Gameplay
WHAT DOES IT ADD?
2 NEW ROOM TYPES
Activity Rooms, these rooms get 1pt per tile orthogonally adjacent one. Except when the one indicated is near it, then it scores only 1pt.
As a bonus you can place a Ballroom, which scores you points for the way the castle of your opponent is build, giving some more player interaction.
Secret Rooms, these copy the roomabilities from the room it's pointing at.
NEW PLAYSTYLE (2-8 players)
This playstyle is called The King's Demand and it introduces a way of building only your own castle only.
Where in the regular gameplay you select one for each adjacent castle, in this variant you select one for you and one for the player on your left/right, which they can incorporate into their own castle. Each player scores their own castle instead of the lowest left or right.
2 SOLOMODES
There is a variant using an Automa, this game simulates a three player game and a so called 'introvert' variant using a simpler way of puzzling your own and an automated opponents castle.
Please note that I did not try these solomodes (yet)!
EXTRA tiles and cards integrating those roomtypes, including a new scoresheet
Thoughts
Secrets and soirees is truly a good expansion of the base game. The new room types are fun, give just that little extra to think about. The ballroom is great because if you play it right you can really be a pain for one of your neighbours and score some extra points!
I think the new variant of play adds a lot. I personally love between two castles because of its interesting way of cooperating with your neighbours, but I also have played one or two games with players that didn't like that way of playing at all. Having played the same game with this new variant they did like it.
The 2 solomodes look solid. More about this soon.
I already was hyped about the game playing up to 7 players, now it plays up to 8! I can see dinner parties turning into castle building parties, so fun 😃
A copy of this game was provided to me by Stonemaier Games for the purpose of writing this review. My opinion however remains my own.
BGG
Buy me a Ko-fi
