Castles (2014)

Overview

In the game of CASTLES, two players compete across the gaming table to build a Kingdom of cards.

As each player takes a turn drawing from the deck, you'll seek to gather the support of Dukes, Counts and Barons while also attracting Champions and Wizards to your Court. As you rise in power, your Nobles acquire Lands and Serfs, you'll add a Wife and Heir to your throne and move slowly toward becoming the most powerful Kingdom in the land. But wait... your opponent works to undo all you've built! You face opposition from his Minions, Magick spells and Armies. You are forced to Wage War with your Generals and Arms to seal your legacy in stone.

In the end, only one CASTLE can prevail!

Fast paced and fun, the game is quick to learn but challenging to play. While a session can be over in as little as 30 minutes, aggressive play and thoughtful strategy will keep you on the edge of your seat in game after game!

Players take turns drawing from a deck of 168 cards. As the game progresses, players may decide to try to Block their opponent’s next card draw by using the combined values of either Minions/Magick or Champions/Arms. As players gain more cards in their Kingdom, they may decide to wage war with their Army, attempting to destroy their opponent’s Kingdom while delaying paths to victory.

During the game: The players will be building their own Kingdoms while attempting to hinder their opponent's progress by waging war or blocking their draws. Striking a balance of building, organizing, blocking and attacking is integral to victory!

During a turn, A player may perform one of five available actions. 1. Draw a card from the deck 2. Wage war against their opponent by combining the strength of their General, Champion and Arms 3. Use a Wizard card's ability 4. Top off a stack (move one card in any stack to the top of the pile) 5. Move the top card in a stack from one column to another, left or right

After completing an action, the player may opt to block their opponent's draw by combining either their Minion/Magick or Champion/Arms values. Three block conditions can occur based on the opponent's card draw value: 1. Lower value than the block total - drawn card is discarded 2. Equal value - both the drawn card and all blocking cards are discarded 3. Higher value - Drawn card is kept. Blocking cards and additional cards (equaling or exceeding the drawn value) are discarded

To Win the Game: Be the first player to complete their Kingdom, consisting of 18 total cards in a specific arrangement.