Castelli di sabbia
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The FroGames Card
Reveal the tile. It's perfect for you. But maybe the next one is even better. You pass. The next one never comes, and you're left with a shell you don't need. Someone laughs.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A race to build the most beautiful sandcastle on the beach
Sandcastles is the work of Alex Cutler, designer of Critter Kitchen and A Place for All My Books, and features illustrations by Gica Tam. Pandasaurus Games will publish it in August 2026 as a perfect summer filler: beach theme, pastel colors, fast pace.
Each player builds their castle on a 5×5 grid, tile by tile, for 15 rounds. The draft is pass-and-play: you either take it immediately or pass it to your neighbor, hoping the next tile is better. But if you wait too long, you're left with the discards. Windows, starfish, seashells, buckets, and birds in the sky: everything scores in different ways, and spatial puzzling matters as much as timing.
What they say abroad
"The drafting mechanism is where the game gets its teeth."
The drafting mechanism is where the game gets its teeth.
— Pandasaurus Games
Game released in May 2026, still without verifiable independent reviews. This is an initial reading based on official materials and rules. Card updated as soon as we've played a few games.
— FroGames
Sandcastles
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first reading: based on rules and official presentation, updated with first playsWhat you build
Tiles that become a castle
Windows
They score by rows: more windows in a horizontal row, more points. But the jumps are threshold-based: 2 windows give 3 points, 3 give 6. Planning the distribution is half the game.
Starfish
Five colors, scores for orthogonally adjacent pairs. Each pair is worth 3 points, and a starfish can be part of multiple pairs. Chains are powerful if you can build them.
Birds in the Sky
Sky tiles that float high and fall at the end of the game onto the tallest towers. Collect all five for a 5-point bonus. They take up valuable space, but the bonus pays off.
Seashells, Buckets, Spades
Fixed individual score, plus a final bonus for whoever collected the most of each type. Easy to understand, useful for filling gaps, but less impactful than stellar combos.
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
The flow of each round
Fifteen identical rounds, each a small auction for the player with the most nerve.
The active player draws tiles one at a time from the deck and shows them to everyone. Everyone sees what's there, everyone has to decide immediately.
When a tile comes out, you can take it immediately and add it to your 5×5 grid, or pass it to the player on your left and wait for the next one. But if you pass, you can't go back: that tile is lost forever.
Whoever takes a tile immediately adds it to their castle, following the rules of gravity: sand tiles rest from the bottom, sky tiles float at the top (and will only fall at the end of the game).
The round ends when everyone has taken a tile. The next round begins. After 15 rounds, the game is over and points are tallied.
⏱️Your First GameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Everyone starts with an identical tile
The grid is empty, the starter tile in the center of the bottom. Someone jokes about which castle will be the tallest, someone else is already studying the first revealed tiles. The first draft is always easy: there are still tiles for everyone.
The first pass that hurts
You reveal a red starfish. You already have one. You pass. A perfect window for your row comes out. Someone takes it before you. You realize that every choice has a price.
Grids take shape
Mid-game, castles start to rise. Some focus entirely on windows, others build chains of starfish. Strategies diverge, and everyone hopes the last tiles go their way.
The last desperate draft
Round 14 or 15. Your grid is almost full. You need ONE specific bird for the 5-point bonus. You reveal it. Everyone wants it. Someone passes, someone takes it immediately. The tension is ridiculous for a beach game.
Final scoring
Birds fall on the tallest towers. Sum windows, stars, shells, bonuses. Someone wins by 2 points. Someone else says 'one more'. Duration: 18 minutes. No one leaves the table.
🐸What to Know FirstThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know first
Three things to know before buying it
Threshold windows, adjacent pairs of starfish, complete set bonuses: tallying everything at the end of the game takes 2-3 minutes per player. With 6 players, the ending stretches out. Solution: everyone counts on their own while others chat.
The draft is quick, but if someone at the table wants to optimize every choice, the pace is lost. Sandcastles works best with players who decide quickly. It's not a game for those who want to think for 2 minutes about each draft.
The beach, the starfish, the birds: everything is cute, but you'll never truly feel like you're by the sea. It's an abstract puzzle dressed as a sandcastle. If you're looking for strong theming, this isn't the right game.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win
After 15 rounds, the grids are complete (or almost). Points are tallied and the winner is declared.
Victory
- Windows: increasing points for rows (2 windows = 3 points, 3 windows = 6 points, 4 windows = 10 points, 5 windows = 15 points)
- Starfish: 3 points for each adjacent pair of the same color. 5 bonus points if you have all five colors
- Shells, buckets, shovels: individual fixed points + bonus for whoever collected the most of each type. Full sky row: 5 bonus points
Costly mistakes
- Passing too many times and ending up with useless tiles that didn't score
- Filling the grid without planning rows of windows or chains of starfish
- Ignoring complete set bonuses (5 birds, 5 colored starfish) which are worth 5 points each
It's a 20-minute filler that works in any configuration, from 2 to 6 players. The passing draft is simple but creates real tension. Perfect for opening or closing an evening.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
Sandcastles FAQ
Is it suitable for people who never play board games?
Yes. The draft is immediate (take or pass), tile placement is visual, and the rules can be explained in 5 minutes. It's a perfect gateway game: simple enough for beginners, tactical enough not to bore experienced players.
Does it play well with 6 players?
Yes, but the final scoring takes longer. With 6 players, everyone has less control over the draft (more people before you drawing tiles), but the chaos adds to the fun. Ideal for family groups or casual parties. With 2-4 players, it's more tactical.
What mechanics does Sandcastles use?
Open drafting (passing draft, take or pass) and tile placement on a 5×5 grid with gravity constraints. Combinatorial scoring: set collection (starfish, birds), pattern building (row windows), area majority (shells/buckets).
Is it a children's game or a family game?
For families. The recommended age is 8+, but it's not a game designed for children: it requires spatial planning and reading the table. It's a light family game, not a children's game. It works great with adults who want a quick filler.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition for sale is in English. There is no text on the tiles (only symbols), so the language of the rulebook does not impact gameplay. Once learned, it can be played without a language barrier.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
<cite index="11-2,12-5">Sandcastles is a drafting and tile-placement game for 2-6 players lasting 10-20 minutes</cite>, recommended for ages 8+. <cite index="11-2">Designed by Alex Cutler</cite> and published by Pandasaurus Games, it is set to release in August 2026. <cite index="11-7,11-8">Each player builds a sandcastle on a 5×5 grid, adding one tile per round for 15 rounds</cite>. <cite index="11-16,11-21">The passing draft mechanism creates real tension</cite>: take it immediately or pass it to your neighbor, hoping the next tile is better. Windows, starfish, birds, shells: everything scores in different ways. <cite index="11-9">The spatial puzzle and the pressure of the draft combine for a quick tactical experience</cite>. Available on FroGames.it.
Castelli di sabbia
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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