A new Dune board game from the designers behind War of the Ring is on its way

A new epic strategy board game based on the novels of Frank Herbert is on its way from the designers of best-seller War of the Ring, and Dune: War for Arrakis is set to launch via Kickstarter later in 2022.

Spearheaded by Francesco Nepitello, Marco Maggi, and CMON (the publisher behind Zombicide and Marvel United), Dune: War for Arrakis sounds as if it'll be as ambitious as its Lord of the Rings predecessor. Described as a "grandiose entry-point for gamers into the vast Dune universe" in CMON's announcement, this is an asymmetric board game that promises the same kind of strategic maneuvering and political machinations as War of the Ring. In addition, it implements an action dice system and features "numerous event cards that will enable players to retell the Dune saga differently with each playthrough".

This is very much in line with the experience provided by War of the Ring (and to a lesser extent its Hobbit-inspired successor, The Battle of Five Armies). Namely, players must convince the nations of Middle-earth to join their cause through political means via characters like Gandalf before taking to the field with grand armies. They also have to balance this with the Fellowship's journey to destroy the Ring, and that juggling act provides an insight into how Dune: War for Arrakis might portray the novel's inter-House politics and Paul Atreides' struggle to unite the Fremen.

According to the press release, we'll also be getting characters from the book that have never been seen in board games before. You can get a hint of this through the official teaser trailer.

The exact release date of Dune: War for Arrakis unknown, but it's apparently arriving 'soon' on Kickstarter so an early-to-mid 2023 launch seems likely.

Get ready for Dune: War for Arrakis

If you want a better idea of what to expect from Dune: War for Arrakis, you can check out War of the Ring and The Battle of Five Armies below - we've found their lowest current price so that you're able to try them out for less. We've also got more board game deals further down the page.

War of the Ring | $89.99 $68.81 at Amazon
Save $21 - This is the cheapest War of the Ring has been since in over a year, so it's a rare deal not to miss. Plus, it's only $8 off the game's lowest price in recent memory (it hit $60 back in March 2021 and hasn't dipped below $70 since then).

UK price: £89.99 £71.56 at Wayland Games

The Battle of Five Armies | $85.74 $64.99 at Amazon
Save $20 - This more focused follow-up to War of the Ring revolves around a single battle rather than an entire war, but it still uses the same mechanics. It's never been cheaper than this, so don't miss out.

UK price: £94.99 £89.99 at Amazon

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For more recommendations, be sure to check out our guide to the top board games for adults, the best cooperative board games, and these board games for 2 players.