ARNAK vs DUNE: IMPERIUM | In-Depth Comparison | Which is the Better Game? (15 Categories)
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2024
- Dune: Imperium and Lost Ruins of Arnak both came out around the same time and both combine deckbuilding and worker placement mechanics, so naturally they have been compared a lot. We've decided to do our own in-depth comparison on the two games, broken into 15 categories. Which game did Carlo like more? And what are his overall thoughts on both titles? Are they overrated? Do they deserve the praise they receive? Come find out!
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0:00 Introduction & Overview
2:26 Category #1: Approachability
4:25 Category #2: Theme, Art & Components
7:17 Category #3: Worker Placement
11:22 Category #4: Deckbuilding & Cards
14:47 Category #5: Resources
19:27 Category #6: Turn & Round Structure
23:07 Category #7: Game Length & Downtime
25:43 Category #8: Player Interaction & Tension
29:05 Category #9: Player Count
32:03 Category #10: Scoring
37:27 Category #11: The Game Arc
41:07 Category #12: Trackable vs Secret Info
46:07 Category #13: Variability
49:41 Category #14: Replay Value
52:55 Category #15: Novelty
55:41 The Final Verdict | Which Game is Better? - Ігри
Which game do you prefer? Lost Ruins of Arnak or Dune: Imperium?
Also, if you've played both with their respective expansions, does that change your opinion at all?
Definitely DUNE but probably because of the theming. Plays a heavy role for me.
I have both with expansions and I only play/teach them with the expansions. Arnak expansion adds a bit more complexity but also gives asymmetric starting decks and powers and new tracks for variety. Dune expansion adds tech, dreadnoughts, and a new shipping element but it makes money tighter early and gives new reasons to focus on space guild and emperor tracks. Preference is definitely Dune but I enjoy Arnak as well. Dune is good with 4 but prefer 2 or 3 for Arnak.
One note: Dune ends when someone reaches 10vp OR when the conflict deck runs out (10 rounds).
I agree that although they have worker placement and some deck building that they have very different feels and I'm happy to have both in my collection. They are excellent games and are both in my top 10 but Dune Imperium (#3) edges out Lost Ruins of Arnak (#6).
I prefer Arnak. We're 2 player only gamers and I gotta say Dune Imperium does not shine at 2. We've had 3-4 point spreads in most of our plays. The tension everyone enjoys while playing it - I don't feel that at 2 players.
DOON
My main takeaway is that Carlo really needs to see Dune (2021)!
Yasss!! I just watched it a couple months ago due to dune imperium climbing the top 100. Fell in love with the universe and plan on getting into the books!
You're absolutely right. I'll watch it soon!
THIS is the video I’ve been looking for. Thanks Carlo! I really feel like I understand both of these games so much better now.
Thanks, Kyle!
Your point about LRoA being a resource conversion game was really helpful to know!
This was fun to watch. I own and have played Arnak 3 or 4 times. I had the chance to play Dune at a convention over the weekend. I was unaware of the similarities between the games before I sat down to play. When the teach was over I remember thinking to myself “this seems similar to Arnak”.
We had a 4 player game. Towards the end of the game, I felt myself struggling to find pathways to victory points. I am certain that my lack of experience played a huge part in that. But after the game I felt that Arnak gives me more pathways to convert resources, move up tracks, explore areas, and generate late game points. You commented that turns in Arnak can go on for some time after all workers are placed. Personally, I like that flexibility.
Thanks for watching, Rodney! I mostly agree with your Dune: Imperium comments about points. A good chunk of points early on usually comes from moving up far enough on those tracks, and then beyond that, if you're not going the The Spice Must Flow route, most (if not all) of the other points will come from the conflicts. Picking and choosing which conflicts to contest and which ones to sit out and save your troops is an important decision.
Great analysis of both games! I like both games a lot, but prefer Arnak. I definitely have a thing for efficiency puzzle games, though, and that's basically Arnak's entire thing. The expansion does add quite a bit more variability to the game, too, by the way.
I'm curious, though: have you played Arnak on the Snake Temple side of the board? It feels to me like the much better experience; the balance between exploration and research is a lot closer overall (and especially in the early game) and the travel icon costs for the worker spots are also a lot more interesting, with boots being of some actual value. If you haven't tried it yet, you definitely should! It probably won't drastically change your opinion, but I do think it's a lot better.
Thanks for watching! I have played on the Snake Temple side and it's definitely more interesting, but because the formula of the game still hinges so much on the resource conversion aspect and the research track, it wasn't enough to make me want to replay it a lot more. If the expansion gets added to BGA I'll probably give it a shot.
I really like Dune, all the pieces felt like they came together really well and the scoring is always tight which keeps everyone engaged. Arnak I enjoyed as well but it didn't seem to offer too much in terms of strategy diversity, it felt as if you were forced up the track rather than trying to optimize deck building or fighting the guardians. Maybe I just haven't had a good game of it yet though where other strategies turned out to be viable.
For me Dune is far better mechanically, but for introducing to most of my friends I think Arnak takes it for a more generally approachable theme and somehow feeling simpler despite having 5 resources and a weird 2 token tech tree.
Yup, that all makes sense to me and I think we mostly agree, Arnak is definitely the more approachable game.
On the resources in Arnak not being thematic: I actually found the resources quite thematic, but you have to understand the resource tokens to be abstractions of different things you might uncover on your expedition. The coins are either actual money or artifacts best sold for money. The compasses are information about the geography or anything else that might help you navigate the island. The stone tablets are information on the history and religion of Arnak. The arrowheads are information or tools to aid in self - defense from the island's monsters, and the gems are obscure artifacts that require further study to put into context.
I agree with you on that, but what I meant was how they're thematically integrated into what you're actually doing. The best examples I can think of are the guardians and the research track. Let's say I need 2 compasses and a tablet to advance on the track - why is that? Why would I need 2 compasses? Is 1 of them broken? Or another spot where I need coins and a gem - why would I need coins and a gem to advance on a research track? Does that represent a bribe I'm paying someone in order to gain information? And why would I ever need coins or tablets or gems for the guardians? The specific "recipe"-style requirements for guardians and the research track just some arbitrary.
Contrast this with a game like, for example, Vinhos. You need grapes to make wine, and the weather affects the quality of your wine, and you can put that wine in cellars to age in order to become more valuable, etc. Everything just makes sense thematically. There's very little about the resources in Arnak that makes thematic sense, in terms of how you actually USE the resources, that ties into the real world in any way.
Love the long form videos.
Good comparison of the two games. I think you did a good job of highlighting why they might be compared, but also how they are distinctly different as well.
Thanks! I definitely wanted the differences to be the focus and the main takeaway from the video.
D:I is a fave of mine right now. The dual use cards are nice, and I feel like your never locked out. You may not have your first choice later in a round, but you'll have an option. It's fun.
Right, almost every turn you might need to pivot and reconsider your decision due to what someone else did, but there's still something you can accomplish, even when you have to settle.
Thank you for cleanly explaining every single thought I've also had about these two games. I'm not sure I've ever aligned more perfectly with a piece of board game content then this video.
Well, until you called Dune Imperium overrated. I've played it a couple dozen times now and deeply enjoy it. It's still in my top 20 and will likely stay there for a long time to come.
Thanks for the wonderful comment, Mark!! :)
And to be fair, my opinion of Dune: Imperium might change once I try the Rise of Ix expansion. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way seeing it ahead of games like Agricola, Keyflower, Nusfjord, etc on the BGG rankings. I don't think Dune: Imperium is one of the greatest worker placement games of all-time, let alone one of the top 20 EVER, but I definitely understand why it's that high in the rankings. Without the Dune IP attached though, I wonder how much lower it would be ranked.
@@AllYouCanBoard if you see it as a worker replacement game obliviously you'll be disappointed, it's the hybrid aspect people love... The sum of its parts are definitely better than the individual aspects. I don't think it's overrated at all but I can easily see another game take what it does and do it better, eventually rendering it obsolete.
I didn’t have an issue with Dune components, however I don’t think there is even a contest. Lost Ruins of Arnak has faaaaaar superior components hands down! Otherwise agree with everything else in video 😁
Fair enough, I had very limited experience with the physical version actually, most of my plays were on BGA, so I might have forgotten how much nicer the components were for Arnak.
Great comparison!... I don't know which I actually prefer. Both expansions make each game better. For me the deck building aspect of Arnak is more forgiving but less interesting than Dune. In Dune it can be difficult to get nice synergies going based on what other people buy and what cards come up. Sometimes I find myself buying cards I don't really want but it is what I can afford. Also if you don't get a good enough variety of symbols in Dune that can really hurt your ability to go to the different faction spots. That said it is really satisfying when you have a deck with a lot of combos. I also find in my plays Dune: Imperium ends up with more down time. Although the number of actions a person can take in a round max out at 4, there is a lot more potential for people using actions that others wanted, and then people have to rethink their turn. This happens less in Arnak as there are usually many ways to get the same resources. Dune is more repayable, as Arnak can feel samey with what you do each game. The Leaders expansion in Arnak really helps with replayability since it gives you those asymmetrical players powers. Dune also has the asymmetrical powers but I feel like they are less impactful (you can ignore your power if you want and just go for building a strong deck and still win). That is a good thing in my book as how well you do in the game doesn't hinge on your leader.
Thanks, Jared! Those are all great points and I agree almost entirely with everything you said (although I haven't played Hidden Leaders so I can't comment on that). The cards that come up in Dune definitely play a big part in how much I enjoy it from game to game, and for how much you can get combos going like you said. Looking forward to trying Rise of Ix for sure, not sure if I'll get around to Hidden Leaders unless someone else has a copy and makes a push to play (or if it gets added to BGA).
Great overview Carlos! I have to agree that both games are a little overrated on BGG. Having said that I think I would rather play arnak rather than dune imperium.
Thanks Ryan! That's totally fair, I see the appeal for Arnak and I still think it's a solid game, I just think I've reached my limit in how much I still want to keep playing it.
MY MAN coming in here with a 1 hour video 👀. *Buckles up*
Haha, thanks, I planned for a shorter video but it just ended up this way.
@@AllYouCanBoard I LOVE IT
It’s interesting to me that you feel like Arnak plays too long, I always feel like it’s almost over too soon at 2 player. The later rounds do tend to take a lot longer though.
That's fair, and I mostly played it with 3 players. I think I only played with 2 players maybe twice.
Definitely feel your bias throughout the video and that's probably because of my bias. I got both of these games at the same time and struggled with Dune Imperium (actually set it up and tried to learn three different times before getting through a game) where Lost Ruins of Arnak was super approachable and more fulfilling and has remained so. They are definitely different games but my nod would definitely got to Arnak and so much so that I have been debating on moving on from Dune Imperium. Still good to hear your thoughts.
That's totally fair, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Dune: Imperium but there's nothing wrong with that, it's not for everyone. Arnak is absolutely the more approachable game.
Thank you for the comparison and especially the over-rated comments at the end. I *had* Dune very high up on my to-get list based on the hype, however, I'll look at it more critically in comparison with the older, less hot, less in-style strategic games.
That's good to hear, it's absolutely a great game but I would never think of it as a must-own for anyone. I imagine one day it'll probably leave my collection but I think it'll probably stick around for at least a few years. If you have a way to try it before buying, it's still expensive enough that I'd recommend that before buying it outright. There are better games out there.
Initially, I thought I liked Arnak better. But after five plays, and even after I got the Expedition expansion, it hit me that I don't really enjoy converting resources that much. And I do a lot of that in Arnak. But two things had always bothered me about Imperium and your Point #10 is one of them. This is only a small bother, however. The big one for me (and in Scythe) is the way combat is handled. It's not that it's not tense or dramatic, but I don't feel like I'm fighting and I want that. I went back to the cube tower (from Wallenstein) which I hadn't used in a long time. Sword = cube into tower. Then I started loving the game again (and Scythe). Cube towers are awesome.
Interesting! I was just listening to an old Ludology podcast episode the other day and they talked about the cube tower from Wallenstein (which I've never played). I wish more modern games used that, it sounded like a neat mechanic.
- Carlo
I think Arnak is far more elegant of a game than is given credit. The fact you can have some take a worker placement spot and still have a few creative ways to maneuver your actions to get around that is magnificent. I have seen people pull off insane combos.
Also, i have milled my entire deck in 1 turn if you are creative enough with your actions. But i can see it not feeling deck- buildery if the cards you are obtaining are not synergized.
Now, no knock to Dune as I have not played it yet and want to soooo bad! Hope to next week.
I respect your opinion and I think Lost Ruins of Arnak is a well-made game, but I just got tired of the resource conversion stuff after almost 10 plays. I keep hearing the expansion makes it much better but I'm not sure if I'm all that interested in trying it out, we'll see.
MC announcement day so sure Dylan is away/busy as usual :P
Dune Pt2 made me buy this game and man is it awesome
Great movie and great game.
The most important question is what do you think of the Dune ip especially the new movie
I haven't seen the movie yet (I plan to watch it soon), but I've read Dune (just the first book) and had mixed feelings about it. I don't think the actual writing is anything special, like it's not pleasant to read in the same way a lot of my favourite authors are, but the story and world-building are really interesting and I enjoyed getting to know that universe. I don't know if I'll ever re-read it or read any others in the series, I think I'm fine with what I got out of the book, but that might change once I see the movie.
Concerning the player count:
1 Player
Arnak > Dune
(I feel the Dune AI is quite random and the Automa cards arent balanced at all)
(Arnak is great Solo AND the free app or print&play campaign is even genius)
2 Players
Arnak > Dune
(Dune is OK but not a game I would actively suggest with 2)
3 Players
Arnak = Dune
(Maybe the sweet spot for both)
4 Players
Dune >> Arnak
(I would not recommend Arnak with 4, only with experienced players I might join it....it doesnt add more compared to 3 players except for TIME ;-) )
I haven't played Dune, but I have played Arnak 5 times and i want to keep playing it only because i feel that i'm missing something to really enjoy it. The resource conversion feels the same every game because i want to take those final points in the investigation track and the difference between games are just the cards I bought which to the final round of the game feels meaningless.
That's a great way to put it and I think I reached a similar point with it after 5 or 6 plays.
At first impression of playing both games, I prefered DUNE, BUT , the more I played both games, the more I chose to prefer Lost Ruins of Arnak. Because of replay abilities. In Dune, I kind of felt like doing everything the same. But not in Lost Ruins (especially with Expansion) , will never be played the same way.
That's funny, mine was actually reversed! I started like Arnak more and then gravitated towards Dune afterwards. - Dylann
Interesting! I felt like every game of Dune: Imperium so far has felt quite different, but Arnak has felt more repetitive for me with the research track.
- Carlo
What are some alternatives to these 2 overhyped games when it comes to solo games?
I'll jump in just to say that Nusfjord and Hadrian's Wall are two great solo game that I enjoy! -Dylann
An alternative to Lost Ruins of Arnak, in terms of resource management/conversion, would be Glass Road. It plays great solo but it's also great with 2-4 players.
As for an alternative to Dune: Imperium, I haven't played Nusfjord or Hallertau solo but I think I would suggest those as solo worker placement games based on my plays with 2 players.
- Carlo
THANK YOU, great video and definitly Dune:Imperium is a lot better but yeah Arnak has nice art and is lighther in my opinion and really linear. While Dune: Imperium is really different each game and tight, you have to follow what others do, each decision has a lot of impact on the game. I understand why people like Arnak but i got bored with it really fast, the only fun things is the deckbuilding for me.
I agree. After the first few plays, really the bulk of my enjoyment came from trying out different cards and building my deck differently in Arnak. Dune: Imperium just has a lot more to offer.
I really don't consider the two to be comparable at all. They share a couple of mechanics, but the core gameplay loop is significantly different, as is the scoring. I see Arnak as much more of a resource management and action economy game while Dune is far more strategic with multiple paths to victory. Arnak gives the illusion of multiple paths until you play it once and realize that the research track is the only way to score well in the game. If you ignore it and someone else doesn't, they will win every time. Conversely, Dune offers a wide variety of strategies which can differ significantly based on the leader you choose. Even with the addition of expedition leaders, Arnak still doesn't change much in terms of the endgame objective.
I think those are all fair points and I agree with pretty much everything. I even mentioned that I also don't think the games are all that similar, so I decided to compare them specifically to highlight their differences. Thanks for watching!
Dune Imperium does have a finite number of max turns .. after 10 turns (conflicts). The game ends either by someone reach 10 points or after 10 turns
I just got to that point of the video and came to the comments to see if anyone else noticed that since my immediate reaction was “wait, that’s not true”
Yeah I think what was meant was Arnak is a set number of rounds that never changes. Whereas Dune's can fluctuate and we've had games end sooner, or at the max number of rounds.
I was going to make the same comment. It’s a bit odd that someone who has played the game approximately 10 times was unaware of that.
Nice Review,...
i totally agreed to your FInal verdict<
For Gameplay ithink Dune is more superior than Arnak
But Arnak its surely definitely more prettier an beautiful than Dune
dont get me wrong, Arnak also a nice and a good board game to play
Yeah, maybe I should've given Arnak more credit for being the nicer looking game with better components.
Well I just bought Dune over arnak so I sure as heck hope that Dune wins this!
Haha you're in luck!
I agree, both were hyped big time. I was let down after playing them a coupe times because of the hype. I was expecting something much more. I feel like I must be missing something... perhaps I'm drifting away from the hobby.
Not necessarily! Everyone likes different games and that also changes as you play more, as you age, as you just go through life, etc. Nothing wrong with neither of these games being misses for you.
I have my easy conclusion. ;-)
Arnak is much closer to a classic Eurogame because...
a) it has more ressource management+conversion
b) it has more engine building resp. using actions+chains+benefits more efficiently....which could mean having more actions than your opponents
c) it has a point salad (score sheet) way to define the winner....even each card has a pt value of 1-3 which means in the last turn you can just get points by buying cards that you will never use.
Dune Imperium is a much more conflict and "racing" game because
a) you are racing on 4 tracks (instead of 1) to get pts and bonusses for having alliances
b) you are having a direct conflict (fight) each turn....if you decide to "join" it
In total, Dune is the much more tense and exciting game while in Arnak you mostly have different options to achieve the same. In Dune, a turn (not necessarily the whole game) can definetely be ruined by your card draw and by opponents blocking locations.
That being said, I have experienced in many sessions that Dune often is much closer BUT in Arnak it's mostly the better or more experienced player who actually wins the game....which again is typical to a classic eurogame.
If you are a dry eurogamer then you might have real issues with Dune Imperium (basically being a conflict game). If you are a thematic Ameritrasher then you might have real issues with Arnak (basically being a ressource converter).
As I'm a hybrid of both, I do have both games in my Top20 of all time.
BUT I have to state that Dune has a real design issue by having such a bad ancient card market mechanism which calls for an expansion to fix that...and which Rise of IX unfortunately doenst even address.
Literally got addicted on Dune for 3 weeks straight playing 8 hours a day on tabletop simulator. Not my proudest moment lol.
Haha, no shame in that! Sometimes you just need to really dig into a game you're obsessed with.
I have bad news to you:
As both games already have an expansion, it feels like your great long comparison is kind of obsolete. ;-)
I mean I'm sure your comparison is gonna change in many categories once you have played especially Arnak with the expansion.
The expansion improves most things in which you prefer Dune.
1. The expedition leaders incl their unique starting hands even create more asymmetry than any Dune character....some even play totally different.
2. The new temple tracks add variety AND change the game so that being first on the temple track isnt the obvious way to win.
Concerning your review, I agree that Arnak gets samey already after a few plays while Dune stays different in every game.
BUT how often does a gamer play a game before playing something else or buying an expansion (if available)?
Concerning that Arnak is totally okay as it is and it got the expansion At the perfect moment while solving the main issues players have with the base game.
I'd have to disagree, I don't think an expansion releasing or existing makes the original game obsolete. Not everyone will purchase the expansion, nor does everyone always have an interest an expanding on a game, even if they love it. I still think it's a worthy conversation to have about base games because no matter what, that's still the starting point for anyone wanting to get into one of these and it's not fair to tell someone they have to buy the expansion from day 1 of a purchase.
However, I do really want to play the expansions for both of these games! :D
-Dylann
Finally a good comparison of the 2 games. Have came across a number of videos and can say most do not answer as well the differences as you’ve done! I am in full agreement that Dune is far superior to Arnak for the Euro gamer, and that Arnak is the game more suited for those newer to gaming, especially strategy games. I’ve not known a player strong in playing strategic games prefer Arnak yet…
So glad to hear you liked the comparison! Thank you!
I don't think is hype, for me deck-building, worker placement, high interaction/conflict, are top mechanics, seems this is the case for many. What else is out there in deckbuilding with great theme, conflict, great at different count of players, that is tense, hummm that is available? Now I'm asking 😅
Honestly I'm not sure if I've played a game that fits into all of those categories you mentioned. The Quest for El Dorado is my favourite deck-building and there's a lot of blocking on the map, but I don't think that fits into what you're looking for when you say "conflict". I just think there are better worker placement games out there, like Agricola, Keyflower, and Nusfjord.
@@AllYouCanBoard El dorado is my go to to introduce mechanics also dominion 🤙
@@digitalsublime I love Dominion too, excellent game even if it has been surpassed by some other deck-builders.
@@AllYouCanBoard To me the value of it is simplicity of base game and theme that most people will be ok with. What other pure deckbuilder would you recommend in that line?
@@digitalsublime Oh I totally agree with you there, I don't think there IS a better "pure" deck-builder (at least not one I've played). Dominion is still so good, it holds up really well. El Dorado might be the only deck-builder that I think is better overall (due to some flaws with Dominion) but it's certainly not a pure deck-builder.
I’ve played both and I much prefer Dune
arnak and dune the Oppenheimer/barbie boardgames argument lol
Hah, what's the Oppenheimer / Barbie argument? I guess I'm out of the loop on that, I haven't seen either movie yet.
- Carlo
just which is best etc etc etc
@@AllYouCanBoard
I like Dune, and have zero interest in Arnak, which you will be surprised to find this video hasn't changed!
The combat is rather like Arctic Scavengers btw, which is a pure deck builder.
Oh right, I haven't played Arctic Scavengers but I've wanted to for a long time and now I remember that it had a conflict type of system like Dune: Imperium, thanks for the reminder!
Dune all the way. Arnak just makes us mad. The rulebook leaves a lot to interpretation, it's difficult to build a strategy other than research the entire time, and the expansion had the same rulebook problem. Dune isn't as pretty but the theme works, the game play is more interactive with the conflict, and ample opportunities to switch up your strategy.
The conflict aspect of Dune is just so good, imo. - Dylann
-Absolutely agree that Arnak is basically a resource management game and something I’ve seen some other reviewers mention as well.
-I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it, but the expansions to both these games are fantastic and I don’t know if I could go back to the base games for either. Base Arnak is very same-y as you mention. Dune Imperium’s base game is better than Arnak already imo, but the expansion especially as it drastically changes some of the base board actions and adds a lot of depth by providing more avenues for points and specialization.
-The Arnak expansion might alleviate some of your concerns as well. It adds more interaction with guardians (for example letting you unflip them to get their boon again, or use their boon for your character power instead of the printed effect), has cards which let you take effects from cards on the market, adds asymmetric characters which encourage you to do different aspects of the game, has a more interesting starting deck (as they interact with your player powers), allows you to swap assistants and/or use ones from the common pool of assistants, and de-emphasizes the research track a bit. At least for one of the new research boards, it’s also less rewarding to the first player(s) to climb it as well.
-It seems Dune Imperium was designed and balanced around the 4 player game and I think that’s where it shines. It doesn’t take as long as you might think, especially with the expansion which, if anything, shortens the game.
-If you have TTS, let me know if you ever want to play the Dune expansion. Happy to teach the changes as well ;).
-In terms of whether the expansions changed my opinion: not in terms of which game is better, but if I could only play the base games I’d be much less inclined to play them over other games. With the expansions they’re part of my preferred rotation of games.
Thanks for weighing in with such detail! That Arnak expansion definitely sounds like it would improve the game and add some more variety, so if it gets added to BGA or someone I know has it and makes a push to play it I might try it.
I bought Rise of Ix a few months ago, I just haven't had a chance to try it yet but it sounds really good. I'm going to play it in person with Dylann and Braiden first, but I might take you up on the TTS game another time once I've tried it in person.
I played both of these right when they came out. Sold Arnak after two plays and have played Dune over a dozen times now. I really disliked Arnak for its shallow deckbuilding, lack of player interaction and being limited to 5 rounds.
It definitely feels a bit formulaic after a few plays.
Dune Imperium rocks.
It sure does! I know I said it was overrated at the end there, but only because I don't think it's a top 10 game (I think it was just in the top 15 when I did the video). Still a really great game but there's some stiff competition for best worker placement games.
@@AllYouCanBoard If you think it is only top 15 I am curious as to what the other 14 are because I really like this game and would like to find others like it.
@@JohnWarner3 oh sorry, what I meant was that it was around #15 in the Board Game Geek rankings when I did the video. I think last time we did our top 50 of all-time I had it somewhere around #35 for me on my personal list. I've heard the Rise of Ix expansion makes it even better though, so maybe I'll like it even more once I play that.
As far as worker placement games go, Agricola and Keyflower have been my top 2 for a long time. They're very different from Dune: Imperium though, even though they're worker placement.
I found dune imperium disappointing, It feels like 3 mediocre games mashed together. The combat and worker placement were basic and lacked excitement. The deck building which could of saved it ends up feeling random (due to the market) and is just far too slow.
Is this one entirely carried by the theme? I really have no idea how/why this one in particular has gained so much hype.
Well I agree with you on some of this - like I said in the video, I do think Dune: Imperium is overrated, and some of the hype undoubtedly coincides with the release of the movie, but I also think it's a great game. Not an all-time, top tier worker placement game, but still a great one. The combat isn't supposed to be the focus, but it's a looming threat that just adds to the difficult choices you make throughout the round. Without a conflict system, the worker placement would be less interesting. And I think what makes the worker placement interesting is specifically from the deck-building, even if the card row is random. I think the random card row forces you to adapt and do something different every game rather than just build a tried-and-true successful deck.
It's not a perfect game and it'll never be a top favourite of mine, but I've really enjoyed it every time I played it. I get that it's not for everyone though, and it probably does help that I've read the book.
I personally find Arnak to just be kind of boring to play. Dune: Imperium creates really exciting games every time.
Yeah, the biggest standout factor for me was probably the difference in tension. The stakes never felt high in Arnak, and they constantly do when you play Dune: Imperium.
Great comparison, I feel like adding the "Wife factor" category, Arnak wins hands down for my relationship, any other category gets just blown away in this context :D
@@bjornspindel6249 Why sexist? I have a wife and her opinion on games influences the games being played at our table more than any points discussed in the video. I also stated it works for *my* relationship, expecting exactly that not everybody may have a wife and eventually those wifes' opinion may differ. You may feel offended by this, but I didn't manage to be more inclusive than that, this time. Maybe next time I will come with a longer disclaimer before commenting with my personal opinions. That's life on the web, I suppose. We just can't make everybody happy.
These 2 games seem vastly different mechanically. Arnak seems to be more of a "solving a puzzle" race-to-the-finish-with-the-most-points game while Dune: Imperium seems to have more of the "take that" elements to it, seeing that combat is a factor and points are tighter. I think that the one that makes it to the table will largely depend on the gaming group you play with. If the group doesn't want to do anything with "take that" or combat, Arnak would be the easy call. However, if the group prefers tactics and combat, D:I would get the nod.
Absolutely, the key is knowing your group and which game is the better fit, and I think you nailed both sides of that here with these games.
Dune is best, by far. Dunes expansion is amazing. Haven't tried arnak's expansion
I'll be trying Rise of Ix real soon
There’s an entire thriving and growing online community (discord / tts) dedicated to dune. Can’t say that for Arnak. It’s settled. Dune is FAR superior.
I like Dune a lot more too, but are you sure there are no online communities anywhere for Arnak? It's such a popular, well-liked game. I haven't done much digging because I feel like I'm mostly done with it rather than wanting to explore it more.
@@AllYouCanBoard if you UA-cam Dune Imperium strategies and livestream online tournament playthroughs you’ll get multiple channels with thousands of subscribers and views. For Arnak? *crickets*. Just a few strategy videos. Not that it’s not a good game, just nowhere near dune.