Staying a little bit in the theme of compact but still fairly deep games, let me introduce you to Castle Combo. My very first game-focused blog post was about Forrest Shuffle. Castle Combo has a completely different theme and mechanic. Where Forrest Shuffle only has cards, Castle Combo adds keys and money into the mix. I also find that with Castle Combo, you have to think much more carefully about where on your grid you place a card.
Either way, let's dive into the game Castle Combo. It's a game for 2–5 players, ages 10 and up, and takes about 25 minutes to play.
What's in the box
It's a nice, (fairly) small box that fits all the components logically. Inside you'll find the rulebook, of course, but also a really handy reference card for while you're playing — one we genuinely needed during our first few games.
Then there's the messenger figure (the character on the horse), 39 castle cards (grey background), 39 village cards (brown background), 52 gold tokens split across coins worth 1 and 5, and 44 key tokens split across values of 1 and 3.
And of course there's the scoring pad, where you can neatly track your final points.
So what's the goal of the game? In Castle Combo, you collect 9 cards that you place in a 3x3 grid on the table. Depending on which cards you buy and where you place them in your grid, you earn points. Whoever has the most points wins!
Setting up Castle Combo
Setup takes five steps. You want both card decks laid out, one below the other, with three face-up cards next to each deck. The top card of each deck stays face down. Place the messenger next to the three open village cards — this indicates that the starting player may only buy a card from that row, the village cards. OR you pay a key to move the messenger next to the castle cards, allowing you to buy a card from that row instead. You can also pay a key to replace the entire row of open cards where the messenger is currently standing with new ones from the face-down deck.
Also set out the stacks of keys and gold. Each player gets 2 keys and 15 gold. Pick a starting player, and you're ready to go!
How a turn works in Castle Combo
As usual, you take turns in order. On your turn you can take a maximum of four steps and a minimum of three. You look at the open cards and decide which one you want to buy. Want to buy a card from the row where the messenger is standing? Great — pay the cost of that card and place it in your grid. Want to buy a card from the row where the messenger ISN'T standing? Then you pay a key and move the messenger to that other row. Then you pick a card from that row, pay its cost, and carry out the card's effect. Finally, you check whether you need to move the messenger: if the messenger is pictured on the card's banner, you move it; if not, it stays put.
The steps of your turn, summarized:
1. Pay a key and choose one of the actions below (optional):
- Move the messenger to a different row (location).
- Discard all three cards from the location where the messenger is standing and flip three new cards face up.
2. Buy a card (mandatory):
- Choose an open card from the location where the messenger is standing.
- Pay the cost shown on the card, indicated by the coin icon in the top-left corner.
- Watch out! Some cards give you a discount on certain cards you buy for the rest of the game.
3. Carry out the effect on the card, if any (mandatory) — for example, you get 1 key per silver banner your neighbor has
4. Move the messenger and restock the offer at both locations (mandatory).
What should you pay attention to?
Or rather, what do I think you should try to pay attention to when picking and placing a card? The most important thing, maybe THE most important thing, is to look closely at the points shown on your card: how many points do you get, and when exactly do you meet the conditions to earn them? Some are pretty straightforward and require no planning at all — take the executioner, for instance, which gives you 1 point per silver banner. But the princess gives you three points per noble shield in your grid, only if they're placed on either side of the princess!
It's genuinely a smart move early in the game to invest in cards that generate discounts, since discounts do stack.
If you're completely broke, you can choose to flip a card in your grid face down. You then immediately receive whatever's printed on the back — six coins and two keys in this case. At the end of the game, that card no longer earns you any points.
I won't give too many more tips or tricks, honestly, because so far I haven't won a single game myself!
Castle Combo is available in several stores and webshops. The price ranges from 20 to 25 euros. Got hooked after playing and ready for some new cards? There's also an expansion available.
