As Duke's in a distant land opportunity has presented itself as the King is away seeking to expand the realm. It is time to make the kingdom your own. Taking land will earn victory points and the aim is to reach a pre-set total (40 in a 3 player game) to be declared the main challenger to the throne (read this as winner).
The land of Domaine consists of various terrains and features including meadows, forests, villages and 3 types of mines (diamond, gold and copper). To earn victory points domaines must be created by enclosing patches of land. Some land is more valuable than others and all terrains offer some benefit. Each player starts with a set of castles and a horde of knights. The set-up requires each player (in turn) to place their castles and a knight adjacent to each one. This initial placement can only be on a meadow or forest square. Each player then gets 3 action cards from the deck and play can begin. It is the action cards that control the play. Playing each turn is simple enough, it is deciding what to do that is the difficult part. Each turn requires a player to play a card or sell a card instead to earn income. Each card allows a player an option, the 3 most common are - place borders, place knights or expand a domaine. Each of these cards has a cost which must be paid before the action can be taken. Placing borders is the common move early in the game. The aim is to place them in such a way that a section of the kingdom is bordered off, forming a domaine. One of the most common methods is to use the edge of the board as a natural border and simply rope off against it. Once a domaine is created it is immediately scored. Each forest square is worth 1 point, villages 3 and the Royal City 5 (located in the centre of the board). Often a player will have no income left so they will be forced to sell a card. Each card has a play and sell value, so players must weigh up which cards are best for which purpose based on their position. At the end of a players turn they will draw 1 card to return their hand to 3 cards.
Mines do not provide victory points initially but they are valuable. Each mine will earn 1 ducat at the beginning of a players turn. This extra income will be critical as the game develops. If a player can control 3 or more of the same mine in their territory they will earn a bonus 5 victory points. The role of knights is to defend domaines and to launch attacks on those of the enemy. A player can only play an expand domaine card if an enemy has a domaine neighbouring one of yours and you have more knights than them in those domaines. If this is the case then you can push any one border back 1 or 2 squares and steal some of their land. This may result in you earning victory points and more importantly they will lose the points you gain. Valuable mines can also be stolen in this fashion.

Domaine is a quality game, from the game play to the components. The placing of borders to create domaines is abstract in feel and for this reason it may not appeal to everyone on the first play. But I recommend playing a few games before you pass judgement as a very clever game lies beneath the surface.