Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Choose and play tiles to satisfy the king's whims and build the best fantasy castle.

In the tile-laying game Castles of Mad King Ludwig, players are tasked with building an amazing, extravagant castle for King Ludwig II of Bavaria...one room at a time. You see, the King loves castles, having built Neuschwanstein (the castle that inspired the Disney theme park castles) and others, but now he's commissioned you to build the biggest, best castle ever — subject, of course, to his ever-changing whims. Each player acts as a building contractor who is adding rooms to the castle he's building while also selling his services to other players.

In the game, each player starts with a simple foyer. One player takes on the role of the Master Builder, and that player sets prices for a set of rooms that can be purchased by the other players, with him getting to pick from the leftovers after the other players have paid him for their rooms. When a room is added to a castle, the player who built it gains castle points based on the size and type of room constructed, as well as bonus points based on the location of the room. When a room is completed, with all entranceways leading to other rooms in the castle, the player receives one of seven special rewards.

After each purchasing round, a new player becomes the Master Builder who sets prices for a new set of rooms. After several rounds, the game ends, then additional points are awarded for achieving bonus goals, having the most popular rooms, and being the most responsive to the King's demands, which change each game. Whoever ends up with the most castle points wins.

1–4 Players
90 Min Playing Time
Age: 13+

AWARDS & HONORS
2016 Vuoden Peli Strategy Game of the Year Winner
2016 Vuoden Peli Strategy Game of the Year Nominee
2016 Juego del Año Recommended
2016 Hra roku Finalist
2016 Årets Spil Best Adult Game Nominee
2015 Mensa Select Winner
2015 Hra roku Finalist
2015 Guldbrikken Best Adult Game Winner
2015 Guldbrikken Best Adult Game Nominee
2015 Goblin Magnifico Nominee
2014 Meeples' Choice Winner
2014 Meeples' Choice Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
2014 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation Nominee
2014 Board Game Quest Awards Game of the Year Nominee
2014 Board Game Quest Awards Best Strategy/Euro Game Nominee