The Dominion board game stands tall as the first deck builder ever (it’s on our list of the 10 best deck building games you need to know about). It isn’t entirely dependent on luck or strategy alone, but leans heavily on a combination of the two. The experience you get with the base set is going to last you a good number of plays, and that’s great!
But before long, the inevitable question appears.
“This game is great,” you say, but “what if they had… horses?”
There are a ton of opinions out there about what the “best Dominion expansions” or the “most essential Dominion expansions” are. Everyone has a favorite “best Dominion expansion!”
So why has no one cracked the Dominion expansion code? The answer: there are different expansions for different players- some tackle variety, some focus on theme and others focus on value. With that knowledge, we present to you our list of the 7 best Dominion expansions.
Our Top Picks – Best Dominion Expansions
Best First Dominion Expansion: Seaside
Pirrrrrrates! Seaside introduces a lot of fun concepts that give you a sense of how life-changing expansions can be for the base Dominion game.
Best Dominion Expansion for Kids: Menagerie
Absolutely breathtaking. This expansion is the one to get if you’re at all interested in animals! Chock-full of the cutest, cuddliest and most dangerous animals out there, Menagerie is the best Dominion expansion for the family.
Best Dominion Expansion for Advanced Players: Empires
Advanced players will find a lot to love in Empires as they navigate Debt, Landmarks and handle Victory tokens. Dovetails nicely with Adventures.
Table of Contents
Our Top 7 Dominion Expansions
Best Dominion Expansions for Variety
Cornucopia & Guilds
The Cornucopia expansion for Dominion is quite the stunner. She’s one of the best small expansions out there because of the sheer variety of cards included. The obvious benefit here is to gain variety in your deck and give you more diverse options to choose from.
Cornucopia was once sold by itself, but nowadays it’s bundled with Guilds, another small expansion. The whole thing gives you thirteen new Kingdom cards and five unique cards, along with thirteen coin tokens.
It’s obvious why folks love Cornucopia. The expansion brings a fresh breath of air into your games- it gives often overlooked cards, like the Royal Seal, a new sheen of desirability. You receive better bonuses for a diverse deck, so you can actually use Tribute, Moat or Smugglers cards. If you’re clever, you can deftly manage your deck or hand in a way that promotes diversity and thus gives you an advantage. We love the Hamlet card, as that allows you to toss duplicate cards and sets you up for success.
It’s easy to let Cornucopia overshadow it, but Guilds adds the Coffers mechanic, which is also found in a few other Dominion expansions. This mechanic allows you to “overpay” for certain cards and receive larger bonuses as a boon.
Cornucopia and Guilds Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Promotes variety and deck diversity |
| Theme | Improves on Dominion base theme |
| Special cards | Cornucopia: Hamlet, Fortune Teller, Menagerie, Farming Village, Horse Traders, Remake, Tournament, Young Witch, Harvest, Horn of Plenty, Hunting Party, Jester, Fairgrounds (Prize cards: Bag of Gold, Diadem, Followers, Princess, Trusty Steed) Guilds: Candlestick Maker, Stonemason, Doctor, Masterpiece, Advisor, Plaza, Taxman, Herald, Baker, Butcher, Journeyman, Merchant Guild, Soothsayer |
| Other Features | Cornucopia introduces special cards that are not in the Supply and can only be gained via the Prizes cards Guilds: Coffers and overpay mechanics |
Who This Expansion is For
This expansion is great for Dominion players who want to be rewarded for having a diverse deck. If you’re playing with young gamers, you’ll want this Cornucopia & Guilds expansion because it adds to the fun for younger players!
Buy Cornucopia & Guilds on Amazon
Pros
- Menagerie card is a fun card to play
- Rewards deck diversity
- Good addition to base Dominion theme
- Adds Prizes, Coffers and overpay mechanics
Cons
- Tournament card can be quite “swingy”
- On the smaller side- less cards
- Older expansion, less refined
Menagerie
“Dominion, that’s what you’re trying to achieve. This time with animals!”
– The Menagerie Rulebook
Card variety is also the main driving concept behind the Menagerie expansion for Dominion, but this time with animals! An astounding variety of animals enter the Dominion universe through this expansion. As a larger expansion, this one deals out 400 cards, includes 30 sets of Kingdom cards and introduces some never-before-seen Ways.
Some of our favorite Menagerie features include Horses (which give you a draw to use later) and Exile mats that hold cards you’ve placed there, with the goal of rescuing them later. Ways are extra special because they give your Actions another option, always a good thing in Dominion.
The Way of the Mole card, for instance, gives you +1 Action and allows you to discard your hand, while gaining +3 cards. There are many other adorable animals that make their appearance as a Way.
The obvious benefit of Menagerie as one of the best Dominion expansions, bar none, is to gain variety in your deck and give you more diverse options to choose from, but that’s not why you need this expansion. Becoming the ruler of a brand-new Animal Kingdom is!
Menagerie Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Promotes variety and deck diversity |
| Theme | Adds flavor to the Dominion base theme |
| Special cards | Menagerie Kingdom cards: Black Cat, Sleigh, Supplies, Camel Train, Goatherd, Scrap, Sheepdog, Snowy Village, Stockpile, Bounty Hunter, Cardinal, Cavalry, Groom, Hostelry, Village Green, Barge, Coven, Displace, Falconer, Gatekeeper, Hunting Lodge, Kiln, Livery, Mastermind, Paddock, Sanctuary, Fisherman, Destrier, Wayfarer, Animal Fair Menagerie Events: Delay, Desperation, Gamble, Pursue, Ride, Toil, Enhance, March, Transport, Banish, Bargain, Invest, Seize the Day, Commerce, Demand, Stampede, Reap, Enclave, Alliance, Populate Menagerie Ways: Way of the Butterfly, Way of the Camel, Way of the Chameleon, Way of the Frog, Way of the Goat, Way of the Horse, Way of the Mole, Way of the Monkey, Way of the Mouse, Way of the Mule, Way of the Otter, Way of the Owl, Way of the Ox, Way of the Pig, Way of the Rat, Way of the Seal, Way of the Sheep, Way of the Squirrel, Way of the Turtle, Way of the Worm Menagerie Non-Supply cards: Horse |
| Other Features | Menagerie introduces special Ways as well as Events and Reactions; some cards have unusual costs, like Wayfarer and Animal Fair. |
Who This Expansion is For
The Menagerie expansion is perfect for 70% of Dominion players. If you want variety, get this. If you want great artwork, get this. If you want to experiment with Ways, get this. Families and casual players will love this one. Tournament players are likely to veer away from this expansion because it doesn’t dole out as many high-powered cards.
Pros
- Offers a good level of complexity
- Artwork is of excellent quality
- Ways are fun to play with
- Great for younger players
Cons
- The Mastermind card doesn’t jibe with the theme
- The additions aren’t mind-blowing
- Can be unwieldy when combined with recent expansions
- Exile / Horses = blazing fast, token management = slow
Best Dominion Expansion for Variety and Theme
Adventures
Variety is also the name of the game in Adventures, one of our favorite advanced Dominion expansions. It’s helpful to think of this expansion as a generous bowl of deliciously garlicky mashed potatoes, with sumptuous mushroom gravy slathered on top.
It’s one of the larger Dominion expansions, with 400 cards included. Thirty sets of Kingdom cards make their appearance, along with 20 Events. Traveller upgrades appear with five each of Treasure Hunters, Warriors, Heroes, Champions, Soldiers, Fugitives, Disciples and Teachers.
Adventures adds a plethora of unique cards due to its inclusion of Travellers and Events. These cards, in addition to the Reserves and token management, increase the level of difficulty. As one of the larger and more complex Dominion expansions, this one doesn’t work well as your first expansion. You’re better off getting either Cornucopia and Guilds or Menagerie for your first expansion experience.
There is a silver lining, though: Adventures also includes fast combo strategies like the widely publicized Royal Carriage / Bridge combo. There’s also a new strategy that uses a Duration card (Gear) or the Treasure Hunter and Hero cards to bring in the big bucks. The fun factor is in key unusual combinations, including the Treasure-Attack, Attack-Duration and Duration-Reaction cards.
The real reason to get this expansion is the Durations, Reserves and Events. Durations include more thematic cards like the Bridge Troll and Haunted Woods- spooky! Adventures doubles the number of Duration cards you see when compared to one of its predecessors, Seaside. The twinning abilities of the Reserves (they allow you to “reserve” cards for future use) and Events (they allow you to not use certain Kingdom card slots in the Supply) also improve your strategic options twofold.
Adventures Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Promotes variety and deck diversity |
| Theme | Greatly improves on Dominion base theme |
| Special cards | Adventures Kingdom cards: Coin of the Realm, Page, Peasant, Ratcatcher, Raze, Amulet, Caravan Guard, Dungeon, Gear, Guide, Duplicate, Magpie, Messenger, Miser, Port, Ranger, Transmogrify, Artificer, Bridge Troll, Distant Lands, Giant, Haunted Woods, Lost City, Relic, Royal Carriage, Storyteller, Swamp Hag, Treasure Trove, Wine Merchant, Hireling Adventures Travellers: Treasure Hunters, Warriors, Heroes, Champions, Soldiers, Fugitives, Disciples, Teachers Adventures Events: Alms, Borrow, Quest, Save, Scouting Party, Travelling Fair, Bonfire, Expedition, Ferry, Plan, Mission, Pilgrimage, Ball, Raid, Seaway, Trade, Lost Arts, Training, Inheritance, Pathfinding |
| Other Features | Adventures includes Durations, Reserves and Events |
Who This Expansion is For
As one of the best Dominion expansions for both variety and thematic purposes, Adventures is a rollicking journey for intermediate to advanced Dominion players. Since it introduces a new layer of complexity, it shouldn’t be your first expansion.
Buy Adventures on Amazon
Best Dominion Expansion for Theme
Seaside
“All you ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by… One day, all the rivers will be yours.”
– the Seaside rulebook
Seaside is one of the most universally loved expansions for Dominion, and it’s got a lot going for it. One of the larger (but not the largest) expansions, it includes 300 cards- 262 of which are Kingdom cards (26 sets), 26 are Randomizers, and twelve are Blank cards.
We are partial to pirates (who isn’t?) and Seaside knocks it out of the park with the nautical theme. Once you integrate this expansion into your regular play, it’s tough to go back. While it is the second expansion released, it still stands up to the test of time. It’s one of the best Dominion expansions available today!
The artwork in Seaside is oversaturated, but it does give a certain spirit that isn’t found in other expansions, which we love. Only one card stands out as a glaring exception- there’s something incongruous about the Navigator card artwork when compared with the rest of the 300-card set.
This expansion was the first to introduce Durations (orange cards delineated by the word “Duration” on the bottom of the card). Duration cards weren’t reintroduced until Adventures years later, and have appeared here and there since then.
Some cards in Seaside give you a choice between two or more options. A great example is the Pirate Ship or Native Village, which allows you to choose any action listed on the card, even if you can’t complete them- do as much as you can.
Seaside Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Introduces a good number of thematic cards |
| Theme | Greatly improves on Dominion base theme |
| Special cards | Seaside Kingdom cards: Embargo, Haven, Lighthouse, Native Village, Pearl Diver, Ambassador, Fishing Village, Lookout, Smugglers, Warehouse, Caravan, Cutpurse, Island, Navigator, Pirate Ship, Salvager, Sea Hag, Treasure Map, Bazaar, Explorer, Ghost Ship, Merchant Ship, Outpost, Tactician, Treasury, Wharf |
| Other Features | Seaside introduces Durations, includes Coin and Embargo Tokens |
Who This Expansion is For
Seaside is an excellent first expansion. It provides a different gameplay experience than what’s found in the Base Set. The inclusion of Duration cards kick up the challenge up a notch. If you like cutthroat competition, you’ll love Seaside– it gives you cards that have powerful attacks.
As this expansion doesn’t add a lot of strategic complexity, this may not be for advanced Dominion players, unless you want to get the nautical theme dialed in (arr, matey). If you’re interested in picking up cards that provide excellent value (i.e., they’re strong for their cost), try Seaside. Pro tip: try the Sea Hag and Ambassador cards as openers and you’ll see what we mean!
Pros
- Duration cards are a great innovation
- Ghost Ship card is one of the more punishing attacks
- No cards cost more than 6 coins
- Excellent power-to-cost ratio
Cons
- Navigator card art is different from the entire set
- Adventures has more Duration cards
- No Treasure cards (wait, what?)
- Lookout card is the worst of the bunch
Best Dominion Expansions for Value
Empires
So you’re looking for value. You want the biggest bang you can get for your buck- that means tons of strategic cards- not junk, but good ones that net you riches and treasures beyond your wildest dreams.
Enter Empires, one of the largest and best Dominion expansions out there with 300 cards (242 of which are Kingdom cards, 24 Randomizers, 21 Landmarks and 13 Events). Victory point tokens return, along with more Events, and this one includes a good number of Treasure cards, with few Attack cards overall.
The biggest new concept introduced is the Landmark cards, which add a tremendous amount of variety in the game. You don’t buy Landmarks, but you add them to the game. You can score victory points with Landmarks, either with tokens or at the end of a game.
Empires also includes the concept of Debt, which allows you to defer payment of the card you need now. The flip side of that coin is that you can’t buy certain things until you pay off your Debt, so you need to manage that as well.
Split piles and Gathering cards also make their debut. Split piles allow for two different cards in a pile, thus changing the game in a subtle way. Gathering cards collect tokens on their Supply piles, but they’re a communal resource! The best example of this mechanism is contained within the Temple card, which gathers tokens when played, and gaining a Temple gives you all of the tokens on the pile itself.
Empires Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Adds great value to your Dominion base set |
| Theme | Adds an Ancient Roman twist to the Dominion base theme |
| Special cards | Empires Kingdom cards: Engineer, City Quarter, Overlord, Royal Blacksmith, Encampment, Plunder, Patrician, Emporium, Settlers, Bustling Village, Castles, Catapult, Rocks, Chariot Race, Enchantress, Farmer’s Market, Gladiator, Fortune, Sacrifice, Temple, Villa, Archive, Capital, Charm, Crown, Forum, Groundskeeper, Legionary, Wild Hunt Empires Castles: Humble Castle, Crumbling Castle, Small Castle, Haunted Castle, Opulent Castle, Sprawling Castle, Grand Castle, King’s Castle Empires Events: Triumph, Annex, Donate, Advance, Delve, Tax, Banquet, Ritual, Salt the Earth, Wedding, Windfall, Conquest, Dominate Empires Landmarks: Aqueduct, Arena, Bandit Fort, Basilica, Baths, Battlefield, Colonnade, Defiled Shrine, Fountain, Keep, Labyrinth, Mountain Pass, Museum, Obelisk, Orchard, Palace, Tomb, Tower, Triumphal Arch, Wall, Wolf Den |
| Other Features | Empires introduces Debt, Split Piles and Landmarks; reintroduces Victory Tokens |
Who This Expansion is For
What makes Empires so enjoyable? It introduces mechanics that help skilled players get ahead via victory point tokens and intros other elements, like Debt, that help make gameplay more complex. Recommended for experienced Dominion players who want to advance their game- there’s a lot going on here. If you’re new to Dominion, work your way up to this expansion.
Pros
- Debt allows you to pay for cards later
- More Treasure cards than other expansions
- High quality components (terrific tokens)
- Plenty of non-attack interactions
Cons
- Some cards are expensive
- Slows the game down
- Theme differs from base theme more than other expansions
- Bandit Fort card punishes players with silver and gold
Prosperity
“Sure, money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy envy, anger, and also this kind of blank feeling.”
– the Prosperity rulebook
Prosperity is perhaps the most well-known, and the most rich, Dominion expansion out there. An embarrassment of riches, it is best known for adding a whole avalanche of powerful cards.
The fourth expansion to join the family, Prosperity adds 300 cards. There are 25 sets of Kingdom cards (totaling 250 cards), 24 Basic cards, 25 Randomizers and exactly one blank card. The new Basic cards make this one of the best Dominion expansions: the Colony and Platinum cards.
Colony cards are basic victory cards, but yowza! They’re the second most expensive card out of the entire Dominion universe (only the Dominate card available in Empires costs more). Colony cards cost a whopping 11 coins- but they provide 10 Victory Points. The only card that gives more VPs is the Fountain (again, only available in Empires), and that one is just a one-time benefit. Depleting the supply pile of Colony cards will end the game.
Prosperity also includes Platinum cards, which consist of twelve basic Treasure cards. Again, it’s one of the most expensive cards in the game, costing 9 coins, but it does produce 5 coins. Platinum is best thought of as being roughly the same thing as Gold (included in the base set). It’s basically one of the higher value cards you can keep in your deck in order to buy the top Victory card.
Prosperity Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Adds value to your Dominion base set |
| Theme | The whole theme is focused on wealth |
| Special cards | Prosperity Basic cards: Platinum, Colony Prosperity Kingdom cards: Loan, Trade Route, Watchtower, Bishop, Monument, Quarry, Talisman, Worker’s Village, City, Contraband, Counting House, Mint, Mountebank, Rabble, Royal Seal, Vault, Venture, Goons, Grand Market, Hoard, Bank, Expand, Forge, King’s Court, Peddler |
| Other Features | Prosperity introduces Colony and Platinum cards, includes 8 Victory Token mats and 1 Trade Route mat |
Who This Expansion is For
This is a great first expansion because it’s a blast to play. It encourages fancy engines and frequent high-spending turns- you feel as if you’re a high-roller in a casino. This expansion is one of the must-have Dominion board game expansions, although its sheen has reduced a tiny bit in recent years with more polished (and recent) expansions.
Buy Prosperity on Amazon
Pros
- Platinum and Colony cards = longer games, better engine strategy
- Well written rulebook
- Emphasis on Treasure cards and non-attack interaction
- Includes Victory Point tokens
Cons
- Goons don’t seem to match theme
- Very expensive cards and not enough cheap cards
- Highest average card cost out of all expansions
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time of wealth, prosperity and culture. It’s also the twelfth expansion for Dominion. It includes fancy-sounding cards like Ducat, but it also includes some other cards that you typically wouldn’t associate with the Renaissance- like the Swashbuckler.
Featuring 300 cards (250 of which are Kingdom cards, 25 Randomizers, 20 Projects and 5 Artifacts), this is one of the most polished Dominion board game expansions available today. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Guilds (bundled with Cornucopia). Coffers return! Villager cards protect you! Coffer and Villager cards are helpful for skilled players, as they allow players to keep their edge throughout the game. In a nutshell: you can course-correct after a bad draw.
Be sure to gobble up Projects, as they give you a bonus or special effect that lasts for the remainder of the game. Renaissance provides you with wooden cubes that you can place on Projects you snap up, but decide carefully- you only have two to begin with. Projects are also awesome because they don’t count towards the 10 Kingdom card piles in the Supply. We also enjoyed playing Artifacts (Flag, Horn, Key, Lantern and Treasure Chest).
Unique elements in Renaissance sprinkle a bit of fun throughout. If you reveal a Reaction, it reacts! There are ways to play Actions during the Buy phase! Cards interact with each other via Effects! And you can take a turn after the game is over!
Renaissance Dominion Expansion in a Nutshell
| Overall Benefit | Adds value to your Dominion base set |
| Theme | Layers a sophisticated Italian Renaissance feel onto the Dominion medieval theme |
| Special cards | Renaissance Kingdom cards: Border Guard, Ducat, Lackeys, Acting Troupe, Cargo Ship, Experiment, Improve, Flag Bearer, Hideout, Inventor, Mountain Village, Patron, Priest, Research, Silk Merchant, Old Witch, Recruiter, Scepter, Scholar, Sculptor, Seer, Spices, Swashbuckler, Treasurer, Villain Renaissance Artifacts: Flag, Horn, Key, Lantern, Treasure Chest Renaissance Projects: Cathedral, City Gate, Pageant, Sewers, Star Chart, Exploration, Fair, Silos, Sinister Plot, Academy, Capitalism, Fleet, Guildhall, Piazza, Road Network, Barracks, Crop Rotation, Innovation, Canal, Citadel |
| Other Features | Renaissance includes 8 Coffers / Villagers mats, 35 coin tokens and 12 wooden cubes |
Who This Expansion is For
Renaissance is one of the simplest and best Dominion expansions available for the player who wants to add cards, not new mechanisms or strategies. It provides incredible value for the casual, advanced and expert player, as it focuses on stripping things down to a level of well-designed simplicity. While this expansion doesn’t quite have the same level of excitement as Cornucopia, Menagerie, Empires or Prosperity, it is an incredibly well-thought out and well-designed expansion that just works.
Buy Renaissance on Amazon
Pros
- Villagers enable engines to move smoother
- Projects are fun to use
- Artwork is top-notch
- Great number of female-based cards
Cons
- It’s like a delicious Funfetti cake with 15% less sprinkles
- Can only use two Projects per player
- Guildhall won’t work well if you don’t focus on Treasures
Best Dominion Expansions Ranked
Just for fun, here’s a list of the best Dominion expansions ranked. We’ve reviewed seven expansions above, but here’s where they fit into our general ranking.
A lot of factors went into this ranking. We ranked them for ease of use (as in, which expansion should you get first?) and personal preference, keeping in mind the three main elements of the best Dominion expansions available today: variety, theme and value.
Best Dominion Expansion Combinations
Yes, this is another thing. You want to know what the best Dominion expansions are, but you also wanna know what works well together. For a quick start guide, try these Dominion expansion combinations:
- Prosperity and Empires
- Empires and Adventures
- Prosperity, Empires and Adventures (definitely complex, don’t do this out of the gate)
- Cornucopia and Renaissance
- Prosperity and Seaside
- Renaissance and Seaside
- When playing with younger players, Cornucopia & Guilds along with Menagerie is an excellent choice
That’s A Wrap!
The Best Dominion Randomizer App
If you’re in need of a Randomizer app that helps you set up your game and manage the best Dominion expansions you’ve just picked up, we recommend:
For iPhone
a) DominGen (iPhone, works with Siri)
For Android
a) Jack of all Dominion (Android)
b) Dominion Shuffle (Android)
All of those apps have options to limit sets for each Kingdom- that’s absolutely the way to go, as you should be playing with 2 expansions most of the time (three is the absolute max we recommend).
Go forth and build your own Dominion!
Header photo: Rio Grande Games