Dominion: Nocturne Board Games, 144 months to 9600 months

Every time I think Dominion has run out of ideas, Donald X and his crew come up with something new and creative. My wife and I play Dominion just about every day, our chance to unwind and chat, and we had to snatch up Nocturne the moment it came out. The last set, Empires, is probably my favorite in the entire Dominion collection, with its Debt concepts, and Nocturne gives us another spin by inserting a Night phase between the typical Buy and Clean-up phases. This allows for all sorts of fun possibilities. You can gain and instantly put a Guardian into play as protection against your opponents Attack cards. You can give yourself extra cards for your next turn, or, in the case of a card such as Raider, attack the other players hands after youve already bought cards of your own. In addition to the Night phase, there are cards that give you Boons (random helpful additions to your turn) and/or give the other players Hexes (random unhelpful additions). This is an imaginative element, and can add some fun to the game, but it also increases the length of the game and adds another bit of randomness and swinginess that can be annoying at times. Perhaps, for example, another player gets a Boon that allows them to discard 3 cards to gain a Gold and they do so by discarding two Estates and a Curse, but when you get that same Boon you have all powerful cards in your hand. The Night, Boon, and Hex portions of Nocturne are only part of the new elements, as there are also Spirit cards that can be gained in various ways, as well as Heirloom cards that can be used in place of the usual starting Coppers. These Heirlooms are a little more strategy-specific than the Boons and Hexes, and are definitely an element we enjoy. Nocturne shows all the fun, imagination, and creativity of the best that Dominion has to offer. There are some great concepts here, and the sophistication of the mechanics continues to grow without causing major conflicts or confusion when adding in other sets. In fact, I think Nocturne is best when it is used for only half the Kingdom cards or less. With all the new mechanics and possibilities, a game involving 10 Nocturne Kingdom cards can drag on longer than normal, with Hexes, Boons, Spirit cards, and the options of the Night phase in each turn. However, when mixed in with other sets, say half Nocturne cards, or a third Nocturne cards, it becomes a very enjoyable addition to the older sets, providing all sorts of new combinations and synergies. Overall, Nocturne is a must for any hardcore Dominion fan, but to truly enjoy it, you will need to master not only its new mechanics, but the ways those influence and drag down the game. In our experience, Nocturne is best when mixed with other sets, such as Prosperity or Seaside. It even brings the Base cards to life in new ways. Dont spend all your time in the Night, but let it bring some contrast to all those other cards and sets, and then youll enjoy it for the thing of beauty it is.

I’ve been playing dominion for about 10 years now. I have to say that this is the hardest expansion pack I’ve played because of all the new game mechanics. That being said, it’s my favorite expansion! I would only recommend this expansion to someone who is an experienced dominion player or someone very comfortable with a challenge. Keep the rule book handy. You will need it.

Great expansion. Need to have a strong foundation of the original game before playing this. Love the concept of Boons and Hexes! The night phase cards are really unique and add a cool new element to the game. Some new cards are a little weak compared to others which make them rarely used.

Adding Night Moves to the mix, along with Imps, Will OWisps, and Misery. A nice expansion set for Dominion

Great expansion to Dominion. Love the new Night cards and phase!

Excellent!

This might be my favorite expansion!! We have them all, so that’s really saying something. Vampires turn into bats and vice versa; night cards don’t use actions; some cards give boons while others give hexes - it’s so complex! We are loving it. It’s a fun “creatures of the night” concept with ghosts, pixies, haunted objects, etc. Excellent game!

Love the expansion pack

This is a great expansion set for our game. I love to play even more now

This game clocks in at about the same time as other expansions and is easily shorter than a Prosperity alone game. Noe of the new mechanics slow the game down any. All of my 2 player games and all but 1 of my 3 player games clock in closer to 30 minutes than to 60 minutes.