New Dune Game Launches on Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for Dune: War for Arrakis has launched on Kickstarter. The new board game, designed by War of the Ring designers Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello, is a 2 to 4 player game that pits the forces of House Harkonnen against Paul Atreides and his Fremen army of guerrilla fighters. Like War for the Ring, Dune: War for Arrakis features asymmetric gameplay – the Harkonnen side is trying to wipe out the Fremen forces entirely by destroying their Sietches. Meanwhile, the Atreides side is trying to complete a hidden objective, which they can complete by scoring points on three different paths, thus cementing Atreides' rise to power.  

While players will maneuver their forces across the planet-wide desert of Arrakis, characters from the Dune novels will make appearances as Leaders, providing combat bonuses when utilized. Several characters will "evolve" over time (with both Paul and Jessica having multiple miniatures) while other characters will only make appearances partway through the game when certain events take place. Players will also have to deal with the perennial threat of the Sandworms, with the Fremen able to summon a Sandworm and utilize it to take out Harkonnen forces. 

We'll note that War of the Ring is one of the highest rated games of all time on BoardGameGeek, and that Dune: War for Arrakis appears to utilize some of the mechanics from that game but with a distinctively Dune theme. 

Backers of the Kickstarter will receive a copy of the game with a $110 pledge, although shipping costs will be applied separately. As of press time, the Kickstarter has raised over $200,000, which is over double its initial $100,000 goal.

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