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Castles of Tuscany vs Castles of Burgundy (2026): Stefan Feld’s The Castles of Burgundy is one of the most celebrated strategy games of all time. The Castles of Tuscany, by the same designer, was built as a faster, card-driven take on the same idea. If you are choosing between them, the question is how much time and depth you want. Here is the full comparison.
Our pick for most players: The Castles of Burgundy
The classic for a reason: every roll of your two dice gives you a fresh puzzle, and there are many paths to victory. This Ravensburger edition plays one to four and costs about $53.
Price band: $30+ (about $53) · Check today’s price on Amazon
The two Feld games in brief
Both reward planning and efficient turns.
- Best for depth: The Castles of Burgundy — dice-driven estate building (about $53)
- Best for a lighter evening: The Castles of Tuscany — card-driven region building (about $25)
Tuscany and Burgundy side by side
| Castles of Tuscany | Castles of Burgundy | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2 to 4 | 1 to 4 |
| Game length | 45 to 60 minutes | About 30 minutes per player |
| Ages | 12+ | 12+ |
| Engine | Cards decide which tiles you can take | Two dice decide which tiles you can take |
| Your board | Built from region pieces as you play | Fixed estate board |
| Weight | Medium-light | Medium-heavy |
| Designer | Stefan Feld | Stefan Feld |
A turn in The Castles of Burgundy
The game lasts five phases. Each turn you roll two dice and take two actions. Die numbers decide which depot on the central board you can take a hexagonal tile from, and where on your estate you can place it. Tiles include castles, mines, monasteries, ships, pastures with animals and buildings, each with its own effect when placed.
Worker tokens let you change a die by one, so a bad roll is rarely wasted. You score for completing regions on your estate, filling colors and selling goods. The pleasure lies in chaining tile effects into extra actions, and in planning around what your opponents might grab first.
How The Castles of Tuscany plays
Instead of dice, each turn you play a card from your hand. Cards match colors of tiles on the shared board, and you use them to take a tile into your storage, to place a tile on your own land, or to draw more cards. Your land is built from region pieces you add as the game goes, so its shape changes each time.
Placed tiles trigger effects, much like in Burgundy, and completing regions scores points. A game takes under an hour, and turns are quicker because you know your cards in advance.
Tuscany or Burgundy: which is easier to learn?
Tuscany. Its rules are shorter, the icons are simpler, and new players get a feel for it in a single game. Burgundy has more tile types to learn and a busier board, which can overwhelm newcomers, though it clicks after a game or two.
Tuscany or Burgundy: which has more depth?
Burgundy. Its dice create a new puzzle every turn, and the tile effects combine in ways that reward experience. Tuscany is satisfying and clever but has fewer combinations, so experienced players may find it lighter than they want.
Which plays better with two players?
Both are good with two. Burgundy is a favorite two-player game for many couples and adds a solo mode in this edition. Tuscany plays quickly at two and is a nice choice for a weeknight.
Tuscany or Burgundy on the table
Burgundy’s board is famously busy, packed with small hexagon tiles and icons that take a game or two to read at a glance. Tuscany is brighter and more open, with large tiles and land pieces that you fit together, so the table looks like a growing countryside by the end. If looks help sell a game to your group, Tuscany has the edge. If you mostly care about the decisions, Burgundy’s plain components never get in the way.
Pick Tuscany or Burgundy
- Buy The Castles of Burgundy if you want a deep, replayable strategy game for years.
- Buy The Castles of Tuscany if you want the same flavor in a shorter, simpler game.
- Buy both if you love Feld’s designs and want options for different evenings.
For more strategy games, browse the best engine-building games, the best tile-laying games and our best board games for three players.
Castles of Tuscany vs Burgundy questions
Is Castles of Tuscany a sequel to Castles of Burgundy?
No. It is a separate game by the same designer, inspired by Burgundy but using cards instead of dice.
Is Castles of Burgundy good solo?
Yes. This Ravensburger edition lists one to four players.
Should new players start with Tuscany or Burgundy?
Tuscany is easier to teach and quicker to play, so it is a great first step.
