The Castles of Burgundy
{{Short description|2011 board game}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox game
| title = The Castles of Burgundy
| designer = Stefan Feld
| publisher = Ravensburger
| image_link = The_Castles_of_Burgundy_Box_cover.jpg
| image_caption = Box cover
| players = 2 to 4
| ages = 12 and up
| setup_time = 15 minutes
| playing_time = 90 minutes
| random_chance = Medium
| skills = Strategy
| related = The Voyages of Marco Polo, La Granja, Bora Bora
| footnotes ={{cite book |last1=Goodridge |first1=Michelle |last2=Rohweder |first2=Matthew J. |author-link= |date= November 15, 2021|title=Librarian's Guide to Games and Gamers: From Collection Development to Advisory Services |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=243CEAAAQBAJ|location= |publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing|page= |isbn=9798216110958}}
}}
The Castles of Burgundy is a board game for two to four players, set in Medieval Burgundy. It was designed by Stefan Feld and illustrated by Julien Delval and Harald Lieske, and was published in 2011 by Ravensburger/alea.{{cite web |title=Castles of Burgundy: Full Credits |url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/84876/castles-burgundy/credits |website=boardgamegeek.com |access-date=23 September 2021}} It is considered a classic of the Eurogame genre,{{cite web | url = https://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/02/forget-game-of-thrones-the-best-board-games-are-german-style/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130225051836/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/02/forget-game-of-thrones-the-best-board-games-are-german-style/| url-status = dead| archive-date = February 25, 2013| title = Forget Game Of Thrones. The Best Board Games Are German-Style| work = Kotaku | date = February 24, 2013 | accessdate = February 26, 2017 | first = Tom | last = Mendelsohn }}{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/best-board-games-of-essen-2016/| title = Essen 2016: Best board games from the biggest board game convention| work = arstechnica | date = October 22, 2016 | accessdate = February 26, 2017 | first = Quintin | last = Smith }} and is cited as one of the most influential board games of the last decade.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/17/20959387/best-board-games-of-the-decade-2010-2019| title = The most influential board games of the decade, according to top designers| work = Polygon | date = November 17, 2019 | accessdate = November 18, 2019 | first = Charlie | last = Hall }} It uses dice rolling and dice placement, a modular setup, and set collection as its mechanics.{{cite web | url = https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2015/06/the-10-essential-gateway-boardgames-for-converting-non-gamers.html| title = The 10 Essential Gateway Boardgames for Converting Non-Gamers| work = Paste Magazine | date = June 26, 2015 | accessdate = April 24, 2017 | first = Luke | last = Larsen }} The dice and the ability to change them give players a wide range of options.{{cite web|url=http://boingboing.net/2014/10/02/making-better-use-of-dice-in-g.html|title=Making better use of dice in games|date=2 October 2014|website=BoingBoing|access-date=12 June 2017|last1=Casey|first1=Matt}}
Gameplay
{{float right clear none|File:Castles_of_Burgundy_(Board_Game).jpg}}
In Castles of Burgundy, players collect hexagonal tiles to fill their personal player boards{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/12/ars-technicas-ultimate-board-game-buyers-guide/|title=Ars Technica's ultimate board game buyer's guide|last1=Zimmerman|first1=Aaron|last2=Anderson|first2=Nate|last3=Mendelsohn|first3=Tom|publisher=Ars Technica|date=8 December 2017|access-date=12 November 2021}} by drafting them via dice they've collected, and then gain benefits for each tile placed.{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/06/the-board-game-merlin-is-startlingly-low-on-magic.html|title=The Board Game Merlin Is Startlingly Low on Magic|date=20 June 2018|website=Paste|access-date=26 November 2019|last1=Law|first1=Keith}} Players will earn bonuses for filling in a specific region of their board, which is worth more points if done earlier in the game, or for filling all hexes of a specific color on their entire board.{{cite web | url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/04/review-beloved-board-game-castles-of-burgundy-is-now-an-app | title=Review: Beloved board game Castles of Burgundy is now an app | date=13 April 2019 }}
The game takes place over phases, and within each phase, there are five rounds.{{Cite web |last=Chris |date=2024-04-09 |title=How to Play Castles of Burgundy - My Board Game Guides |url=https://www.myboardgameguides.com/guides/how-to-play/how-to-play-castles-of-burgundy/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |language=en-US}} The beginning of a phase starts by clearing the board of all existing hexagonal tiles, if any are present on the game board. This step is skipped in the first phase of the game. Next, players add new hexes to the six different depots by placing a hex type with the matching color in the depot, as well as refilling the black depot in the middle of the game board.{{Cite web |date=2018-02-20 |title=The Castles of Burgundy Review - The Thoughtful Gamer |url=https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2018/02/19/castles-burgundy-review/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |language=en-US}} Players will then take the goods pile that belong with the current phase they are in and place them face up on the spaces available.
Players will then take turns in a round, which starts by all players rolling their dice and the one white die, to place the good for the round in a depot based on the white die result, draft hexes from the game board and place hexes on the player boards based on the results of the player's dice, take two workers, manipulate dice results from gained workers, or buy hexes from the black depot.{{Cite web |last=Chris |date=2024-04-09 |title=How to Play Castles of Burgundy - My Board Game Guides |url=https://www.myboardgameguides.com/guides/how-to-play/how-to-play-castles-of-burgundy/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |language=en-US}} Players will continue this for five phases, until all the goods are placed on the game board. At the end of the fifth round in the fifth phase, players tally up their results and compare their scores. Whoever has the most points wins the game.{{Cite web |last=Chris |date=2024-04-09 |title=How to Play Castles of Burgundy - My Board Game Guides |url=https://www.myboardgameguides.com/guides/how-to-play/how-to-play-castles-of-burgundy/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |language=en-US}}
Versions
In 2014 Yucata, the online game portal, released an online play-by-web version.
In 2016 Ravensburger released Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game.{{cite web | url = https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/08/every-boardgame-we-saw-at-gen-con-2016.html| title = Every Boardgame We Saw at Gen Con 2016| work = Paste Magazine | date = August 8, 2016 | accessdate = February 26, 2017 | first = Keith | last = Law }} Ravensburger also released a "roll-and-write" version, The Castles of Burgundy: The Dice Game, in 2017.{{cite web | url = https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2018/08/18/castles-of-burgundy-the-dice-game-review/| title = Castles of Burgundy: The Dice Game Review | work = The Thoughtful Gamer | date = August 18, 2018 | accessdate = June 3, 2019 | first = Marc | last = Davis }} In 2019 DIGIDICED developed versions for Steam, Android, and iOS.{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/04/review-beloved-board-game-castles-of-burgundy-is-now-an-app/|title=Review: Beloved board game Castles of Burgundy is now an app|last=Law|first=Keith|date=2019-04-13|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-14}} In 2023 Awaken Realms collaborated with Ravensburger and Alea to release Castles of Burgundy Special Edition, which added all new art and deluxe components for the base game and for nine of the existing expansions, as well as two new expansions, titled Vineyard and Shields.{{Cite web |last=McMillan |first=David |title=Focused on Feld: The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition Review – Meeple Mountain |url=https://www.meeplemountain.com/reviews/the-castles-of-burgundy-special-edition/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.meeplemountain.com |language=en-US}}
Reception
A review at Ars Technica described the game as having a "bland theme, dry artwork, chintzy components" but also "some of the best gameplay" in a board game and amongst the "best dice-rolling mechanics in any strategy game".
[https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/ The Thoughtful Gamer]'s review of The Castles of Burgundy expressed that "[e]very part of it feels, at once, intentional and necessary..." and "precise, pleasant, and accessible."{{Cite web |date=2018-02-20 |title=The Castles of Burgundy Review - The Thoughtful Gamer |url=https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2018/02/19/castles-burgundy-review/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en-US}}
One review for Castles of Burgundy Special Edition from [https://punchboard.co.uk/ Punchboard] stated that it was "big, brash, and over the top, and it’s exactly what the game always needed."{{Cite web |last=Adam |date=2024-05-29 |title=Castles Of Burgundy: Special Edition Review |url=https://punchboard.co.uk/castles-of-burgundy-special-edition-review/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Punchboard |language=en-GB}}
References
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Category:Board games introduced in 2011
Category:Board games with a modular board