- BGG rank
- BGG #1,652
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Ulm
- 2–4 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,885
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Castelli
2011
Rules assistance for Castelli
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Castelli
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Castelli is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Günter Burkhardt.
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About the game
In Italy during the Middle Ages, it is of paramount importance to build castles at attractive locations – but unfortunately other landlords are also trying to gain power in the country. In the strategy game Castelli, the players gradually develop their influence and try to collect as many raw materials as possible. The game board is a grid which alternately shows production areas and spaces for tiles; these tiles show a player color and number, e.g., red 4 or blue 2. A production area grants its building materials or silver to the player with the highest combined value on the adjacent tile edges. The tiles start face-down, and each turn, one of them is revealed. During their turns, players can rotate the tiles, thus influencing who gains which building materials, which are subsequently used to build castles. With the unusual turning mechanism of the tiles, every player has the power to distribute the raw materials between himself and the other players on each turn. Building castles then results in victory points, depending on the positions of the villages and cities – and that's what it's all about if you want to become the most successful landlord! The two expansion modules included – "Dilemma" and "Battle" – can be combined freely with the basic game. They increase the challenge and time of play gradually. The game also includes material for a "Castelli tournament" in which four players play in pairs simultaneously.
Questions and answers
Castelli supports 2–4 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 Castelli is 45 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 Castelli 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.
Castelli has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Castelli belongs to these categories: Medieval. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Castelli and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Castelli are: Günter Burkhardt. 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 Castelli 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.