Top 11 · #8 of 40 in Strategy
The Castles of Burgundy
A classic in which you play a 15th-century lord of the French region of Burgundy, using your dice results to expand your estate and pile up points. Deep strategy hides inside the simple rules, so newcomers to euro games and long-time fans alike keep coming back to it.
Rules
Your two dice do not tell you what to do — they tell you where. Roll a 3 and you take a tile from depot 3, or place a tile on a space printed with a 3. With worker tiles as the only way to bend the roll, all 25 rounds come down to finding the most valuable move the numbers in front of you allow.
The game in one sentence
A die never picks your action. It picks a location. The game board carries numbered depots 1 to 6, and every space on your own estate is printed with a number from 1 to 6 as well. Roll a 3 and you may take a tile from depot 3, or add a tile to a space printed with a 3.
Worker tiles are the only way to bend a roll
One worker tile adjusts a die result by +/- 1. Going from 1 to 6, or from 6 to 1, also costs just one tile. You may spend several tiles to adjust the same die repeatedly. There is no re-roll in this game.
- 5 phases x 5 rounds = 25 rounds. With two actions per round, you get 50 actions in the whole game.
- The biggest points come from completing regions. The same region is worth more the earlier you close it.
- There are 6 double-sided player boards, 12 faces in all, with different space layouts. By default everyone plays the No. 1 side.
Components
| Component | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Six-sided tiles | 164 | 56 buildings (beige) · 28 animals (light green) · 26 “knowledge” (yellow) · 16 castles (dark green) · 12 mines (grey) · 26 ships (blue) |
| └ of which black-backed | 40 | 16 buildings · 8 animals · 6 knowledge · 2 castles · 2 mines · 6 ships. These go on the central black depot |
| Goods tiles | 42 | Square. 7 in each of 6 colours |
| Silverlings | 20 | Eight-sided coins |
| Worker tiles | 30 | Square. Used to adjust die results |
| Bonus tiles | 12 | 2 in each of 6 colours — one large, one small |
| Victory point tiles | 4 | One per player colour. 100 / 200 on the two sides |
| Playing pieces | 8 | 2 per colour — one for the victory point track, one for the turn order track |
| Dice | 9 | 2 per player colour + 1 white |
| Game board | 1 | Depots 1-6 · central black depot · phase spaces A-E · round spaces · 12 bonus tile spaces · turn order track · victory point track (0-100) |
| Player boards | 6 | Double-sided, so 12 faces — estate No. 1 four times, Nos. 2-9 once each |
| Term | Meaning | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Estate | The 37 spaces on your player board | You fill these with tiles |
| Region | A connected group of same-coloured spaces | Filling one completely scores points |
| Depot | One of the numbered displays 1-6 | On the game board, chosen by a die result |
| Silverling | The money of this game | 2 of them buy a tile from the black depot |
| Worker tile | A one-shot die adjustment | In front of you, visible to all |
| “Knowledge” | The yellow tiles | They change the rules for you alone |
Setup
- 1Put the game board in the middle and place the 20 Silverlings, 30 worker tiles and the white die beside it.
- 2Sort the 164 six-sided tiles by the colour of their backs and stack them face-down as separate supplies.
- 3Shuffle the 42 goods tiles face-down and split them into 5 piles of 5, one on each phase space A to E. The remaining 17 form the supply.
- 4Place the 12 bonus tiles on their spaces on the game board.
- 5Each player takes a player board with the No. 1 side face up and places 1 castle tile face up on the dark green middle space (die value 6) of their estate.
- 6Each player takes 3 random goods tiles from the remaining 17 into their goods storage, plus 2 dice in their colour, 2 playing pieces, 1 Silverling and 1 victory point tile.
- 7Roll dice to determine the start player. The start player takes 1 worker tile, the next player clockwise 2, then 3, then 4. The start player also takes the white die.
The board is re-stocked every phase
At the start of each phase, remove every six-sided tile left on the board (skip this in the first phase) and draw new ones. Goods tiles on the depots stay put. How many spaces get filled depends on the count: 12 spaces marked 2 with two players, the 18 marked 2 and 3 with three, and all 24 with four.
One exception in the three-player game
With three players, the dark green space in depot No. 6 takes a castle in phases A, C and E as usual, but a mine (grey) instead in phases B and D.
How a round runs
- 1Everyone rolls at the same time. The start player also rolls the white die.
- 2The start player takes the topmost goods tile from the round spaces and puts it on the goods space of the depot matching the white die.
- 3Beginning with the start player, each player takes their two actions in turn order.
- 4Once everyone has had a turn, the next round begins. After five rounds the phase ends.
The white die is not yours
The white die's job ends with placing that goods tile. The start player cannot use it for their own actions, and it can never be adjusted with worker tiles.
- Rolling simultaneously lets the players further down the order plan ahead.
- On the turn order track, further right goes first, and when pieces stack on one space, the one on top goes first.
- Five goods tiles leave the round spaces one per round, so the tiles still there tell you how many rounds are left.
The four actions
Each action costs one die, and a spent die goes to the used die storage in the upper right of your board. The two actions may be taken in any order and any combination, including the same action twice.
| Action | What the die result decides | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Take six-sided tile from the game board | Which depot you take from | Take any one tile from that depot onto one of the 3 storage spaces in the lower left of your board. It can never go straight onto your estate |
| Add six-sided tile to your estate | Which space you place on | Move a tile from your storage onto an empty space printed with that number. Its effect triggers the moment it is placed |
| Sell goods | Which colour of goods you sell | Sell all goods of that colour. 1 Silverling plus 2-4 victory points per tile (2 with two players, 3 with three, 4 with four) |
| Take worker tiles | Nothing at all | Take 2 worker tiles regardless of the result |
You only have 3 storage spaces
Every tile taken from the board must pass through that storage first. If all 3 spaces are full, you have to discard one tile (out of the game) before the new one goes down. Tiles still sitting in storage at the end score nothing.
One move outside your actions — buying from the black depot
In addition to your two actions, once per turn you may pay 2 Silverlings for one tile from the central black depot. No die is needed and you may do it before, between or after your actions. The bought tile also goes to your storage.
Spending worker tiles
At any time, spend a worker tile to shift a die result by +1 or -1 (spent tiles go back to the supply). 6 to 1 and 1 to 6 also cost one. Example: turning a 2 into a 6 goes 2 to 1 to 6, so two worker tiles do it.
Placing on your estate — all three conditions at once
- 1The number on the space must match the die you spent.
- 2The colour of the space must match the colour of the tile (buildings on beige, ships on blue, and so on).
- 3The space must touch at least one tile you have already placed.
- Once on your estate, a tile can never be moved or removed.
- Taking a tile and placing it with your second action in the same turn is fine. It just has to touch the storage space on the way.
- “Nothing I can place” happens often. That is exactly what the take worker tiles action is for.
Six tile types, six different jobs
| Tile | What happens the moment you place it |
|---|---|
| Ship (blue) | 1) Take all goods tiles from any one depot of your choice 2) Move your piece one space right on the turn order track |
| Animal (light green) | Score victory points equal to the animals shown (2 to 4). If the same pasture already holds animals of that same type, those score again too |
| Castle (dark green) | Immediately take one extra action, as if you had one more die showing any result you like |
| Mine (grey) | No immediate effect. At the end of every phase, 1 Silverling per mine in your estate |
| Building (beige) | Use that building's advantage once. Each of the 8 types may appear only once per city |
| “Knowledge” (yellow) | 26 different tiles. They change the rules or pay out in final scoring |
A ship's goods have nothing to do with its die
Even if you placed the ship with a 3, you may take goods from any of the six depots. Your goods storage holds up to 3 different colours, though, so anything you cannot store stays where it is.
| The 8 buildings | Advantage |
|---|---|
| Warehouse | Immediately sell one goods type, exactly as if you had taken the “Sell goods” action — no die needed |
| Carpenter's Workshop | Take any beige building tile from any numbered depot (not the black one) into your storage |
| Church | Take any mine, knowledge or castle tile from any numbered depot into your storage |
| Market | Take any ship or animal tile from any numbered depot into your storage |
| Boarding House | Take 4 worker tiles |
| Bank | Take 2 Silverlings |
| City Hall | Immediately add one more six-sided tile from your storage to your estate, regardless of colour (its effect triggers too) |
| Watchtower | Score 4 victory points at once |
- A building's advantage never needs a die result. Placing it is what activates it.
- If the advantage cannot be used (you placed a market and no blue or light green tiles are left on the board), you may still place the building. Only the advantage is lost.
- The supplies of workers and Silverlings are not meant to run out. If they do, substitute other materials.
What the 26 knowledge tiles do
A yellow tile changes the rules for its owner only, from the moment it is placed. The higher numbers are not effects at all — they pay out in final scoring.
| No. | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | You may put several buildings of the same type in one city |
| 2 | At the end of each phase, each mine also gives you 1 worker tile on top of the Silverling |
| 3 | Every time you sell goods you get 2 Silverlings instead of 1 |
| 4 | Every time you sell goods you also get 1 worker tile |
| 5 | When you place a ship, take goods from two neighbouring depots instead of one |
| 6 | You may buy from the six numbered depots as well as the black one (still once per turn) |
| 7 | When animals score, +1 point per scoring tile (not per animal) |
| 8 | Each worker tile now adjusts a die by +/- 2 |
| 9-12 | Adjust particular die results by +/- 1 for free — placing buildings / placing ships and animals / placing castles, mines and knowledge / taking tiles |
| 13 | The “take worker tiles” action also gives you 1 Silverling (this does not apply to a boarding house) |
| 14 | The “take worker tiles” action gives you 4 tiles instead of 2 |
| 15 | At the end, 3 points per goods type you sold at least one tile of |
| 16-23 | At the end, 4 points per matching building in your estate (one tile for each of the 8 types) |
| 24 | At the end, 4 points per animal type in your estate |
| 25 | At the end, 1 point per goods tile you sold |
| 26 | At the end, 2 points per bonus tile you claimed |
Scoring — completed regions pay the most
A connected group of same-coloured spaces is a region. The moment one is completely covered with tiles, it scores in two ways at once.
| Phase | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completion bonus | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
The same region can be worth 8 points more, just for being early
The size points never change, but the phase bonus runs from 10 in phase A down to 2 in phase E. Early on, closing even a small region can be worth as much as closing a big one late.
| Bonus tile | Condition | 2 players | 3 players | 4 players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large bonus tile | First to cover every space of that colour in your estate | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Small bonus tile | Second to do the same | 2 | 3 | 4 |
- There is one large and one small bonus tile per colour. Third and fourth place get nothing.
- Pass 100 victory points and you turn your victory point tile to the 100 side; pass 200 and you flip it. Breaking 100 is routine here.
Game end and final scoring
The game ends once the fifth round of the fifth phase is over — 25 rounds and 50 dice actions in all.
| Final scoring | Value |
|---|---|
| Each unsold goods tile | 1 point |
| Each remaining Silverling | 1 point |
| Remaining worker tiles | 1 point per two |
| Knowledge tiles that score (15, 16-23, 24, 25, 26) | As printed on the tile |
| Six-sided tiles left in storage | 0 points |
Ties
On a tie, the player with fewer empty spaces in their estate wins. Still tied, the player later in turn order wins.
Strategy that follows straight from the rules
- A castle tile is a die showing whatever you want. It is the surest way out of a turn where both results are useless, so the dark green spaces are worth filling early.
- Workers cost actions. Taking workers burns a whole die. How often you spend one of your 50 actions on that is most of the skill in this game.
- Keep a storage space free. Meet a great tile with all 3 full and you have to throw something away — and discarded tiles leave the game.
- Ships pay twice: goods and turn order. Moving up the order puts the white die in your hands, which means you decide where goods pile up.
- Knowledge tiles 16-23 only pay for buildings you already own. They score at the end, so taking one late costs nothing; taking one with no matching buildings just eats a space.
- “One building type per city” blocks you more often than it sounds. When filling a large city, keep track of which types you still have room for.
Editions and spin-offs
This guide covers the 2011 base game
The products below are separate games with different components and rules. The 2023 Special Edition in particular folds in a pile of expansions, so the numbers here will not match it.
| Product | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Castles of Burgundy | 2011 | The base game this guide covers. No. 13 in the alea big box series (wiki cross-check) |
| The Card Game | 2016 | Ravensburger. A separate card-only game |
| The Dice Game | 2017 | Ravensburger. A roll-and-write |
| 20th Anniversary Edition | 2019 | Collects expansion tiles and new estates (wiki cross-check) |
| Special Edition | 2023 | Awaken Realms with Ravensburger/alea. New art and deluxe components plus the Vineyard and Shields expansions (wiki cross-check) |
The advanced setup printed in the rulebook
After normal setup and once turn order is settled, each player takes a random player board. You then choose which side to play and which dark green space your start castle goes on. Agree beforehand whether those choices are made openly (in turn order) or secretly (all at once).
Rules people get wrong
Q. I hate my roll. Can I roll again?
No. There is no re-roll in this game. Worker tiles shifting a result by 1 at a time are all you get, and 1 to 6 or 6 to 1 also costs just one tile.
Q. Can a tile go straight from the board onto my estate?
Not in one step. The take action always puts it on one of your 3 storage spaces first. Using your second action that same turn to place it on your estate is perfectly fine.
Q. Can the start player use the white die for an action?
No. The white die only decides which depot this round's goods tile goes to, and then it is done. It cannot be adjusted with worker tiles either.
Q. When I place a ship, do I take goods from the depot matching my die?
No. You may choose any of the six depots. It has nothing to do with the die you spent on the ship.
Q. Can I put two buildings of the same type in one city?
No. Each of the 8 types may appear only once per city, a city being a connected region of beige spaces. Knowledge tile 1 removes that restriction once you own it.
Q. Does buying from the black depot cost an action?
No. It is on top of your two actions — once per turn for 2 Silverlings, no die required, at any point in your turn.
Q. How do animals score when I extend a pasture?
The new tile scores, and every tile of the same animal type in that same pasture scores again as well. They do not have to touch each other, but they do have to be in the same pasture; the same animal in another pasture does not count.
Q. Do tiles in storage or unfinished regions score anything?
No. Six-sided tiles left in storage are worth 0, and a region only scores when it is completely covered. Only leftover goods, Silverlings and workers turn into points at the end.
Background
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designer | Stefan Feld |
| Illustrations | Julien Delval · Harald Lieske |
| Publisher | alea / Ravensburger, 2011 |
| Players and time | 2-4 · 30-90 minutes · age 12+ |
| Korean edition | Broadway Toys (per Namuwiki) |
The title says Burgundy, the rulebook says the Loire
Both the English rulebook and the Korean rules PDF Ravensburger distributed open by placing the game in the Loire Valley in the 15th century, even though the title and theme are Burgundy. Since both editions say the same thing, it is not a translation slip.
This is widely held to be the cleanest expression of Feld's habit of paying out points from every direction at once. Rolling dice without letting the rolls decide the winner — a bad result is a change of plan, not a loss — is what made it a reference point for euro games through the 2010s.
Sources
Official alea / Ravensburger rulebook (The Castles of Burgundy, English)Korean rules PDF distributed on Ravensburger's alea micrositeWiki cross-check — Wikipedia: The Castles of BurgundyWiki cross-check — Namuwiki: The Castles of Burgundy (Korean)Rule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
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Last updated 2026-09-14
💡 Master tip
Pick up special abilities early with the yellow tiles (knowledge), and keep the flexibility to hold a die result as a tile in your storage space and place it at the moment you want. Aiming at regions you can finish quickly, so you do not miss the phase bonus, also makes a big difference in points.
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Estate region bonus point display
Shows the bonus points for finishing a region early in each phase.
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