Castle Keep: A Nice Strategy Game for Beginners

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

My husband loves strategy games. My daughter loves to try to play strategy games with him. Until now, we were not able to find one that she was ready for. Last year, my daughter and I stumbled on the Castle Keep Game by Gamewright. The game seemed perfect on many levels---it involves strategy, is for up to 4 players, it has a medieval theme {knights!} and it is made in the U.S.A. What a fit for our family! We snapped it up as a Christmas gift for my husband. {He does admire functionality in Christmas gifts.}

The hubs was definitely intrigued when he opened the gift. Once we took a peek at the instructions, however, we were not sure what we had gotten ourselves into. Yet, we found the game to be fun and actually enjoyed the challenge of learning all of the rules. {They are not truly that overwhelming. However, there are certain nuances to the game that take a little getting accustomed to.}

During the game, each player is busy building a castle fulfilling certain parameters. Meanwhile, other players can destroy parts of opponents' castles. The castles being constructed are not huge, so games can go quick. Depending on the cards drawn, some rounds can last quite some time.

While you are building your castle, you need to keep your eyes on your opponents' castles. Each turn, you need to strategize about whether to build your castle, take down a piece of an opponent's or do nothing. Of course, sometimes you have no choice but to do nothing. {Ha, ha, ha!}

My daughter loves this game and especially revels in taking down castles. {She had one of mine down to one piece which resulted in many giggles.} My husband and I like this game because it requires problem solving. Thus, it is mentally stimulating for all yet still within the grasp of our daughter. So, the game is enjoyable rather than frustrating. {Hooray!}

The game is just lovely and has provided us with some fun family game nights!

We definitely recommend Castle Keep for a beginner strategy game. If you are bit confused on the instructions on the first read, you will get the hang of it quickly while playing. Honestly, I find games like that more enjoyable than ones where you are basically going through motions. Love this game!

{If you are looking for your own copy of Castle Keep, we found ours at Norton's U.S.A.}