Castles of Burgundy

Castles of Burgundy is one of the most famous "Euro" style board games, published in 2011 and widely praised. In 2019, this new edition came out and it basically includes the base game plus eight expansions, seven of which were previously released as promotional items and one new to this release. So basically you get the same game but with more variety through new player boards. There is no reason to buy the original edition over this one - if you're interested in this game, either buy this 2019 edition or wait for a future edition (there is one planned for 2023). What is this game all about? The Castles of Burgundy is set in the Burgundy region of High Medieval France and each player is an aristocrat looking to expand their kingdom through building castles, trading along the river, exploring silver mines, etc. In a turn, each player rolls two dice and uses the results, which can be manipulated with the aid of workers, to get tiles from a common board and then eventually placing them onto their kingdom. Placing tiles gives you bonuses and allows players to chain combinations, while also awarding Victory Points. The game is played over a fixed number of rounds (25 total) and, at the end, the player with the most VPs is the winner. Positives: + Easy to learn but with good depth + Ideal to start non boardgamers into the hobby + Variability with the new player boards and two games never play the same also because of random tile placement + Allows 1-4 players + Great value for money, the game is surprisingly cheap compared to other board games Negatives: - The kingdom boards are extremely flimsy. This is something that hasn't been changed from the 2019 edition and I understand this is meant to keep both the price and the box size down. - Plays best with lower player count, wouldn't recommend it with 4 players - Diehard board gamers might not enjoy the dice mechanic Highly recommended!

Purchased as a birthday gift for an avid board gamer. This met all the recipients must-haves. The components withstand handling and repeated use. The instructions are clear and easy to understand, not overly complicated. Everything needed was in the box, and the box is very strong and will last for repeated openings, reboxing and closing. The colors of the components are contemporary for the era of the game setting (eg, they are muted earthy tones, yet clear and precisely printed on each component). This was very much enjoyed by the recipient and played often with his friends. Everyone liked it so much, it was on the table many times, and players said it was enjoyable and not overly complicated but competitive in a friendly way. It was one of the games taken frequently from the shelves. If considering as a gift or for your own play use, this is something I recommend.

When bought I had never played or even seen the game before but now own the App version as well. I only play solo and the game includes specific solo rules that are based upon completion of your "Duchy" rather than just beating your high score. The game seems quite complex at first but it really isn't. You seek to build a Duchy, selecting and placing hex tiles obtained from a main board by allocating dice rolls that can be modified in intriguing and thematic ways. Turns are quick and simple although the rulebook using the words "Phase" and "Round" threw me at first. Having now seen online content comparing this "Anniversary" version with the previous one, I concur with many of their opinions. The components are only of middling quality. I particularly had a problem with the hex tiles being extremely small and very difficult to see and understand. Yes I'm not young but I even had to use a magnifying glass until I could learn what each one was. The boards are correspondingly not just small but flimsy too with a thickness that would be fine for Christmas cards. When I bought what was admittedly described as a "Collectors Edition" of another well known tile laying town/ city building game, that had hex tiles that were 25% bigger than the original and were chunky and a pleasure to handle. Castles of Burgundy is very very disappointing in component quality in what seems a stingy and cost cutting way. Anniversary should be changed to Economy. The game could be almost beautiful but it is just ordinary. All that said, I really like the gameplay and it would be a delight to both solo and competitive players. In effect I would give just 1 or 2 stars to component quality but 4 to the gameplay experience. The latter would be 5 but the integral experience of handling poor quality of the components drags this down. Pity but buy it.

This is a great game but it takes a while to learn how to play. We suggest nominated one player to read the guide and the teach everyone else! Once you’re playing strategy is key but there is also an element of luck so it’s not always the same person winning. Nice size box but lots of little pieces which could easily get lost. Just be careful packing it away and you’ve got no issue.

We binged this game when we first got it. Several games a night for a couple of weeks. It is a perfect 2 player game, but we also enjoyed it as a 1 player game and a 3/4 player game. The way the games adjusts ever so slightly for the number of players is perfect (1player/2or3player/4player). The boards and tokens are high quality, with great detailed and summarised instructions. Also, comes with three (i think) optional expansions in the box. These can be added or removed as your mood dictates, and they really add some variety to the gameplay. All in all, highly recommend this game to anyone who likes board games.

Suveränt brädspel till ett bra pris!

We’ve playing this sooo much! The boardgame arrived on time and I can’t complain with the quality. I just wished the board is sturdier though rather than flimsy paper. Otherwise, a very good boardgame! I would love to buy the deluxe edition for sure.

Tolles Brettspiel für Leute, die gerne Taktik und ein bisschen Glück vereinen wollen. Das Spiel hat eine einzigartige Dynamik. Das Spiel kam auch unbeschädigt an (wovor ich ein wenig Sorgen hatte zuerst, da sich einige über beschädigte Brettspiele bei Amazon Lieferungen beschwert hatten)

Alles goed ontvangen en in goede staat.

🎲 The Castles of Burgundy (2019) 🤓 Stefan Feld 🏭 alea . 📝Spark Notes: ⚡️Kingdom building in 15th century France ⚡️Tile placing, dice manipulation ⚡️Mine silver, sell cargo ⚡️Expand territories, create combos . 💼Brief Review: 🟢High replay-ability 🟢Exciting combinations 🟢Incredibly well-designed 🟢Simple yet solid mechanics 🟢Player-mat provides clear direction 🟢Good variety of options and strategy 🟢Workers can mitigate unwanted dice rolls 🟡The theme and art don’t feel special 🔴Iconography is tiny and requires frequent referencing . 📝Description: Players export goods and construct farms, mines, villages, and castles to expand their kingdoms. Each turn dice are rolled and players draft or place tiles with restrictions based on their roll results. Points are scored for completing territories, selling goods, tile abilities, and leftover resources. . 🎬Final Take: There’s a reason Castles of Burgundy continues to show up in “best games of all time” lists over the last 10 years—it’s such a fun and well-designed experience. Despite the randomness of dice, there’s enough options that allow you to take control and make meaningful decisions. A "bad roll" rarely exists, as there's always something productive you can do with each die value. Tile-placing games typically don’t excite me, but the variety and strategy available makes this one an exciting and rewarding experience, and it's become one of my favorite games. The alea 20th anniversary edition offers a more colorful aesthetic and loads of expansions, including solo and team play, and I strongly recommend this edition over the classic. If you like strategic puzzle-like games you may love Castles of Burgundy.