There's no doubt that the universe of Frank Herbert's Dune novels is one of the most iconic science-fiction worlds. It should come as no surprise, then, that creatives have been using its setting as the foundation of tabletop games since 1979.

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With the recent release of director Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part 2, the Dune intellectual property has reached a new height of popularity. As a result, more designers are bringing Dune's iconic Arrakis to the tabletop, as seen with Dune: War Of Arrakis and the less recent, Dune: Imperium.

11 Dune: House Secrets

Board Game Geek Rating: 5.1

• Released: 2021
• Play Time (Minutes): 90-180
• Player Count: 1-4
• Designer(s): Jakub Poczety, Przemyslaw Rymer, Weronika Spyra, Ignacy Trzewiczek

Dune: House Secrets is a legacy game, and as such it can only be played once, as the components will be permanently marred as players progress. While players do play the game over multiple sessions, and legacy games have managed to be worth the time in the past (see Gloomhaven), Dune: House Secrets falls flat.

One major issue with Dune: House Secrets is that it requires an app (with an internet connection) to play. While this may not bother some players, it directly contrasts with House Secrets' core systems, which are that of a cooperative, narrative-driven adventure. This is only made worse by the fact that the game lacks solid mechanics. Dune: House Secrets leans heavily on its story elements, where it arguably fails, and leaves little else for players to sink their teeth into.

10 Dune (1984)

Board Game Geek Rating: 5.7

• Released: 1984
• Play Time (Minutes): 90
• Player Count: 2-4
• Designer(s): Brad Stock

Based on David Lynch's rough-edged film adaptation, 1984's Dune board game leaves much to be desired. Due to its age, 1984's Dune isn't widely available, but it's arguably one of the worst of the Dune tabletop adaptations, failing to surpass its 1979 predecessor (though the two are nothing alike).

1984's Dune features a more classic gameplay loop that has players moving tokens around a thematic board and rolling dice. However, Dune does manage to tie in many of the ideas represented in the film, including spice harvesters and the iconic Gom-Jabbar, among other things.

9 Dune CCG

Board Game Geek Rating: 6.4

• Released: 1997
• Play Time (Minutes): 60
• Player Count: 2-8
• Designer(s): Matthew Colville, Owen Seyler

Set in the Dune universe, this collectible card game was, unfortunately, short-lived. This is arguably due to the sheer inaccessibility of the Dune collectible card game; the rules called for deep, strategic thinking, making the overall demographic much more niche.

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These complexities, however, stayed as true to the source material as a collectible card game could possibly get. It's not perfect, but at the time, being a fan of both Dune and card games alike would have made the Dune CCG a perfect fit. Unfortunately, this game is long out of print.

8 Dune: Betrayal

Board Game Geek Rating: 6.3

• Released: 2021
• Play Time (Minutes): 20-40
• Player Count: 4-8
• Designer(s): Don Eskridge

This social deduction game is reminiscent of designer Don Eskridge's previous foray into social deduction, The Resistance. However, Dune: Betrayal lacks the simplicity that made The Resistance so quick to learn and easy to play.

Most of what Dune: Betrayal does differently is in its variety of cards, which adds a layer of strategy to the game at the cost of accessibility. While some may argue that added complexity allows Dune: Betrayal to feel fresh, and the game itself is hardly rocket science, there are simply better social deduction games - and better Dune games - on the market.

7 Arrakis: Dawn Of The Fremen

Board Game Geek Rating: 6.6

• Released: 2022
• Play Time (Minutes): 60-90
• Player Count: 2-4
• Designer(s): Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, Greg Olotka, Jack Reda

This old-school territory control war game has players playing as one of several Fremen tribes. Arrakis: Dawn Of The Fremen is a perfectly capable war game, but while it does feature thematic mechanics in line with Dune, it's not nearly as thematic as other tabletop Dune games.

However, Arrakis: Dawn Of The Fremen does include a few thematic nods to the culture of the Fremen, including water debts, which can be used as a diplomatic resource. Although the game's diplomacy elements certainly add to the experience, it can be relatively cutthroat. For players who enjoy negotiation and old-school territory control games alike, Dawn Of The Fremen is a solid game, but it's arguably not the best tabletop experience in the Dune universe.

6 Dune: Adventures In The Imperium

Board Game Geek Rating: N/A

• Released: 2021
• Play Time (Minutes): N/A
• Player Count: N/A
• Designer(s): Nathan Dowell

This tabletop RPG tasks players with building their own fledgling Noble House in the Dune universe, and playing multiple characters within that House throughout a campaign. This alone makes Adventures In The Imperium a unique TTRPG, but the addition of a meta-currency to manage (as both a player and a GM) makes it a distinct experience.

The rulebook itself is tremendously helpful and faithful to its source material. However, this faithfulness makes Dune: Adventures In The Imperium a game that can be inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the Dune universe. For fans of the Dune IP and tabletop RPGs alike, however, Adventures In The Imperium is a strong product.

5 Dune: A Game Of Conquest And Diplomacy

Board Game Geek Rating: 6.8

• Released: 2021
• Play Time (Minutes): 20-60
• Player Count: 2-4
• Designer(s): Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka, Greg Olotka, Jack Reda

This streamlined version of the 1979/2019 Dune tabletop war game is very similar to its predecessors. However, this most recent version of the game is massively stripped back and tweaked to optimize play time and accessibility.

Unfortunately, these changes come at the expense of strategic depth, replay value, and overall scale. Dune: A Game Of Conquest And Diplomacy can only be played with a maximum of four players, and many of the changes it makes in the name of accessibility arguably lessen the experience for more experienced tabletop fans. However, Dune: A Game Of Conquest And Diplomacy is perfect for fans of Dune looking for an accessible war game, or those looking for a game that doesn't take an entire afternoon to play.

4 Dune: War For Arrakis

Board Game Geek Rating: 8.4

• Released: 2024
• Play Time (Minutes): 120
• Player Count: 1-4
• Designer(s): Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello

From the designers who created War Of The Ring, a brilliant war game set in Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dune: War For Arrakis is a similar affair. However, it is different in enough notable ways to distinguish itself from War Of The Ring.

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Like War Of The Ring, Dune: War For Arrakis is a miniature-heavy war game about territory control, featuring two asymmetric factions that have entirely different playstyles. Furthermore, War For Arrakis features a unique action-dice system and thematic mechanics, such as spice harvesting.

3 Dune (1979/2019)

Board Game Geek Rating: 7.6/8.0

• Released: 1979/2019
• Play Time (Minutes): 60-180
• Player Count: 2-6
• Designer(s): Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Peter Olotka

This legendary tabletop adaptation of Dune was, and is, a widely regarded war game. In Dune, players battle for strongholds across the deserts of Arrakis as one of several asymmetric factions. Throughout the game, players will have to muster garrisons and contend with the desert itself, tactically positioning troops to avoid deadly sandstorms and catch valuable spice.

Dune is a dramatically thematic and accurate representation of the Dune novel, making it perfect for fans of Frank Herbert's universe. However, this comes at the expense of accessibility, making Dune one of the most complex and demandingDune experiences on the tabletop. Although 1979's Dune was long out of print, Gale Force Nine thankfully remastered the classic board game back in 2019.

2 Dune: Imperium

Board Game Geek Rating: 8.4

• Released: 2020
• Play Time (Minutes): 60-120
• Player Count: 1-4
• Designer: Paul Dennen

Designed by the creator of the popular tabletop game, Clank!, Dune: Imperium is a highly polished, strategic deck-builder for up to four players. Dune: Imperium combines the mechanics of deck-building games and worker-placement games alike to offer a truly distinct and strategic experience.

In Dune: Imperium, players take on the role of a unique Leader, each with their special ability. Throughout a match, players use their cards to place agents across the board, attempting to build wealth, gain influence, or muster armies. Dune: Imperium is deceptively simple and easy to learn, but packed with strategic decisions at every turn. Furthermore, the game has a fantastic digital version available on Steam.

1 Dune: Imperium - Uprising

Board Game Geek Rating: 8.8

• Released: 2023
• Play Time (Minutes): 60-120
• Player Count: 1-6
• Designer: Paul Dennen

This recently released tabletop strategy game is essentially a second edition of Dune: Imperium. Uprising is the same combination of deck-building and worker placement, with a highly similar board, but it adds a handful of extra elements that add to the overall experience.

Uprising adds spies and sandworms, makes the game's conflicts more important, and polishes the mechanics of the game to make for a more strategic experience. Furthermore, Uprising is compatible with the original Dune: Imperium products. However, Uprising is arguably more complex than the original base game of Dune: Imperium, which some players may balk at.

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