Few people knew that a collaboration between Stonemaier and Bezier was happening. When Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig was announced, the general reaction was one of surprise. Once that wore off, the reaction was excitement. Castles of Mad King Ludwig and Between Two Cities are both popular games in their own right. Luckily, this collaboration paid off.

Castles of Mad King Ludwig asks players to craft a castle room by room; these castle building blocks are divided into various types. Each room type scores in different ways, and indicates the scoring specifics on the tile itself. Between Two Castles borrows this system and modifies it. You’re still building a castle, though it’s presented as a side view. Room by room floors are built based on the demands of the Mad King.

These demands are exacting, though reward awaits the architect who can manage them. Food rooms will score based on specific room types being adjacent, while workshops will allow you to score large points based on successfully chaining room types together. Some rooms can only be placed below the main throne room, and a few other restrictions will constrain and bedevil you as you try to build a castle full of synergies.

You won’t have unlimited design freedom however. While scoring and room design comes from the Bezier title, the core mechanisms of Between Two Castles comes from Stonemaier’s Between Two Cities. Each player isn’t just building one castle, they’re simultaneously building two castles at once. To make it even tougher, each player is collaborating on a castle with the player on either side of them.

I really enjoy this system as it eliminates some of the things I find frustrating in traditional draft games. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig avoids the pain of being less familiar with the tiles than your opponents because you’ve got an erstwhile ally in the construction business. There’s also far less “hate drafting” because of the game’s other twist. Each castle is scored individually but a player’s final score is the lower of the pair.

If you pass the player on your left tiles that don’t work well in your shared castle, you’re harming yourself as much as you’re harming them. You want to give your neighbor tempting tiles for your shared castle so that you have the help you need to drive both scores up at once. This turns a competitive game into a friendly experience that feels casual while still providing a plethora of opportunities for smart clever play.

The scoring reinforces this feel as well. Even if you’re dealt a tile you don’t specifically need, Between Two Castles rewards you for playing the same room type repeatedly. Each has a unique bonus for playing 3, and an additional bonus can be acquired for getting to 5. The Sleeping Room type scores big points for having each other room type which again alleviates the pain of a frustrating draft when it happens.

While I wouldn’t ordinarily comment on components as a part of a review, special games deserve special notice. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig comes with two vacuum formed plastic inserts to house all of the tiles. What makes them stand apart is the way they’re designed to facilitate play. Each round begins with players grabbing 9 tiles; the insert is designed to store tiles in stacks of 9. If you take a second to shuffle tiles at the end of a game then putting the game away sets up for your next session. You can truly take the lid off and start playing immediately with no additional set up. It raises the bar on storage solutions.

All in all these two titles - good games in their own rights - have been expertly blended to enhance their strengths. The joy of watching a castle come together is enhanced by working with a partner who can help build it to dazzling heights. Scoring is satisfying, as tiles chain and build on each other. The “most least ” final score ensures you can’t neglect either castle and presents you with some tough choices as you decide which castle needs a tile more.

Raf Reviews - Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Rafael Cordero

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