What is the objective of the game Dominion?

The objective of the game "Dominion" is to amass the most Victory Points (VP) by constructing a powerful deck of cards and strategically managing your resources. "Dominion" is a deck-building card game designed by Donald X. Vaccarino and published by Rio Grande Games. It is known for pioneering the deck-building genre, where players start with a small deck of basic cards and build upon it by acquiring more powerful cards from a common pool. Here's a detailed look at the objective and gameplay of "Dominion."

Objective:

The primary goal of "Dominion" is to accumulate Victory Points. When the game ends, which is triggered when certain conditions are met, the player with the most Victory Points wins. Victory Points are represented by Victory cards in the game, and they are accumulated throughout the game as players acquire them through various means.

Game Components:

"Dominion" consists of several types of cards, each serving a different purpose:

  1. Kingdom Cards: These are the central cards that players can acquire during the game. Kingdom cards have various abilities and are used to build a player's deck.
  2. Basic Cards: Every player starts with an identical set of basic cards, which include Copper (used for buying cards), Silver (used for buying more expensive cards), and Gold (used for purchasing the most powerful cards).
  3. Victory Cards: Victory cards, like Estate, Duchy, and Province, represent Victory Points. Players aim to accumulate these cards to score points.
  4. Curse Cards: Curse cards subtract points from a player's total score. They are typically introduced into opponents' decks as a strategy to hinder their progress.
  5. Trash Cards: Some cards allow players to "trash" other cards from their deck, removing them from the game. This helps streamline a player's deck to include more valuable cards.

    Gameplay:

    "Dominion" is played over a series of turns, with each player taking their turn one after another. A player's turn is divided into three phases: Action, Buy, and Cleanup.

    1. Action Phase: In this phase, a player plays one Action card from their hand, following the instructions on the card. Action cards can have various effects, such as allowing additional actions, providing extra cards, or granting special abilities.
    2. Buy Phase: In the Buy phase, a player can buy one card from the central supply of Kingdom cards using their available Treasure cards (Copper, Silver, and Gold). The cost of each card is indicated on the card itself. Players aim to acquire cards that will enhance their deck or provide Victory Points.
    3. Cleanup Phase: At the end of their turn, a player discards their remaining hand, including any unplayed Action cards, and draws a new hand of five cards. If a player cannot draw a new hand, they shuffle their discard pile to create a new draw pile.

      The game continues with players taking turns, playing Action cards, buying cards, and managing their decks. Victory cards acquired during the game are placed in a player's discard pile but don't provide points until the game's end.

      Game End:

      "Dominion" can end in several ways, but it typically occurs when one of the following conditions is met:

      1. All Province cards are purchased or a set number of Kingdom cards are depleted.
      2. Three piles of Kingdom cards are emptied. In this case, the player with the most Victory Points in their deck wins the game.

      When the game ends, players count their Victory Points from their decks, including any additional points from Kingdom cards with Victory Point values, such as Gardens. The player with the most Victory Points is declared the winner.

      "Dominion" is celebrated for its strategic depth and replayability as the available Kingdom cards can change in each game, requiring players to adapt their strategies. The game's objective of collecting Victory Points, while managing a growing deck of cards, makes it a compelling and engaging experience for both casual and competitive gamers.