Stats:
No. of players: 2 -7
Amount of time to play: 45-60 min
Age requirements: 10+
Set-up time: 5 min

Between Two Castles of Mad Ludwig combines mechanics from Between Two Cities with those from Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig Rules Description:

I have not played Castles of Mad King Ludwig, but I have played and reviewed Between Two Cities. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig takes the semi-cooperative and drafting mechanics from the Between Two Cities and combines them the theme from Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

In Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig you are building a castle with the players beside you. Your lower scoring castle provides you with your final score. Each round you choose two tiles to place in your castles. One tile must be placed in each castle. Some tiles must be placed above or below ground (represented by your starting tile). While some cannot have any tiles placed above them.

All tiles have two symbols on them. One represents the tiles type. The other represents the type of wall decoration it has. Your tiles will score VPs based on their type or decoration and the types and decorations on the tiles around them.

If you ever place a third tile of the same type into one of your castles, you gain a one-time bonus. Each type grants a different bonus and you can only get each bonus once per game. Placing a fifth tile of one type into your castle gets you one specialty tile to instantly place in your castle.

After two rounds of drafting tiles you score both your castles and the player with the most VPs wins.

A Quick Review of Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig:

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a more complex version of Between Two Cities. There are varied ways to score, and though your final product is not a grid, position matters.

The components for this game are excellent. The trays keep everything organized, the tiles look good and the player aids are helpful. The rulebook is easy to read, and you can watch a video tutorial here.

When I reviewed Between Two Cities I thought it felt like a trimmed-down, cooperative 7 Wonders. Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig adds some depth to the original design. You need to think more about the best tiles for your castles and make sure they may be placed in the proper positions to maximize your scoring.

You can even use Between Two Cities to teach Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig. And if your group likes Between Two Cities and want more of it, they will enjoy Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, you should pick it up.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 3 out of 6
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6