Dune vs. Dune (Imperium)

Pitting the classic Dune game against the hot newcomer Dune Imperium. See which one I think is the better choice.

#tutorial #boardgames #RTFM #rtfmshow #Dune

[MWepex]

GF9's Dune is one of the best games ever created. It's an incredible war game. There is no 'right way' to play for any of the factions... creativity abounds and the expression of the individual player's personalities. You can win by brute force, you can win by atrition, you can win by controlling money (spice), You can win without being victorious in any battles, you can avoid all battles and still win, you can win by treachery and deceit, you can make alliances to uphold or betray, you'll make deals with enemies to hold off mutual enemies for winning for one more turn... on and on. Dune is a social war game unlike any other.

[Just_Felix_Stuff]

In my opinion Dune is better than Dune, tho I have to say that Dune has his upside over Dune.

[marxmeesterlijk]

GF9 does everything the way you're not supoosed to do it. Imperium does everything by the modern game design rulebook. As a result Imperium is much more streamlined and clean. But honestly GF9s uniqueness and amazing high points makes it one of my favourite games of all times while Imperium feels a bit to much like other games, so i would give it to GF9. But I totally understand people who don't.

[vazzaroth]

Fine, I'll pause my Dune audiobook to hear about Dune VS Dune, but it's going to be competing against me going back to Dune the whole time.

[jlcdavenport]

I got invited to a group that was playing Dune (GF9) weekly. Using a massive beautiful tabletop mat and actual counters too which helped a lot. I watched videos to learn the game, turned up and had such a blast I brought the game myself. Eventually that group stopped playing and so my weekly Dune sessions stopped.

My copy has sat on the shelf, unopened and unused for a year. However, I have just now recently gotten an opportunity to join with another large group and introduce them.

So yes, I can absolutely see the attraction of Imperium in terms of playability. It’s just straight up hard to get 6 people together for 2-6hrs to play Dune, nevermind convincing them it’s worth the time it takes to learn it.

But when you do get to play it…

[Jaded_AF]

The reason why gf9 dune will always win the matchup in my eyes is how uniquely fun it is. Everytime I hear someone talk about Imperium, it's always described as “kinda like x game“ or just straight up as a deck builder worker placement game.

GF9 on the other hand is like no other game you could even try to compare it to. It's not simply an area control wargame, or a game of asymmetric factions competing against each other. The factions and mechanics nail the theme of the universe, while also being really fun in their own right. I've heard of so many people who got into the game because they love the books, or even gotten into the books because they love the game.

I've taught this game to people and within an hour, the Harkonnen player is giggling to themselves as they look at their hand of traitors, while the bene gesserit player is barely concealing a smile as the prediction comes closer to fruition.

[InvaderZed]

If you want a modern boardgame experience with all the bells and whistles and extensive balanced mechanics play imperium.

If you want to play a war game with hardcore ruleset with crazy player abilities that interact with eachother in extremely different and interesting ways, where mistakes are very costly and even winning takes a tole off your army and recourses. Where alliances feel powerful and treachery feels downright maniacal. Play GF9

[brence]

Both have their own place on my shelf. Imperium comes out to play more randomly on board game nights, whereas for the GF9 version we need to plan a day, invite the propper people, and have the house to myself without wife and kid. Basicly 2 titans in their own genre to my mind. One being the more beginner friendly “macro” level thematic experience. The other being the die-hard full day experience of nitty gritty detailed strategy and diplomacy.
As a side note: GF9’s Dune really relies on the right players. When you are playing with people who know what they are in for and really get into the tabletalk side of things (diplomacy etc.) this game is the best hands down!

[THX]

GF9 over Imperium hands down for me. Dune Imperium is a more straightforward game (and makes it to the table more frequently because the time commitment is more predictable for the reasons you gave), but I just find the game to be so boring compared to GF9 Dune. I LOVE the player interaction, backstabbing, and alliances of GF9 to the point where if I have the time I will never pick Imperium over it. It's just a tricky thing to recommend because dollar for dollar you will play imperium more and some people just don't prefer games with such heavy negotiation involved as GF9.

[georgee]

Seriously, man. I cannot believe you'd even compare Dune, a one of a kind social thrill, a legendary board game that's been around four decades, a true work of art -- with a run-of-the-mill, by the numbers euro game like Imperium. Will anyone be even PLAYING Imperium after ten years? I bet they will rather play Caverna for fuck's sake.

[ChristopherZAR]

One thing I find funny about GF9's Dune is that I always hear about it in terms of being a tense and complex strategy game. While in my experience it usually turns out to be more of a wild rodeo with a lot of crazy chaotic emergent narratives. When I teach new people the game I tell them not to expect too much and not to try to win too hard but just go with the flow. When it's played like that to me it becomes one of the most fun experiences you can have with the relatively large playercount of 5-6 players (even with 4 sometimes). I love strategizing and optimizing in games but I've come to realise that to have a fun game night with a somewhat random group of people games need a lot of randomness and dynamics to make up for obvious differences in player level and understanding, I feel Dune brings this in a great way as long as you guide newer players a little bit.

[lessavini]

Dune Imperium is the better game, while Classic Dune is the better social experience. I find they complement each other well.

[Anarkiahallitus]

Imperium could be any other board game if you changed the theme and it worked that way. But Classic Dune cannot be anything else. It's better than the books and takes you really deep into the Dune universe. There is no other board game where the details of the book have been adopted so well. Because of this, Classic Dune is one of my favorite games of all time.

[cobracommander]

Both games are great. I need to play Imperium again, but as it is "another euro game" I still do not need it on my shelf. Imperium can even be played solo and I heard that would be really good. And it has some randomness and I like that. Also, you can choose to play it thematically if you wish, by building the deck and asking some houses for favours. GF9 is crazy good, but it is hard to find those players in coronatimes.

[BlessTheAlfredo]

Dune (GF9) is a great game, but it does have limitations that make it challenging to get to the table. It really is a game that is best played with a full player count, and right now it's hard to find a dedicated group of that many players willing to play a game of this complexity and length. Also, the game kind of shows its age (originally published in 1979, ) and it's a lot more clunky compared to more modern games. I hear that Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy streamlines the mechanics more and make it more playable at lower player counts, but I haven't played it yet.

Dune Imperium is a great game. Yes, Dune GF9 is more thematic and I like that as a Dune fan, but Imperium is so much easier to teach and get to the table. And while it is simpler than Dune GF9, there is still a lot of strategy to it, and nothing is more satisfying than denying an opponent victory by stealing an alliance from them.

Both games are great, but Dune Imperium takes the win.

[closedchill]

I've not played Imperium, but I think GF9 is one of the best 6-player game designs of all time. It's all about the player interaction. I get so tired of playing modern euro influenced games. Personal tableau's and worker placement are fun solo activities, but if I'm getting a bunch of adults over to play a game the last thing I want to see is everyone quietly staring down at their stuff, no matter how chewy it is. GF9 forces every player to get out there and make imperfect decisions with massive impacts on all surrounding players. Variable game length is a feature, not a bug. GF9 is still getting expansions too.

[iamspamus]

Imperium is the better game for me. I liked GF9 for once in a while. I have played Imperium 8 times to once for GF9.

[attiladukai]

Imperium is a more modern, streamlined game.

GF9 is a remake of a 40 years old game with minor rule changes.

Both games are good, Imperium is a better game for new players and for the modern taste.

On the other hand GF9 is a legend rise up from the grave of the past. Yeah sometimes it is a bit clunky, but its social impact and game mechanics (you pay to the other players instead of the bank) makes is unique and epic.
There is no other game like GF9s Dune. It is a story writer game. Gorgeous, brutal and epic, like a Harkonnen animal.

Both games expansions are great. But the GF9s ones are mustbuys. Tech tokens makes the game a lot faster, leader and stronghold skills makes the game more epic with a lot of extra options.

Imperium can played solo and it is shorter.
GF9 needs minimum 4 players. Some said it is long but we never ever have a game what was more than 3 hours (6 players 10 turns). I highly recommend full advance rules, double spice blows with spice army buff.

So.
Imperium is one of the best modern game what you can find. It is a masterpiece. Easy to teach/learn better visuals, awesome Delux expansion.

GF9 is a legend a messiah what was made 40 years ago and still better than most (for me any) games today. An there is no other, I say no other game like GF9 Dune. It is harder not just to learn/teach but to understand it. But if you do, it will take you for a jurney on a harsh desert planet while telling you stories what no other games can and will.

[markziff]

So you find the reprint of the original not as replayable? Will Imperium be round in another 10 or 20 years?
I learnt to the lay the original when I was 14, so no it really isn't that that's 40 years ago 😳

[acerumble]

Both great games, but despite the common Dune moniker are pretty much apples and oranges in terms of comparing one to the other. Or perhaps comparing Water to Spice is more thematically accurate.