Castles of Burgundy Special Edition Was Done Right

gamesreviews.com:

I’m firmly in the camp that not all good and classic board games need to have a Special Edition. Far too often we see overproduce special edition games that, while look pretty, are prohibitably expensive and don’t really have universal appeal to longtime fans and new players alike. Think, for example, of the 3D Settlers of Catan releases. Beautiful, yes! Practical? Not at all. Accessible to the wider gaming audience? Nope. Castles of Burgundy hits very differently, however, making a few really good improvements to the game table presentation, while also being a very good package for people who are less familiar with the game. Let’s dive in and see why this Special Edition gets so much praise from us here at GamesReviews!

If you want to over produce your game so hardcore fans can get the best possible experience – or at least the most beautiful experience – I’m all for that. Sell those upgraded bits as separate items, a practice more and more companies are doing now. The Witcher: Old World for example, has a fantastic retail version that is really great and has a great production value. Want to make it even better? Add on some metal coins, miniatures in a separate box and purchase, and now your game is deluxified! That keeps the original very accessible, and the upgrades a possibility for those who want them.

I know what some of you are probably thinking – if someone wants Castle of Burgundy, they don’t need this special edition. They can just purchase the Alea retail version! To that I would agree, but also disagree, because the Special Edition launch of this game comes with everything previously released for Castles of Burgundy. That includes quality of life improvements made over time, as well as expansions and more. It’s a massive box, and it’s a big price to pay, but you are getting the full Castles of Burgundy experience for a reasonable price. Here is what you get in the Special Edition that I think is worth noting:

The reason I wrote everything out here is to