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How to play
The easy-to-forget bits, straight from the rulebook.
Game end (points)
The game ends immediately if a player reaches 30 victory points in a four-player game, 40 in a three-player game, or 50 in a two-player game.
Game end (cards)
The game also ends if a player draws the last card from the action deck, followed by special scoring for remaining Ducats.
Starting money
Each player starts with 7 Ducats (1x "5" Ducat coin and 2x "1" Ducat coins).
Hand limit
At the end of your turn, refill your hand to 3 cards.
Turn order
The last player to place a castle and knight plays first.
Tie-breaker (end game)
If there is a tie for most points at the end of the game, the tied player with the most Ducats remaining is the winner.
Mine monopoly score
A mine monopoly (controlling 3 or 4 mines of the same type) is worth 5 victory points, gained immediately.
Mine income
At the beginning of your turn, you collect one Ducat for each different type of mine you control.
To set up the game of Domaine, follow these steps: 1. **Component Preparation**: Before your first game, remove all pieces from the cardboard frames. 2. **Board Assembly**: Assemble the board edge pieces and place the land tile with the royal city (walls and cathedral) in the center of the board. Shuffle the other land tiles and place them face up in any order to fill the board, noting that tile direction does not matter. 3. **Player Pieces**: Each player chooses a color and takes all matching pieces (15 knights and 4 castles, or 3 castles if playing with four players) and their crest token. 4. **Action Cards**: Sort the action cards into four piles by the letters on the back (A, B, C, D). Shuffle each pile separately, then stack them with 'A' on top to form the action deck. Place the action deck on one of the two boxes at the top of the board. Each player draws three action cards from this deck, keeping them hidden. 5. **Scoring Track**: Each player places their crest token on the starting space of the scoring track. Place the king token on the scoring track: on "30" for a four-player game, "40" for three players, and "50" for two players. 6. **Border Markers**: Set the border markers off to one side of the board. 7. **Gold**: Put the gold Ducats on the other side of the board. Each player starts with 7 Ducats (one 5 Ducat coin and two 1 Ducat coins). 8. **Initial Castle and Knight Placement**: * The oldest player begins by placing a castle on any unoccupied meadow space and a knight on an adjacent forest or meadow space (spaces touching only at a corner are not adjacent). * Castle building continues to the left until each player has placed their 4 castles and 4 knights (3 each if playing in a four-player game). * Castles of the same color must be at least 6 spaces apart, not counting diagonally. * **Two-Player Game Special Rule**: For a two-player game, three colors are used, with the third color being neutral. Both players take turns placing their own 4 castles and 4 knights first. Afterwards, they take turns placing the neutral castles and knights. Neutral castles also must be 6 spaces apart.
On your turn, you first collect Ducats if you control any mines. You collect one Ducat for each different type of mine you control. After collecting income, you must take one of two actions: * Sell an action card to the Chancery. * Play an action card. If you play an action card, you pay its price and then take the action indicated by its symbol. There are five different types of actions: * Place borders * Deserter * Place knights * Alliance * Expand your Domaine Some cards offer two actions, and you choose one to take, not both. For example, the Place Borders action lets you place 1, 2, or 3 border markers to create Domaines around your castles. At the end of your turn, you refill your hand to 3 cards by drawing from the action deck or taking a card from the Chancery.
Rules summaries are AI-generated from the official rulebook and may contain mistakes — check the manual for anything critical.
Get a straight answer with the exact rulebook passage to back it up.
The game can end and be won in two main ways: 1. A player reaches a specific victory point threshold, and that player wins immediately. This threshold is 30 victory points in a four-player game, 40 in a three-player game, or 50 in a two-player game. 2. The last card is drawn from the action deck. Once the last action card has been played or sold, players count their remaining Ducats [DUCAT]. The player(s) with the most Ducats [DUCAT] advance their crest token 5 spaces on the scoring track, and the player(s) with the second largest number advance 3 spaces. After this, the player with the most points is the winner. In case of a tie, the tied player with the most remaining Ducats [DUCAT] wins. Overall, the player with the most victory points wins the game. You can gain victory points by controlling Domaines containing forests and villages, and by having a monopoly on mine types (controlling 3 or 4 mines of the same type is worth 5 victory points).
Scoring in Domaine works in several ways throughout the game and at the end: * **Controlled Areas** Forests and villages located in Domaines you control are worth victory points. * **Mine Monopolies** If you control 3 or 4 mines of the same type, you gain a "monopoly" worth 5 victory points. You move your crest token immediately when you gain your third mine of the same type. If you lose a monopoly due to an opponent's expansion, you must immediately decrease your score by 5 spaces on the scoring track. * **End of Game Ducats** If the game ends because the action deck runs out, players count their remaining Ducats. The player with the most Ducats advances their crest token 5 spaces, and the player with the second most Ducats advances their marker 3 spaces. **Winning the Game:** The game can end in two ways, determining the winner: 1. **Victory Point Threshold** If any player reaches a specific victory point total (30 in a four-player game, 40 in a three-player game, or 50 in a two-player game), that player wins immediately. 2. **Action Deck Depleted** If the game ends because the last card from the action deck is drawn and then the last action card is played or sold, all players count any remaining Ducats for scoring adjustments. After this, the player with the most total victory points is the winner. In case of a tie in victory points, the tied player with the most remaining Ducats is the winner.
The game can end in two ways: 1. **Victory Point Threshold:** The game ends immediately, and that player wins, if any player moves their crest token onto the space with the king token. This threshold is 30 victory points in a four-player game, 40 in a three-player game, or 50 in a two-player game. 2. **Action Deck Depletion:** The game ends if a player draws the last card from the action deck. Once the action deck is gone, players may no longer draw cards from the Chancery, though they can still sell action cards on their turn. After the last action card has been played or sold, players count their remaining Ducats. The player (or players) with the most Ducats advances their crest token 5 spaces on the scoring track, and the player (or players) with the second largest number of Ducats advances their marker 3 spaces. The player with the most points is the winner, with remaining Ducats breaking any ties.