Dune Board Games: party game
Dune: Betrayal: How the Dune Card Game Plays
Dune: Betrayal is a 2021 social deduction card game from Gale Force Nine for 4 to 8 players. It’s a short bluffing game for big groups, with players secretly loyal to House Atreides or House Harkonnen.
- 2021
- 4-8 players
- 20-40 minutes
- Ages 14+
- party game
- Gale Force Nine
Designers: Don Eskridge
Whose side is everyone on? Nobody knows. You have six rounds to figure it out.
Betrayal takes just six rounds, so its structure is easy to follow. Three action rounds help you gather information, two targeting rounds put your guesses on the table, and one battle round shows who got it right. The list below follows the rounds in order. Another game inspired by the 2021 film is Dune: House Secrets.
New to the series? Uprising is standalone, so the base game isn’t needed.
Quick guide to Dune: Betrayal’s six rounds
The game runs six rounds: three action rounds, two targeting rounds, and one battle round.
Check the film connection line on each card. Dune games draw from the book, the 1984 film or the new films.
- Step 1:
Setup: each player gets a secret identity card, such as Duke Leto Atreides, Baron Harkonnen, a Trooper, or Duncan Idaho, then picks two matching trait cards.
- Step 2:
Action rounds (three): On your turn, take one of three face-up action cards. Some take effect right away; save others for the targeting rounds.
- Step 3:
Some actions let you secretly look at another player’s trait card. Once viewed, a trait is shielded and can’t be viewed again.
- Step 4:
Targeting rounds (two): Place your attack card or defend card face down on another player’s identity card.
- Step 5:
You can target the same player twice, but not yourself. No one can have more than 3 target cards.
- Step 6:
Battle round: Players take turns revealing their identity and the cards on it.
- 7Step 7:
Players score points from action card sigils, tokens, and target cards. The score marker moves toward the winning house.
Betrayal is easy to explain, but a few precise rules govern hidden traits and shielded cards. The next block covers setup for each player count, the trait system, and scoring. For a heavier Dune game with the same Atreides and Harkonnen rivalry, try Dune: Imperium.
How to play Dune: Betrayal, step by step
Setup
Set the scoreboard in the center, using the side for your player count. Put the round marker on the first action round.
Choose a dealer to take the action, identity, trait, and target cards.
For four players, use Baron Harkonnen, a Trooper, Duke Leto Atreides, and Duncan Idaho. Add Gurney Halleck for five, a Guard for six, Lady Jessica for seven, and Beast Rabban for eight.
Shuffle and deal one identity to each player. Everyone takes one trait card of each type, then keeps the two that match their identity.
Harkonnen nobles find out who their fighters are through a script: everyone closes their eyes, the fighters raise a hand, and the noble peeks.
With 4 or 5 players, remove the 10 extended action cards before shuffling the action deck.
Turn by turn
Identities and traits
A fighter’s traits match their identity exactly. Nobles trust nobody, so they have both house traits. Trait cards are shuffled, which means even the owner doesn’t know which is which.
Action rounds
Starting with the dealer, choose a face-up action card. If its sigil matches your identity, you’ll score a point in the battle round. Immediate cards resolve right away; the rest wait for the targeting rounds.
Shielding
After you view a trait card, it’s shielded and turned sideways. It can’t be viewed again unless someone plays the Mind Breaker card.
Targeting rounds
Place an attack or defend card face down on another player’s identity card. In the second round, place your last card. Cards stay hidden until the battle round unless Aerial Recon reveals them.
Tokens
The Atreides Sigil and Master of Assassins actions give tokens to other players’ identity cards in the first targeting round. A player with two tokens can’t receive any more.
Battle round
Players reveal their identities and the cards on them, then adjust the battle marker. Atreides move it right when scoring and left when losing. Harkonnens move it the other way.
End of the game and scoring
Each player scores 1 point for every action card sigil that matches their identity. Atreides score 1 point per Sigil token, while Harkonnens lose 1 point per Assassin token. Harkonnen nobles lose 1 point per attack card, Atreides nobles lose 2, and fighters lose 1 if attacked. Each player gains 1 point for every defend card they receive. The marker shows which house is winning.
Key rules
Nobles versus fighters
Fighters lose 1 point if attacked, then ignore any further attacks. Nobles lose points for every attack card, so keeping your noble safe matters.
No target limits
You can play both target cards on the same player, but never on yourself. A player with 3 target cards can’t be targeted again.
Ornithopter Escape
Play this card in response to being targeted. The targeter must redirect that card to another player or discard it.
Mind Games
This lets a player skip placing a card in the first targeting round, then place both target cards in the second round.
Tips for your first game
- Use action cards to learn identities. Shielding limits how often you can view traits.
- As Atreides, protect your noble. Atreides nobles lose 2 points per attack card.
- Target enemy nobles when you can. They lose points for every attack card.
- Remember, the Harkonnens start with more information than the Atreides.
Rise of Ix and Immortality both need the original Dune: Imperium box.
Of the Dune games, this one draws most heavily on the 2021 film's look and characters. The next section covers the designer, publisher, and characters, from Duke Leto to Beast Rabban. For the wider range, see the Dune board games overview.
The game and the 2021 film behind it
Out of print doesn’t mean unplayable. Check the print status on each card.
The game
Design and release
Don Eskridge designed Dune: Betrayal, published by Gale Force Nine in 2021. It plays 4 to 8 players and takes about 20 to 40 minutes. A reviewer’s four-player games took about 20 minutes each.
Editions and reprints
The box contains 78 cards, a game board, a rulebook, and a token sheet. Our sources don’t list any expansions.
The film or series it covers
Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film Dune supplies the imagery and characters, set against the rivalry between House Atreides and House Harkonnen.
Players take on the identities of film characters. The artwork draws from the 2021 film, and players act as agents in the rivalry between the two houses. It’s a social deduction game, not a retelling of the plot.
Scenes and story beats in the game
- 1
Duke Leto Atreides is the Atreides noble.
- 2
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the Harkonnen noble.
- 3
Duncan Idaho and Gurney Halleck fight for House Atreides.
- 4
In 8-player games, Beast Rabban joins as a Harkonnen noble. Lady Jessica joins as an Atreides noble in 7-player games.
What’s in the Dune: Betrayal box
- 78 cards: action, identity, trait, and target cards
- 1 game board (scoreboard)
- 1 token sheet
- 1 rulebook
Dune: Betrayal questions
What is Dune: Betrayal?
Dune: Betrayal is a 2021 social deduction card game by Don Eskridge for 4 to 8 players. You secretly join House Atreides or House Harkonnen, then try to figure out who’s on your side.
How many rounds are in Dune: Betrayal?
Six: three action rounds, two targeting rounds, and one battle round.
How do you win Dune: Betrayal?
Score the most points for your house. After the battle round, the score marker shows whether Atreides or Harkonnen won.
How many players can play Dune: Betrayal?
It plays 4 to 8 players, ages 14+, and takes about 20 to 40 minutes.
Is Dune: Betrayal based on the movie?
Yes. The artwork and characters match Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film, including Duke Leto Atreides and Beast Rabban.
Who knows who is on their side at the start of Dune: Betrayal?
During setup, Harkonnen nobles learn who their fighters are. Everyone else starts with only their own identity and uses action cards to learn more.
New to the series? Uprising is standalone, so the base game isn’t needed.
Check the film connection line on each card. Dune games draw from the book, the 1984 film or the new films.