The White Castle. DEVIR

The heron flies over the sky of Himeji while the Daimyo, from the top of the castle, watches his servants move. The gardeners tend the pond, where the koi carp live, the warriors stand guard on the walls, and the courtiers crowd at the gates, longing for an audience that will bring them closer to the innermost circles of the court. When night falls, the lanterns are lit and the workers return to their clan. In White Castle players will control one of these clans with the goal of scoring more victory points than the others. To achieve this, they must accumulate influence at court, manage resources boldly, and place their workers in the right place at the right time. The game can be enjoyed solo or with a group of up to 4 players. The authors are Sheila Santos and Israel Cendrero, the duo known as Llama Dice, who also designed the successful The Red Cathedral and its expansion, Contractors, with Devir. In this case, we leave behind Ivan the Terrible’s Moscow to explore the most imposing fortress of modern Japan, Himeji Castle, where the banner of the Sakai clan flies under the command of Daimyo Sakai Tadakiyo. White Castle is a euro-style game with resource management, worker placement, and dice placement mechanics to carry out actions. During the game, across three rounds, players will send members of their clan to tend the gardens, defend the castle, or climb the social ladder of the nobility. At the end of the game, these will grant victory points to players in various ways. The central board shows Himeji Castle in all its splendor, divided into several areas. The largest is the interior of the castle, with the Room of a Thousand Mats, where courtiers must ascend socially until they reach the Daimyo’s inner circle to enjoy his favor. There is also the pond and the gardens, patiently cared for by the gardeners,where everyone can relax and admire their beauty without restrictions. Another important area is the wall and the exterior of the castle, where the warriors patrol and stand guard. Finally, there is the area of the three bridges, where the three types of dice accumulate to be used for actions, and each player’s personal domain, where they will keep track of their resources and where their worker reserve is kept. With accessible rules and a carefully crafted setting, White Castle is a highly versatile title that will fit different gaming groups. As is tradition in Llama Dice’s games, its elegant design hides great strategic depth within reach of the participants. Explore the secrets of the White Fortress!

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