Don't tell my family, but the whole genre of medieval-period, conquering-the-world, games just leaves me cold. In fact I really don't like any war games. When I saw the box for Dominion, I was prepared to not like it. After a number of times hearing "Mom, please play Dominion with us", I reluctantly agreed.

I am pleased to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Dominion is a fast paced, strategy game with straightforward rules, a clear goal for winning, and a need to adapt play from the beginning to the middle to the end. The changing strategy needs of the game keeps it interesting throughout play.

Unlike most games in this ilk (and with similar cover art) waring isn't the primary object. Thankfully, there was no need to hurt other players to win.

The game is well made and takes about 30 minutes to play. The rules are cumbersome for those who don't normally enjoy this type of game, but a snap for those who do. Even so, I was able to catch on fairly quickly. It's good for 2 - 4 players. They advertise for ages 8+, but I'm guessing 8 - 12 year old girls wouldn't enjoy the game as much boys of any age.

Bottom line: I'm looking forward to playing Dominion again :)

Dominion can be found on Amazon.com

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