Dune: Imperium | 2023 Design Update

Custom design for the Dune: Imperium game board

This is an ongoing personal project to expand upon the design and gameplay of the original game board, also incorporating both expansion sets (Rise of Ix and Immortality) to a larger board.

PLEASE NOTE

This project contains material owned by a variety of artists. This works is meant as a personal project and not intended to break copyright or for sale. The original Dune: Imperium board game is designed by Paul Dennen. With artists, Clay Brooks, Paul Ramos and Nate Storm. Published by Dire Wolf. Images are also used from Dune, Part One concept (2021), and a variety of Dune games like the RPG, Adventures in the Imperium. All published through Legendary & Warner Bros.

My Objectives

1. To preserve as much as possible the design and layout of the original board, so as not to be a confusing experience for players.
2. To incorporate all expansions sets (The Rise of Ix and Immortality)
3. To give the Landsraad Council more character, and presents it in a more consistent, uniform way.
4. To give the design a sharper, crisper, more contemporary look.
5. To add consistent images to all the worker placement action boxes.
6. To present all vertical progression tracks stacked together on the left side of the board.
7. To add a few more community/self-designed worker placements to broaden gameplay options.
8. To add images to all worker placement boxes and create a stronger theme for each section.
9. Preserving sections in areas, but also, to open up the layout where possible so that it does not feel so “boxed in”.
10. To separate sections by colours (preserving the original), but focusing on the reds and golden sand colours for the overall Dune theme.
11. Finally, to add some more labels and icons to hint at functions (due to feedback from new game players).

This began life as a way to incorporate the expansion boards to the main board, adding space for the card stacks that usually sit along side the board. Unfortunately, I quickly found it very difficult to include space for the cards without making the board feel very cramped. So I offloaded these, especially when the Immortality expansion was released. Instead, I decided to try and maintain consistency with the original design and layout where possible.

I began with a horizontal layout. But in playing, two players would be positioned with the board upside down. So, reorienting to a vertical layout, the A1 board presented a great sense of space and structure.

Where possible, the original design elements for symbols match the original (like Solari, Spice and the Dreadnaught), but all boxes have a crisper, sharper feel. Spice and Spolari symbols to give them a little more texture.

The largest changes were in the reorientation of the Immortality from horizontal to vertical, and in reducing the shipping track from the Rise of Ix to fit with the other 4 faction tracks (Emperor, Spacing Guild, Bene Gesserit and Fremen). And in this, incorporating the reward tiers into the track itself. Also, I added a 4th tier for the shipping track to make better integrations between the various game elements.

During my process of fashioning a 6-player variant, I found several community upgrades, some of these I have incorporated or modified slightly. During gameplay, I wanted a better function to trash cards for the deck-building aspect, so I created a counter placement to Arakeen, called Shai-Hulud. I also added a modified Bene Gesserit space to the Landsraad Council called Spice Agony, the process the Bene Gesserit go through in order to have their prescient visions. I was mindful to incorporate these new elements without overpowering or destroying the integrity and balance of the game. And in these, there are some wonderful new ways to incorporate a “compression of action” within a turn.