The Castles of Burgundy Gameplay Overview

2-4 players90 minby Stefan Feldalea / Ravensburger
The Castles of Burgundy box art

Turn Structure

  1. The game lasts 5 phases (A through E).
  2. Each phase consists of 5 rounds.
  3. At the start of each phase, refill the depots with new tiles and place 5 new goods tiles.
  4. At the end of each phase, players with mines receive 1 Silverling per mine.
  5. Each round, the start player rolls the white die to place a goods tile on the matching depot, then all players roll their 2 dice simultaneously and take turns in turn order.

Take a Tile from a Depot

Use one die to take a 6-sided tile from the depot matching your die result. Place it on any empty storage space on your player board (3 storage spaces available).

  1. Choose one of your dice.
  2. Take one tile from the depot matching that die number.
  3. Place the tile on an empty storage space on your player board.
  • If the matching depot is empty, this action cannot be taken with that die.
  • You have 3 storage spaces. If all are full, you cannot take more tiles.

Place a Tile on Your Estate

Use one die to take a tile from your storage and add it to your estate. The estate space must match the die number, be the correct color for the tile, and be adjacent to a previously placed tile.

  1. Choose one of your dice.
  2. Choose a tile from your storage area.
  3. Place it on an empty estate space matching the die number.
  4. The space must match the tile's color and be adjacent to at least one previously placed tile.
  5. Resolve the tile's placement effect (if any).
  • Castle (dark green): Immediately take one additional action as if you had an extra die of any value.
  • Ship (blue): Take ALL goods tiles from any one depot and add them to your goods storage. Then advance one space on the turn order track.
  • Animal (light green): Score VP equal to the number shown on the tile. If the pasture already contains animals of the same type, those score again too.
  • Mine (grey): No immediate effect. At the end of each phase, receive 1 Silverling per mine on your estate.
  • Building (brown): Each building type has a unique immediate effect (see Buildings section).
  • Knowledge (yellow): Gain an ongoing ability or end-game scoring bonus (see Knowledge Tiles reference).
  • No identical buildings (brown tiles) may be placed in the same city (connected brown region).

Sell Goods

Goods tiles accumulate in your storage when you place Ship tiles on your estate (each ship lets you take ALL goods from any one depot). Use one die to sell all goods of one type from your storage. The goods type must match the die result.

  1. Choose one of your dice.
  2. Sell ALL goods tiles of the matching type from your goods storage.
  3. Receive 1 Silverling per tile sold.
  4. Receive VP per tile sold based on player count.
  • Receive 2 VP per goods tile sold. (2 players)
  • Receive 3 VP per goods tile sold. (3 players)
  • Receive 4 VP per goods tile sold. (4 players)
  • You must sell ALL tiles of the chosen type, not just some.

Take Worker Tiles

Use one die (regardless of the result) to take 2 worker tiles from the supply.

  1. Choose one of your dice (the number does not matter).
  2. Take 2 worker tiles from the supply.
  • Workers can be spent to adjust any die result by +/- 1 each (wraps around: 1 to 6 and 6 to 1). Multiple workers can modify the same die.

Buy from the Black Depot

Once per turn (in addition to your two dice actions), you may spend 2 Silverlings to buy any one tile from the central black depot and place it in your storage.

  1. Pay 2 Silverlings.
  2. Take any one tile from the central black depot.
  3. Place it on an empty storage space on your player board.
  • This is optional and does not use a die.
  • Limited to one purchase per turn.
  • Requires an empty storage space.

Key Concepts