the tools you want and whether you need six players. The Dune: Imperium Uprising page covers the rules in more detail.

Dune: Imperium or Uprising?

The two boxes share a designer and a play style. Here are the differences that matter when choosing.

Choose Dune: Imperium for the original

This is the 2020 game that Rise of Ix, Immortality and the Deluxe Upgrade Pack build on. It was nominated for the 2022 Kennerspiel des Jahres.

Choose Uprising for new tools and six players

It adds spies, contracts and sandworm riding, and it is the only Imperium box with a six-player team mode. It stands alone, so you can start here without the base game.

Facts about Dune board games you may have missed

Rise of Ix and Immortality expand the original Dune: Imperium box.

  • The 1979 Dune game started out as a Roman Empire design called Tribute.

    Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

  • In 2012, Fantasy Flight reprinted the game’s system as Rex: Final Days of an Empire. Without the Dune license, the setting became Twilight Imperium.

    Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

  • Gale Force Nine’s 2019 reissue changed only about 3 to 5 percent of the original rules. It came out on October 30, 2019.

    Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

  • Dire Wolf was approached about a Dune game on the same day the Dune tabletop license was announced at Gen Con in 2018.

    Source 1 (denverpost.com)

  • Avalon Hill’s 1984 second edition of the Dune strategy game included two expansions: Spice Harvest and The Duel.

    Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

  • The Deluxe Upgrade Pack for Dune: Imperium comes with 65 miniatures: 12 agents, 1 Mentat, 48 troops and 4 alliance tokens.

    Source 1 (shop.direwolfdigital.com)

  • Dune: Imperium was nominated for the 2022 Kennerspiel des Jahres and finished third in the Deutscher Spiele Preis.

    Source 1 (en.wikipedia.org)

Most questions about the franchise are practical: what each expansion adds, whether Uprising is standalone, and which games follow which film. For films adapted from tabletop games, and the other way around, see movies based on board games.

Dune board game FAQ

What is Dune: Imperium Uprising?

Dune: Imperium Uprising is a 2023 standalone sequel by Paul Dennen, mixing deck-building with worker placement. You don’t need the base game, and Bloodlines (2025) works with it.

How many players can play Dune: Imperium Uprising?

Uprising lists 1 to 4 players, plus a six-player mode where two teams face off. The base game, Dune: Imperium, lists 1 to 4 players.

What does the Dune Imperium Rise of Ix expansion add?

Rise of Ix adds an Ix board, a CHOAM board overlay, 18 tech tiles, two dreadnoughts, a freighter token and six leaders. Dire Wolf calls it the first expansion for Dune: Imperium.

What’s in the Dune Imperium Immortality expansion?

Immortality (2022) adds more than 75 cards, a Bene Tleilax board and a Research Station overlay. You harvest genetic specimens, research and graft cards, and expand Dune: Imperium.

What is the Dune Imperium Deluxe Upgrade Pack?

This is a cosmetic upgrade, not a new game. Miniatures replace the wooden agents, Mentat, troops and alliance tokens in Dune: Imperium. The oversized box has trays for the whole game, including sleeved cards.

Is there a Dune card game?

Yes. The Dune collectible card game, Dune: Eye of the Storm, launched in 1997 and is out of print. Dune: Betrayal (2021) is a newer social deduction game.

What is the Dune War for Arrakis board game?

Dune: War for Arrakis is a 2024 CMON game for 1 to 4 players, ages 14+, with a play time of about 2 hours. It uses miniatures to bring the Desert War between House Atreides and House Harkonnen to the table.

Is there a Dune board game based on the 2021 movie?

Dune: Betrayal uses imagery from the 2021 film, while Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy uses its leader faces. Dune: House Secrets is a licensed story released alongside the film. Dune: Imperium predates it by a year and draws on the wider Dune universe.

Is the 1984 Dune board game still available?

Parker Brothers published it in 1984 as a tie-in to David Lynch’s film. It is no longer published, so copies are secondhand. Don’t confuse it with Avalon Hill’s 1984 second edition of the 1979 strategy game.

Is there a Dune miniatures game?

Dune: War for Arrakis includes detailed miniatures, while the Dune: Imperium Deluxe Upgrade Pack swaps wooden pieces for miniatures.

What is Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy?

Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy is a 2021 Gale Force Nine game modeled on the 1979 classic. It has four factions, a five-turn limit and a two-player mode. Most games take about an hour.

Who owns the Dune board game license?

Gale Force Nine holds the Dune tabletop master license, and Dune is a Legendary property. Dire Wolf publishes Dune: Imperium in association with Gale Force Nine. Portal Games made House Secrets with Gale Force Nine, Legendary Entertainment and Herbert Properties.

Out of print doesn’t mean unplayable. Check the print status on each card.

New to the series? Uprising is standalone, so the base game isn’t needed.

Sources

  1. Dire Wolf: Dune: Imperium direwolfdigital.com
  2. Dire Wolf: Dune: Imperium Uprising direwolfdigital.com
  3. Dire Wolf Store: Rise of Ix shop.direwolfdigital.com
  4. Dire Wolf Store: Immortality shop.direwolfdigital.com
  5. Dire Wolf Store: Deluxe Upgrade Pack shop.direwolfdigital.com
  6. Dire Wolf News: Bloodlines news.direwolfdigital.com
  7. Asmodee UK: Dune: Imperium asmodee.co.uk
  8. Asmodee UK: Dune: Imperium Uprising asmodee.co.uk
  9. CMON: Dune: War for Arrakis rulebook cmon.com
  10. Asmodee USA: Dune: War for Arrakis store.asmodee.com
  11. Portal Games: release date for Dune: House Secrets en.portalgames.pl
  12. Portal Games: Dune: House Secrets rulebook portalgames.blob.core.windows.net
  13. Gale Force Nine (archived): Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy web.archive.org
  14. Gale Force Nine (archived): What is Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen? web.archive.org
  15. ComicBook.com: Dune: Betrayal announced comicbook.com
  16. ComicBook.com: Arrakis: Dawn of the Fremen announced comicbook.com
  17. IGN: Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy review ign.com
  18. The Denver Post: Dire Wolf and Dune denverpost.com
  19. The Strong National Museum of Play: Shadowlord! artsandculture.google.com
  20. Wikipedia: Dune (board game) en.wikipedia.org
  21. Wikipedia: Dune (card game) en.wikipedia.org
  22. Wikipedia: Dune: Imperium en.wikipedia.org