Kenji chooses the next kingdom by appetite, not release order
Dominion Expansion Recommender
Tell the cabinet how much interaction, complexity, duration play, and card text your table wants. The result points toward a first expansion and a teaching kingdom instead of an intimidating wall of boxes.
KenjiThe Sensei Answer first
What this tool solves before the table opens.
Tell the cabinet how much interaction, complexity, duration play, and card text your table wants. The result points toward a first expansion and a teaching kingdom instead of an intimidating wall of boxes.
Choose one new texture Start with Prosperity for big money, Seaside for duration, Intrigue for interaction, or Renaissance for clean modern engines.
A table-ready recommendation with the next action and the trap to avoid
Rio Grande Games: Dominion products and official rulebooks remains the current authority.
Make the call
Tell Kenji what is actually on your table.
Kenji's current recommendation
Seaside for duration and readable novelty
Duration cards make one new idea visible across turns. It is thematic, memorable, and easier to explain than a box containing several unrelated subsystems.
- Use Second Edition where available
- Teach with only a few Duration cards at first
- Do not mix every new card into one kingdom
Need more precision?
Start simple. Add detail only when the table needs it.
The tool above already gives a usable answer. These modes add campaign, serious-table, or expert checks without erasing your work.
Fast, legal, playable
Choose one new texture
Start with Prosperity for big money, Seaside for duration, Intrigue for interaction, or Renaissance for clean modern engines.
- Own a complete base set
- Name the mechanic the group wants
- Use curated first kingdoms
Ready when
The next box adds the interaction, engine texture, complexity, and kingdom variety your table actually wants without duplicating a mechanic it dislikes.What this tool assumes
Second Edition update packs and complete Second Edition boxes are not the same purchase. Randomizers need the matching kingdom cards available.Kenji's table briefing
The tool has a point of view. The rules still get the final word.
“The next kingdom should add a flavor, not merely another shelf.”
Kenji is the fictional cabinet voice presenting this desk. Robert Pruitt owns the research, source review, and editorial judgment; the linked publisher material remains authoritative.
Physical table kit
The exact products this desk is talking about.
Real product photographs and exact retailer pages from the related Puzzlewick buying guides. Products are optional unless the tool explicitly identifies a required foundation.
Puzzlewick may earn from qualifying purchases, including as an Amazon Associate, at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change at checkout.
01 · Direct product Dominion: Second Edition
Kenji's table ruling: The current recommended core set.
View exact product on Amazon
02 · Direct product Dominion: Intrigue Second Edition Expansion
Kenji's table ruling: A current interaction-heavy first expansion.
View exact product on Amazon
03 · Direct product Dominion: Seaside Second Edition
Kenji's table ruling: Duration cards and next-turn planning.
View exact product on AmazonPuzzlewick field cards
The useful part belongs beside the board.
Gentle first box
Seaside for duration and readable novelty
Duration cards make one new idea visible across turns. It is thematic, memorable, and easier to explain than a box containing several unrelated subsystems.
- Use Second Edition where available
- Teach with only a few Duration cards at first
- Do not mix every new card into one kingdom
Economic appetite
Prosperity when the table wants spectacle
Colonies, Platinum, and powerful treasures expand the top end of the economy. Games feel bigger and can reward engines that would be excessive in the base set.
- Not every kingdom needs Colony and Platinum
- Expect more dramatic turns
- Pair with restrained attacks for a first play
Broad shelf
Intrigue or a variety-forward box
Intrigue adds choices and interaction while remaining recognizably Dominion. It suits a group ready to read opponents as well as its own engine.
- Second Edition removes weaker and confusing cards
- Attacks change table culture more than complexity scores imply
- Use recommended sets before randomizer chaos
Deep end
Save system-dense boxes for later
Adventures, Empires, Menagerie, Allies, Plunder and later designs are excellent once the group reads Dominion fluently. They are poor evidence that the base game is simple.
- One new subsystem per teaching kingdom
- Explain landscapes before shuffling
- Complexity is a menu, not a virtue
Keep the useful version
Print it, download it, or send it to the table.
The downloaded field note includes your selections and checklist state. Private notes stay in this browser unless you download them.
Fast rulings before the table
Common questions, answered without the forum fog.
What is the best first Dominion expansion?
There is no universal winner: Seaside adds readable Duration play, Prosperity adds large Treasure engines, Intrigue adds interaction, and Renaissance adds clean modern systems.
Do I need every Dominion expansion?
No. One complete base and one box whose texture your group enjoys can produce hundreds of kingdoms. Curated combinations matter more than shelf volume.
Is the Dominion Kingdom Recommender an official publisher tool?
No. It is an independent Puzzlewick planning aid checked against Rio Grande Games: Dominion products and official rulebooks. When the tool and current publisher material differ, the publisher rulebook, FAQ, errata, or event packet controls.
How current is the Dominion Kingdom Recommender?
Its evidence date is 2026-08-18. Recheck the linked current authority after a new edition, FAQ, points update, rotation, app update, or event packet.
