
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets & Soirees Expansion
- 1–8 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021

2018
Rules assistance for Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a board game released in 2018 for 2–7 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ben Rosset and Matthew O'Malley and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Tile Placement.
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is published by Stonemaier Games as part of a collaboration with Bezier Games. The king demands a castle! You are a world-renowned master builder who has been asked by the Mad King Ludwig to help design his castles. Projects of such significance require the expertise of more than one person, so for each assignment you are paired with another master builder to execute your grandiose plans. Will your planning and collaborative skills be enough to design the most impressive castles in the world? Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a competitive tile-drafting game in which each tile is a room in a castle. You work together with the player on your left to design one castle, and with the player on your right on another castle. On each turn you select two tiles from your hand, reveal them, then work with your partners to place them. To win, you have to share your attention and your devotion between two castles. This game includes 147 regular room tiles with unique art, 83 other tiles, 20 bonus cards, 7 custom wooden castle tokens, 1 full-color, double-sided scorepad, and a 4-piece Game Trayz custom insert that reduces setup time to less than 60 seconds. —description from the publisher
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig supports 2–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig is 45–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig belongs to these categories: Negotiation and Post-Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Tile Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig are: Ben Rosset and Matthew O'Malley. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.