Game Info
Year
2021
Players
1-8
Age
10+
Playtime
60 min
Complexity
2/5
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Expansions & Family
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Vibe profile
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Description
Expansion adding new room types and higher player counts to Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Castles of Mad King Ludwig Family
(6 games)
Part of the Castles of Mad King Ludwig family — see Castles of Mad King Ludwig for the combined view.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video QtVICuJpJJ0
Board Games UnLocked Rules Teach at 1:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 115602 · mention_pk 328052
Click to watch at 1:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The automa variant is a good way to play solo.
- The expansion adds interesting new rooms and scoring opportunities.
- The game scales well for solo play, providing a challenging experience.
Cons
- The automa's choices can sometimes feel arbitrary or not optimal.
- The scoring can be complex to track, especially with all the different room types.
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- automa — A solo variant where players manage two automa characters (Robberg von Links and Robberg von Rex) to simulate multiplayer play.
- Drafting — Players draft tiles from a shared hand, making choices for themselves and the automa players.
- Set Collection — The automa character 'Robberg' collects sets of specific room types.
- Tile Placement — Players place tiles to build their castles, aiming to meet specific scoring conditions for different room types.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The newest expansion to between two castles
- The solo variant
- Robberg is just collecting sets
- you are building castles with these two
- out of all of these a utility room the tool room is the only one
- so this push third stone counts as a corridor for purposes of the the fillers
- this is going to count as a living room
- he wants what is it yeah downstairs or the gallery and that he has the most of
- his favorite that is a living room and then a favorite that is downstairs
- you don't really give a [ __ ] about any of these left except the swimming hole
- the pit of despair hey one activity room
- this pacing hall ended up being pretty good
- the crypt can only go downstairs
- the tower on top of the three here that'd be pretty hot
- roberta von links
- the only activity room right now is the oratory which doesn't want a corridor next to it
- the map room over here would be actually great as well
- so it's gonna be its favorite between living room and okay so it's gonna be between these three
- now it's my turn ha ha
- this is pretty handy having the the five because i was like wait i should have three but nope it is five
- i wish there was a food here i need i think that's the only thing i need is i have a living room i have a corridor i have utility i have an outdoors i have a downstairs yeah i need a food a food room over here to capitalize off of all those sleeping rooms
- he's gonna take that one the game storage and then he'll take the armory
- so that will be that that will be the fifth outdoor tile so we get a um we got a special one
- so let's do a ballroom that'll be neat potentially or it'll be trash
- but i mean they can go under the grand foyer can go above grand foyer might not be bad either
- i should actually see ballrooms nope drawing ballrooms can only go above
- ballroom's going to be worth it because it's going to be based on what the other people have
- no i think we will actually go with the grand foyer
- so that's five outdoors
- okay roberta von links
- i need a food room
- so two points so for links it is who 15 17 19 23 28 48 58 58 60 66 66 total
- now we are on to rex
- this castle scored 56 points and rogues scored 55 points
- i went by one point off of this one
- that was the automa variant for the with the newest expansion to between two castles
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2dwW2kwfMcY
The Mill Discussion at 9:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90329 · mention_pk 241212
Click to watch at 9:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- adds solo mode
- adds two-player mode
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- solo mode — Solo mode introduced by the expansion
- Two-player mode — Two-player mode introduced by the expansion
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2DN78TCgJAs
Discussion at 0:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66384 · mention_pk 161589
Click to watch at 0:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- artwork is appealing
- insert fits in the regular box
- expansion adds new rooms and bonus tiles
- new automa cards included
- promo tiles (e.g., dice tower room, saxophone room)
- new room variants such as ballroom and sleeping rooms
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Between Two Cities
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this one is one i am looking forward to
- between two castles of mad king ludwig doesn't get the love that it deserves
- it's such a good game
- between two cities being too simple
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video uNxOEURgvv0
Might I Suggest A Game Discussion at 0:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12376 · mention_pk 36127
Click to watch at 0:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fits in the base game box with a dedicated space
- adds new tile types (secret rooms, activity rooms, ballrooms) that increase interaction and strategy
- solo variants add accessibility for solo play
- new components and improved replayability without overwhelming the base game
Cons
- activity rooms are a bit convoluted with complex scoring
- iconography on new tiles can be confusing initially
- scoring by hand can be time-consuming even with an app
Thematic elements
- castle construction with added intrigue through new tile types
- medieval castle building with a social and secret-room motif
- storytelling through castle design and room interactions
Comparison games
- Wingspan (European Expansion)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- additional player count — expansion supports up to eight players with extra tiles and components
- solo play variants — two new solo modes against AI to adapt the game for single-player play
- tile drafting — players select tiles to place in their castle from a pool that grows as the game progresses
- Tile Placement — placing tiles to build and optimize a castle layout with adjacency rules and scoring opportunities
- variable scoring — new scoring conditions from secret rooms, activity rooms, and ballrooms influence end-game points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- let's find out shall we
- to me the secrets in soiree's expansion for between two castles of mad king ludwig is a success
- it fits perfectly into the base game box
- this secrets and soirees expansion might have turned me into a believer
- i'm alex your board game sommelier signing off
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 0EkUNASDltM
The Cardboard Herald Review at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3517 · mention_pk 10461
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Adds meaningful new room types (secret rooms, activity rooms, ballrooms) that enrich scoring and interaction
- 61 new tiles provide significant additional variety and puzzle density
- Supports up to eight players, expanding party and social gaming possibilities
- Two distinct solo modes that preserve the feel of the base game while changing strategy
- Expansion fits neatly in the original box with a well-designed insert
- Keeps the core puzzle and thematic vibe of Between Two Castles while offering fresh angles
Cons
- Large tile count increases setup and shuffle complexity; may feel heavy for some players
- The abundance of new tiles and options can be overwhelming for new players or casual sessions
- Some players may prefer the tighter, simpler baseline experience and see this as overkill for a quick session
Thematic elements
- Castle construction, drafting tension, whimsy and whimsy-meets-strategy
- A shared castle-building landscape where players draft tiles to shape their own and neighboring fortresses
- Whimsical, puzzle-driven, with thematic connotations of courtly intrigue and grand houses
Comparison games
- Between Two Castles (base game)
- Mad King Ludwig
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- ballrooms (new type) — A special room type that scores points for neighboring room types, creating new drafting and placement opportunities.
- Compound Scoring — Points are earned based on the types of rooms and their positions, including interactions with adjacent rooms.
- copying and duplication — Copy mechanics allow duplicating certain room effects, enabling complex chains of scoring and room-type interactions.
- Drafting — In the Automa modes, players draft for their shared castle, with automata determining the non-player structure of the castle.
- multiplayer expansion to eight players — Expansion supports up to eight players, broadening the drafting and scoring dynamic across more castles and interactions.
- room-type scoring — Points are earned based on the types of rooms and their positions, including interactions with adjacent rooms.
- secret rooms (new type) — Secret rooms copy the room type, scoring effect, and even certain symbols from the target room, enabling copies of copies and new strategic lines.
- solo modes (new) — Two solo variants (Automa shared castle and Introvert Automa) providing table-like experiences against automata with distinct scoring focuses.
- Tile Placement — Players place room tiles to build their castle, aiming for synergies between room types and scoring opportunities.
- two-tile drafting in automa mode — In the Automa modes, players draft for their shared castle, with automata determining the non-player structure of the castle.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- secrets and soirees is one of my favorite expansions to come from stonemaier in a while
- it's a table hog
- if you like between two castles mag king ludwig there's no way you're not gonna like secrets and soirees
- more options more better
- new puzzles and possibilities that also make for some great whimsical thematic connotations
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5