Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Castles by the Sea is a puzzly sandcastle-building game for 1-4 players. As a group of tiny folk called "shorelings," your goal is to build and populate a seaside kingdom.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Coverage
Place pieces to cover required cells or patterns on a grid.
Layering
Place components over earlier pieces so their order and overlap affect play.
Modular Board
Build the play area from interchangeable sections that vary between games.
Three Dimensional Movement
Move pieces through height or depth as well as across the surface.
Square Grid
Use an orthogonal grid where position and adjacent spaces shape movement or placement.
Variable Set-up
Starting conditions, resources, or layouts change between plays.
Read the full game description
Castles by the Sea is a puzzly sandcastle-building game for 1-4 players. As a group of tiny folk called "shorelings," your goal is to build and populate a seaside kingdom. Each turn, you'll place blocks and meeples on the map to earn victory points. The core gameplay is similar to abstract strategy games like Santorini, in that players must optimize three-dimensional placement on a shared grid. Hazards are the only source of randomness in the game, and even those depend on player choices. Each turn, you must choose your placement carefully, optimizing your score while interfering with your opponents' plans. The game ends after a set number of turns. Few castles will remain standing after a final onslaught of hazards, but the the kingdom with the most sand dollars can claim victory.