A castle as a game or a game as a castle, however, I agree, as an old Robin Hood - Fan equal to sleepwalk that, if it is graphic, equipment and supplies designed to be as complex as "Protected by the fortress" of Inka and Markus Brand that eggert games from being moved.

Like last year with "Cuba" has eggert play at the "game 08" in food again, limited editions published in an elegant wooden box. There was also a set of six expansion cards for free.

But even without the "cigar box", the game is a feast for the eyes. Not least because the two-sided game board. The game has a summer and a winter side, which provides on cold winter evenings, for matching game - atmosphere. On the winter schedule takes place, incidentally the same game, but adds some event cards that can affect the game play.

But enough of the external stimuli, we come to the "inner values". The game - elements of "In the shelter of the castle are not so unknown. From "Cuba" is the consistent set was always assumed to persons cards. A plus point, because the principle of combination of these cards is plenty of game options at any time and will remain manageable. Nuisances card shuffling is completely omitted.

The setting of agents to specific fields in order "work to do" or to collect points for the standings, we have already seen in "The Pillars of the Earth", and "Carcassonne". The bar for the final points standings is known from many games and almost as familiar as the obligatory supply of raw materials and, fetching the needed change.

For the game: At the beginning of the game all sorts of unfinished buildings are placed on the board, which will now be completed by people playing the cards gradually, and put into operation "by agents housed there, and entrusted with specific tasks.

To decide in each round, the person is when to act. In addition to the charge of raw materials "distributor" and the money collecting societies "messengers" can optionally "Steinmetz", "mason", "worker" or the "architect" be responsible for it and claim victory points or cash in person with the construction of the buildings.

It is not the order of play, but the rank of the individual cards decides on the sequence of actions, which may be decisive in bottlenecks. Also in this phase can the "workers" under certain circumstances, be lost yet obstructed the raw material by an opponent this with a small bribe abwirbt directly. Money rules the world ...

The winner is the player who can at the end of the game recorded the most points. Victory points are by the above-mentioned Bauaktionen and by deliberate placement of agents playing stones to the castle. Through various special - features of the buildings there, additional victory points are collected.

Conclusion:
"In the shelter of the castle" offset weakness in its most well-known game elements with a successful combination of these. The game is overall easier to understand and to play as his complex, the above relations, but offers only a few truly spectacular elements, such as changing the order of play by the ranking of the personality cards. A rather quiet game for strategists acting also.

With a fixed number of rounds of 12 (2 +4 players) or 15 (3 players) rounds, the game remains in a comfortable time frame of approximately mins 90th All in all a beautiful, comfortable-playing board game with good gameplay elements.

Tags: Games Eggert