Playing Dominion Online: Ranked Games and Fast Practice

The fastest way to get better at Dominion is to play a lot of it, and the fastest way to play a lot of it is online. The computer shuffles, counts, and sets up every kingdom in a second. A game that takes half an hour at the table goes much faster on a screen. This lesson covers where to play and how to turn those games into skill.

The official app

The officially licensed digital edition is Dominion by Temple Gates Games, on PC through Steam and on phones and tablets through the app stores. According to its Steam page:

• The base set is free. That is the same 26 Kingdom cards this course teaches.
• Ranked and unranked matchmaking, in real time or asynchronously, so you can take turns over a day.
• Solo play against the computer at four difficulty levels.
• Online games for up to 6 players, with cross-platform play.
• Leaderboards, and game summaries you can export and share.
• Expansions sold as add-ons, for when you are ready.

The app left early access and fully launched on February 1, 2024.

There is also Dominion Online, the browser version from Shuffle iT that many long-time players learned on.

A path through the modes

1. The computer first. Play several games at the hardest computer level. It is patient, never annoyed by a slow turn, and it lets you try plans you would be shy to test against a person. Try Big Money plus one card in a kingdom, then try an engine in the same kingdom, and compare.

2. Unranked games next. Real opponents play differently from any computer. They attack, they rush, and they make the endgame decisions this course has taught you to watch for.

3. Ranked when you are ready. Ranked games count toward the app’s leaderboards, which give you a rough measure of progress over months. Do not chase the number game to game. Look at the trend.

Asynchronous play is a good fit for busy weeks. A slow game lets you think hard about each decision, which is useful practice for the reading and counting skills from Levels 3 and 4.

Turning volume into skill

Fifty games played on autopilot teach less than ten played with attention. Give each session one focus:

• Kingdom reading. Before turn 1, say your plan and both openings, using the two-minute routine.
• Tracking. Keep a silent count of your opponent’s points and Golds, then check it at the end.
• Endgame. Pay special attention to every buy once 4 Provinces are left.
• One card. Pick a card you do not understand and play it in every game it appears.

After each game, take one minute: what decided it? The game review lesson at Level 5 gives you a fuller method.

Simulators, for the curious

The Dominion community has built simulators that play bot strategies against each other thousands of times, to measure how fast a plan reaches its Provinces. The Dominion Strategy wiki lists the main ones. They are good for testing money plans such as Big Money plus one card. They are weaker at judging complex engines, which depend on decisions a simple bot does not make well.

The community

The Dominion Strategy site has articles, card discussions, and coverage of online events. Reading a strong player’s explanation of a game you just lost can teach more than ten more games.

Keep the table too

Online play is practice. The table is where Dominion is a night out: friends, a shared kingdom, and someone groaning at a Witch. Use the app to get sharper, then bring it back to the people.