- Publisher : Iello
- Designer(s) : Isra C., Shei S.
- Artist(s) : Joan Guardiet
- Players : 2
- Game duration: 20 - 30 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.93
What's this?
The White Castle Duel is a version entirely dedicated to 1 vs. 1 gameplay. Players take on the roles of two clans seeking to expand their influence around Himeji Castle, a symbol of Japanese feudal power. The game retains the elements of the original title—optimization, multipliers, combinations, and nested actions but condenses them into a system perfectly calibrated for two players.
How do you play?
A game consists of 2 rounds , each made up of 6 turns per player.
The game’s pace is simple but highly tactical:
✅ 1. Place or retrieve a lantern
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First round : we place lanterns from our board towards the locations of the castle.
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Second round : we collect them — which also activates their bonuses.
Some colors can only be placed in certain areas, making the choices even more difficult.
✅ 2. Activate color rewards
Each color (white, black, coral) corresponds to a bonus zone in your domain.
When you place or retrieve a lantern, you unlock all the visible bonuses of that color: resources, points, cards, seals, etc.
Small placement, big chain reaction.
✅ 3. Perform the two actions of the location
Each location offers two possible actions, for example:
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buy an Influence card,
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Advance your courtier,
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to train,
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garden,
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trade,
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improve your maps,
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or activate a lantern.
You can do them in any order you want. If you skip one, you’ll instead get a bonus from the “well”.
✅ 4. Final: Score your multipliers
As in The White Castle , the final score is massive and based on your upgrades:
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katanas, kabuto, flags,
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blue & white origami (multiplied together),
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seals placed in gardens and training grounds,
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goods,
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remaining resources and accumulated seals.
Everything is built up during the game, but everything is scored at the end.
A true optimization puzzle
Is it good?
The White Castle Duel is a successful 2-player adaptation that condenses the strategic depth of the original game while removing the dice to offer a more controllable experience perfectly suited to a duel. The game thus becomes clearer, more strategic, and more tense: every decision rests solely on your choices and your ability to adapt.
It’s a deep, elegant, and demanding head-to-head battle that rewards planning and long-term vision. If you enjoy strategic puzzles, combos, and cerebral duels where everything depends on you, you’re in for a treat.
The game remains very strategic, however: perfect for optimization enthusiasts, less so for those looking for something fun and lighthearted. Reading the icons and synergies also requires a game or two before becoming completely fluid.
In short, Le Château Blanc Duel is a remarkably well-crafted 2-player adaptation: an ultra-tense, addictive format, devoid of randomness and without mercy. If you’re looking for a more accessible duel, look elsewhere; if you enjoy extreme optimization… welcome to Himeji.
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The White Castle Duel
Positives
- A very nice adaptation specifically designed for two players.
- Clever and rewarding lantern mechanics
- A real sense of optimization
- Short but very dense sections
Negatives
- Very calculating
- Icon learning curve
- A somewhat lengthy setup
- Too close to the original game?
