Non-Attack interaction

Dominion is occasionally caricatured as "multi-player solitaire", in that in some circumstances it is possible for each player to independently build their own deck, with no direct interaction between different players' strategies and deck compositions. This tendency is mitigated, however, by the presence of cards that affect players other than their owners, and arguably makes the game more fun and strategic by keeping each player involved even during other players' turns. Attack cards are interactive in this way, but also tend to delay the game and are unpopular with some players; for this reason Donald X. Vaccarino thought it important to include non-Attack cards that cause interaction between players as well. At an early stage of development non-Attack interaction was the theme of the "War" expansion that eventually was revised into Dark Ages; it ended up being a subtheme of Prosperity, an expansion with relatively few Attack cards. But some such cards are present in each expansion.

Non-Attack interactive cards

Cards that give a small benefit to other players

• Bishop
• Council Room
• Embassy
• Governor
• Vault

Cards whose effect depends on another player's deck construction

• Possession
• Smugglers
• Tribute

Cards that allow another player to make a decision

• Advisor
• Contraband
• Envoy

Cards that depend on a shared resource that all players can affect

• City
• Forager
• Graverobber
• Trade Route

other

• Embargo tokens affect all players equally once placed.
• Fool's Gold can be trashed for a Gold when another player gains a Province
• Masquerade swaps cards about between all players' hands.
• Tournament can have its cantrip money effect blocked by a player who has a Province in hand.

Fringe cases

• The Reaction cards Beggar, Horse Traders, Moat, Secret Chamber are interactive, but only in the presence of Attacks.
• Other Reaction cards (Market Square, Trader, Tunnel, Watchtower), as well as many other cards, have effects that can be triggered on other players' turns by Attacks or other non-attack interactive cards.
• Ill-Gotten Gains is interactive and isn't technically an Attack, but it fills the same function as Attacks do.
• Rogue is an Attack, but its gaining effect depends on the shared resource of the Trash in the same was Graverobber does.
• Soothsayer is an Attack, but also gives its victims a short-term benefit like Council Room and Governor.