Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
Dome Crushers Overview
Dome Crushers is a head to head, 24 card battle royale, with Magic the Gathering quality artwork. In Dome Crushers players are trying to defeat one another in a series of battles, each consisting of four cards. Players do this by choosing each card they play in a round based on either strength or special ability. The player with the highest strength collected at the end of the game is the winner.
Dome Crushers is a pure tactical two player game from Floodgate, publishers of Sagrada. Each player starts the game with an identical deck of 12 heroic creature cards. Players shuffle their decks at the beginning of each round, then draw 4 cards from the top. Players take turns playing their 4 cards and at the end of that round, the player with the highest visible strength will collect all attack cards and place them in their scoring pile. The game continues until one player cannot draw 4 cards, at which time the game ends and each player tallies up their score.
Sounds like a game of war so far right? What makes Dome Crushers different?
How to Play Dome Crushers
On their turn players will choose one of the cards from their hand to play. They must choose to play the card either for its strength value and laid in portrait mode, or for its special ability and laid in landscape mode. Triggered special abilities take effect immediately: draw a card, affect your opponents cards, etc.
At the end of the round players tally the strength in front of them and determine who has won the round. The winner collects any cards played for strength and places them face down in their scoring pile. Any card played for its ability remains with the player, going back into their deck which gets shuffled in preparation for the next round.
Dome Crusher Creature Cards
As previously mentioned, each player starts with an identical deck of 12 creatures. Each card has two features, a strength score (located in the top left corner), and a special ability (located at the bottom). These special abilities range from allowing the player to draw an additional card.
To manipulation of the cards themselves; being able to flip a strength card to it’s ability (and vice versa).
And even to round ending powers.
The entire game hinges on your ability to correctly direct your creatures to the situation you’re currently in. Capturing higher power cards will certainly boost your score, but will your opponent allow you to win the round, or will they play a special ability of their own to throw a wrench in your plans?
What I Like About Dome Crushers
Dome Crushers is a light little game that takes about 15 minutes to complete. I enjoy games which start players off with the same setup because it forces you to play your hand more effectively than your opponent. Shuffling brings in some randomness, but with only 12 cards you’re sure to get something that will help you, or hinder the other player. The art by Jacob Atienza is great and does an excellent job of matching the feel of the game.
What I Dislike About Dome Crushers
While Dome Crushers is pretty tight, there’s still some issues with the gameplay that Floodgate should address, most of them simple rules changes or clarifications.
When adding up the strength at the end of a round to see which player won there’s no mention of a tie breaker.
The Sneak Attack card allows you to “toggle” one of your opponents cards from attack to ability, or vice versa, but there’s no indication as to whether the ability on that card should immediately be triggered. This should be explained in more detail, either on the card or in the rules.
One other question I had was the Termination Roar card which says that the round is over unless the other player can play a matching Termination Roar card. Does this mean that the player plays one more card if it isn’t a Termination Roar?
Final Thoughts on Dome Crushers
All in all Dome Crushers is a good game, and one that meets the intended purpose: a head to head microgame that’s fast and fun. At the $6 price point, there’s no reason not to have Dome Crushers in your arsenal!
