Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Arrakis is a desert world seemingly dead and barren, yet here lies the most important resource in the galaxy: Spice. Without Spice, space travel is impossible, and humans become little clusters on isolated planets.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Area Majority
Compete to have the strongest presence in areas that award control or points.
Area Movement
Move pieces between connected regions rather than along individual spaces.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Die Icon Resolution
Interpret rolled icons to determine which actions or effects occur.
Events
Triggered events alter the shared state, rules, or available choices.
Read the full game description
Arrakis is a desert world seemingly dead and barren, yet here lies the most important resource in the galaxy: Spice. Without Spice, space travel is impossible, and humans become little clusters on isolated planets. The noble House that controls Arrakis and the production of Spice wields great power. The Emperor gave Arrakis to House Atreides, but then he conspired to replace them with their old rivals, House Harkonnen. Baron Harkonnen crushed the Atreides in a treasonous attack, and now rules the planet with an iron fist. But Paul and Jessica, heirs to House Atreides, are alive, and are mounting a rebellion with the aid of the formidable Fremen, the mysterious inhabitants of the barren expanses of Arrakis. Only one House will emerge victorious from the coming struggle, while the other will be lost in the desert sands. It's into this grim reality that players will be thrust in Dune: War for Arrakis. In this asymmetrical strategy game, players fight for control of the planet, maneuvering troops like the Fremen, the Fedaykin, and the fearsome Sardaukar, while sending Spice harvesters into the deep desert, daring to challenge the great Sandworms. The game features an action dice system with numerous event cards that will enable players to retell the Dune saga differently with each playthrough. —description from the publisher