‘Dune: Betrayal’ Is GF9’s Game Of High Deductive Strategy
The creator of the iconic hidden role games The Resistance and Avalon is diving into the world of Dune.
Gale Force 9 has just announced they will be releasing another game set in the Dune universe, to release later this year.
Don Eskridge is a name you might not know, but if you’ve played any party games with friends in the last 10 years or so, you know his work. Eskridge is the designer behind The Resistance and The Resistance: Avalon – both iconic hidden role/betrayal games.
But unlike these games which Eskridge describes as “pure social deduction”, when comparing them to Dune: Betrayal he says, “Dune: Betrayal has a ton of social deduction, but with significantly more tactics. The player must make smaller but important decisions every round, and every decision undoubtedly affects the outcome of the game.”
In Dune: Betrayal, players are secret agents each representing different roles within the famous factions. All vying for control amid the sands of Dune. Each player is attempting to learn the identities of their foes whilst protecting their own nobles, while forming alliances and using tools to gain more knowledge and power.
When discussing his design choices for the game Eskridge says, “The books are full of engaging scenes and mechanics that seem ready-written for exploration through other media, to which this game aspires. My goal with this design was to bring through the intrigue between the houses within the texture of the planet and the people (and sand worms) struggling, striving, and thriving there.”
Dune: Betrayal – $25 – Available October 2021
- 4 – 8 Players
- 20 – 40 Minutes
Which House do you follow?
The designer says Harkonnen Fighter is his favorite role in the game.
