Castles of Burgundy is a well paced tile management game. Each player has a hexagonal shaped map in which tiles are to be placed on specific color matching spots with the restriction of always placing next to an existing space, and a somewhat restriction on die rolls, but this can be jockeyed around with workers (more on that later). The board may seem huge, the amount of space and limited actions are daunting, but you will have five phases and five rounds in each phase to complete most of your board.

I just started recently going back in time to play games I missed when they first came out and CoB is one of those games. Not only did I miss it when it came out, but every year thereafter until now. Since there was a digital version available to play, knowing very well my premium Special Edition was not going to be in my hands until maybe April of this year, I figured why not. I feel digital versions are a great way to get into games since most offer A.I. opponents, and should be fleshed out with the rules so it is easy to pick up and learn. Digidice has put out a decent digital version for mobile and PC (most likely a port) as it plays well, and being a novice when it comes to the rules I feel it gave me a good grasp of what to expect when I play this live with my buddies. If playing on PC, the game offers an overlay that provides what all the tiles do so that you may easily cross-reference the image with the definition, this allows the player to make better informed gameplay decisions. For the mobile app you will have to double tap the tile to get the tile description (this also can be done on PC).

In a game that only has four possible actions, so much is to be desired on a turn that it may seem overwhelming when it comes to getting things done, especially since you only have two dice (actions) per turn. Coupled with the "luck" factor of die rolls, you may feel behind the eight ball as those phases and rounds fly by. However, once you start playing and the rhythm of the game gets to you, it just clicks. I found myself in my first game just taking actions that matched up with my die rolls, spaces available, and as fast as I could. This really helped me understand the flow of the game, and what the tiles did without the worry of winning. After that first match (first loss) I started to strategize on what tiles I would take not just based on my board, but my opponents as well. I could tell that hindering their moves and lessening the amount of points they could get may have a positive impact on my game. Some turns I could take a tile that may net me 8 to 15 points, but this would let the opponent grab a tile that would close off a section, be first to do so, give them oodles of animal points, and take first place for sure. So, it boils down to helping yourself and destroying others which is a great way to game.

As for the four actions available:

1- buy a settlement tile from the numbered depot corresponding to one of the dice you rolled and place it in the holding area on your player board
2- take a settlement tile from the holding area to a space on your player board with a number matching to one of your dice, in the corresponding region for the type of tile, and adjacent to a previously placed settlement tile.
3- deliver goods with a number matching one of your dice
4- take worker tokens which allow you to adjust the roll of your dice (for any action that uses the die rolls)
There is also a special action that you can take every turn, it uses no die rolls, but you have to have enough silverlings in order to take the action. Once per turn, you may buy a settlement tile from the black market on the game board and place it in the holding area on your player board (there also is a yellow tile that essentially turns all the tile purchase areas into a slverling market that fuinctions like the black market)

Most all actions will net you something like silverlings (money), points, additional actions, more tiles, turn order advancement or more goods, these awards are taken immediately as it could benefit you that turn like the castle piece which grants a free action. With this free action from the castle piece you are able to do perform one of the 4 main actions as if it where the action you chose to do with one of your die rolls (you can't purchase a tile from the market as this free action). I really enjoy the castle as it seems more than just a wild card, but the premier utility piece allowing you to get things you may not otherwise be able to this very turn, and thus denying your opponents something they may need. Another rule to be aware of is the restriction on building tiles like: church, city hall and bank. There are 8 in total and you are only allowed to play one per type in a building tile section unless a yellow tile says otherwise. In the game I played there were 3 building tile sections on my board denoted by the brown color, and I do believe I blocked myself from finishing one section due to the lack of variety in building tiles near the end. By the time I noticed , all the tiles I could've used were swiped up. When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck on a tile, I choose farm tiles. The point multiplier is crazy if you play the same animal. I'm not kidding, you should really try to collect the same animal type on each farm tile as it not only counts the tile played, but also all others with the same type. For example, if I played an animal tile with 4 chickens I would get 4 points, but if I had previously played two other animal tiles with chickens in the same farm section I would also get points for those again. Farms are just another way to get big. Now, this isn't the only way to play as there are bonus tiles (yellow) that give you big points if you have different animal tiles, but you do have to purchase said tile and also have it actually show up in a game.

CoB is light enough on complexity for most all players of any skill level to enjoy, but meaty enough to bring seasoned players back for more. This is the hard, sweet spot that all games should be shooting for, as it sells more copies sure, but you want to be playing the game most of all. CoB can be purchased on Steam, but only has the base game available, and I don't see the expansions coming anytime soon or at all since it has been awhile since the digital release. As sad as it may be, it still is a great pick up both iOS app-wise and/or through Steam; here is the link: The Castles of Burgundy.

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