Last updated on October 29, 2021
Are you into strategy games and have recently discovered Dominion? If so, and you’re wanting to learn more, Dominion is a strategy deck-building game that has sold millions of units worldwide in the last decade. The game mechanics were developed in 2006, then it was demoed in 2007 and Dominion was finally officially released in 2008. And it’s been sweeping the world of deck building games ever since.
When it comes to picking the best Dominion game expansions, you may be wondering if you need additional expansions or sets to be able to use one expansion. In short, the answer yes and no. With the mechanics of Dominion, the expansion pack will state whether it’s an expansion that requires the standalone core game, and another standalone set, or if you only need the core mechanics of the game.
The Best Dominion Expansions Compared
In 2012, a replacement set was released, which featured 250 cards composed of Curse cards, Victory cards, and Treasure cards. Unfortunately, there were no Kingdom cards updated and used within this set. Total, there are 10 expansion sets, with two standalone types and one replacement deck that has been released.
Of course, the games way better and more strategic when you add more expansions into the mix. The more cards, the more options you have to reign supreme over your enemies. For those that want to invest in the deck building game, the most natural order of getting the expansions is through the order in which they were released. Those that are more experienced tend to skip over the Alchemy expansion, though, and tuck it away for later.
Expansions that were released after the replacement deck in 2012 are much more in-depth than previous decks, and the creator himself recommended getting the newest one first depending on who is playing and the play style of those in the group. If you’re someone that likes to do your research (and you’re here, aren’t you?) you should ultimately look at the objective of the game versus what each expansion offers.
Let’s take a quick peek at what each expansion does offer, so you can decide where you want to go from here with your research and your purchase.
There are three others you should know about, including 
The latest expansion (Nocturne) boasts a horror theme and came out in November of 2017. There are a ton of extra cards, including 33 very new Kingdoms, and even Night cards. Because of the large size of this chaotic expansion, it may not be great for beginners.
The Best Dominion Expansions Reviews
Now that you know the overall landscape, let’s take a look at the three best Dominion expansions in order. If you’re someone that can only get one right now, and you want to get to know the game and the experience, we think the first choice on our list of reviews is the best to go with.
One of the best you could invest in, whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced player, the 
Being a wide improvement over the original base game, you’re able to understand the cards a bit better now that feedback has been received and the game has been played millions of times. There are a number of benefits to buying this base game over the original. If you do have the original, you don’t have to re-buy this, but you may want to purchase the expansion pack of this game to use with your original.
The Advantages of this Product
- Streamlined descriptions and card rules
- Better and updated artwork
- Can use with any expansion, just like the original
- When buying, this box has everything you need to get started
- Cards are great quality and flat
The Disadvantages of this Product
- Unfortunately, the trash mat isn’t the highest quality. Some of the edges may stick up a tiny bit, and it doesn’t lay the flattest or the smoothest
- Composed of a thin cardboard, and isn’t as thick as the Adventures or Seaside expansion
If you’re looking for a quality update to your first edition, and want better artwork with amended cards, we think
Next on our list, we had to include the
As we mentioned already, Adventures is the expansion where the Duration mechanic that was loved in
The Advantages of this Product
- The addition of many new cards that make the game extremely fun, and add interesting interactions
- There are some that are so complicated, it’s weird – in the best way possible, depending on your play style, of course
The Disadvantages of this Product
- Unfortunately, this isn’t a standalone expansion, and you must own the base edition
- If you do not own the base edition, you must have Intrigue as the primary expansion, and then add this one into the mix
- Cards bend a tad more than other expansion as many have mentioned
- Tokens seem a bit cheaper in quality than previous expansions
If you’re looking for a game that adds a bit more complexity to an already fantastic game, you’ll want to check out Adventures. It’s a great challenge that will last for years to come!
A very well-received game with scores of rave reviews, it’s no secret why
Even though it’s quite a comprehensive expansion, there are fantastic mechanics introduced within this expansion, including Events, Victory tokens, debt, split piles, gathering, and much more.
The Advantages of this Product
- There are new mechanics include in this expansion, including split piles, debt, concepts, landmarks, and more
- Has good trashers, and mechanics that are super fun
The Disadvantages of this Product
- May still be a bit too comprehensive for some that are brand new to the game
- Card stock isn’t the best compared to original editions
- 24 randomizer cards – the negativity of this one is merely a personal preference
- Since it’s a bit large and over the top for newbies, you may want to purchase the
Let’s take a look at some expansions that don’t have glowing reviews like as the aforementioned.
Dominion Expansions That Are Often Avoided
While there are a handful of fantastic expansions that you should invest in for a wide, complex, strategic and fun experience, there are surely some that you’re better off avoiding. Unfortunately, the 
Maybe when Dominion’s Dark Ages expansion was newly released it was a fine game, but unfortunately, with others that have come out, it just doesn’t stand a chance against them. While this is merely a general preference, and a personal one at that, there may be better expansions to start off with before taking on older and maybe not-so-great additions to your set.
It’s worth mentioning that the Dark Ages expansion is one that isn’t standalone, and uses cards like bad ones (Ruins), while including replacement cards with Estates and Shelters. While it’s a hefty set (500 cards), it doesn’t act alone. This expansion can have up to 6 players.
There are also some that believe the
Now that you’ve seen the best dominion expansions ranked, as well as the worst, it’s up to you to get a feel for the theme of each expansion, as well as the general strategies that can be played out with each expansion. Finding your niche of strategy and matching it with expansions that will do well can really amp up your game and help you conquer.
