The White Castle: Boeki
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The FroGames info card
Nine moves throughout the game. A track you only used to pay with so far. Boeki transforms it into the place from which cards arrive. The Daimyo observes, the Portuguese wait at the port.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Portuguese ships arrive at Himeji's ports
Boeki is the second expansion for The White Castle, the game by Isra C. and Shei S. — the Llama Dice duo, also authors of The Red Cathedral — set in Himeji Castle. Illustrations by Joan Guardiet, as in the base game and Matcha. Published by Devir, it debuts at SPIEL Essen (October 22–25, 2026). Boeki means trade in Japanese: Portuguese merchant ships dock at the port, continuing the same thematic thread already touched upon by The White Castle: Duel.
The expansion adds 20 Privilege cards, obtained by advancing on the Passage of Time track, which alter certain requirements — for example, dice values or the cost of certain actions — plus 12 Daimyo's Gift tiles, taken at the start of the game during initial card selection and only scored at the end of the game if you have reached the corresponding space on the track, and 6 Passage of Time tiles that are placed on the track itself, thus making it no longer static.
No new board, no new dice, no new bridge, no new type of worker: Boeki intervenes on only one element of the board. The base game is required. It is compatible with the Matcha expansion, with or without. It is not compatible with The White Castle: Duel.
The rulebook has not yet been published. The information on this card comes from Devir's official description and the authors' statements. We will update as soon as the rulebook is released and as soon as we try it out.
What they say abroad
"the arrival of Portuguese merchant ships brings more opportunities for exchange"
The arrival of Portuguese merchant ships brings new opportunities for exchange.
— Devir, official description
Matcha added a location: a board, a bridge, green dice, geishas. Boeki adds nothing to the board — it re-wires a track that was already there. That's the difference that matters before buying it.
— FroGames · first reading, July 2026 · we haven't played it yet
The White Castle: Boeki
The White Castle includes an official solo mode in the base game. In the materials released so far, Devir has not explicitly declared Boeki's support for the solo mode: we will update as soon as the rulebook is released.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · provisional: based on official description and authors' statements, not on games played. Will be updated with the rulebook and first plays.What's in the box
Boeki's new tools
20 Privilege Cards
Obtained by advancing on the Passage of Time track. They grant special bonuses that alter certain requirements: dice values, the cost of certain actions. In the base game, dice are the central constraint — that's where they have an impact.
12 Daimyo's Gift Tiles
Taken at the start of the game, during initial card selection. They offer objectives that are only scored at the end of the game if you have reached the corresponding space on the time track. This means knowing from turn zero how far you need to go.
6 Passage of Time Tiles
Placed on the track, which thus ceases to be static: above the tiles are requirements to meet and rewards to collect. The rulebook will specify how many come into play per game.
Portuguese Trade
Portuguese merchant ships dock at Himeji's port. This is the same thematic thread already seen in The White Castle: Duel, but here it returns to the 1-4 player game. Art by Joan Guardiet.
🎲How it integratesWhere Boeki touches the base game▼
How it integrates
Four points of contact
Boeki does not change the turn structure of The White Castle: three rounds, three actions per round. Everything it adds hinges on the Passage of Time track. The rulebook is not yet published: here we report what Devir and the authors have stated so far.
The Daimyo's Gift tiles are taken at the beginning of the game, during the initial card selection. Each shows an objective that will only be scored at the end of the game if you have reached the corresponding space on the time track.
The expansion tiles are placed on the Passage of Time track: on them are requirements to be met and rewards to be collected. In the base game, the track primarily served to determine turn order and final points.
As you advance on the track, you obtain Privilege cards. These grant special bonuses that alter certain requirements: dice values, the cost of certain actions. In the base game, the value of the die is what dictates which spaces you can use.
The Daimyo's Gifts are added to the standard White Castle scoring, which only score if the condition is met. How much they weigh compared to other sources of points is one of the pieces of information missing until the rulebook is released.
⏱️When it makes an impactFive moments in the game▼
Five moments
When Boeki makes an impact
The flow remains that of White Castle. These are the points where the expansion integrates – not a game chronicle: we haven't played it yet.
You already know where you need to get to
Along with the starting cards, you take the Daimyo's Gifts. Each requires you to reach a certain point on the time track. This is the most immediate difference: in the base game, you looked at the track at the end of the round; here, you look at it even before taking the first die.
The seal changes role
In the base game, the Daimyo's seals are spare currency: you convert them into coins or resources, or spend them at checkpoints on the track to move to the next season. With Boeki, that same advancement puts cards in your hand. The seal stops being a leftover.
Privileges affect dice
White Castle is a game where the value of the die you take determines what you can do. Privileges, Devir says, alter precisely that type of requirement and the cost of certain actions. That's where the expansion has an impact: it doesn't add a new area to the board, it changes the conditions on what's already there.
The track becomes a deadline
Third and final round. The Gifts taken at setup only score if the required space has been reached: either you get there, or those points don't exist. In a game that grants nine actions in total, a binary condition of that type weighs on the final choices.
What it adds to the scoring
The completed Gifts are added to the usual scoring — courtiers, warriors, gardeners, position on the track, resources. How much this shifts the game's balance, and whether it truly rewards those who can time well, is an open question: we'll know with the rulebook and with the first plays.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things to know about Boeki
Requires base game. And not compatible with Duel
Boeki is not a standalone game: it requires The White Castle. It works with or without the Matcha expansion. It does not work with The White Castle: Duel — co-author Shei S. confirmed this on the BoardGameGeek forum: in Duel, the concept of the passage of time does not exist.
It only affects one part of the game
No board, no dice, no bridges, no new worker types: everything depends on the Passage of Time track. If that track never bothered you at the table, Boeki fixes something that wasn't broken for you. This is the most honest reason to skip it.
Nobody has played it yet
Debuting at SPIEL Essen, October 22–25, 2026. Rulebook not yet published, no reviews available, online ratings not significant. This description is based on official materials. We will update it when the rulebook is released and when we have tried it.
🏆What it rewardsWhere it shifts the scoring▼
How it ends
What Boeki rewards
The scoring system remains that of White Castle. Boeki adds a source of points conditional on the position on the time track. How much it weighs proportionally is to be confirmed with the rulebook.
What rewards you
- Reaching the spaces required by the Daimyo's Gifts chosen at setup
- Using Privileges to make actions feasible that would otherwise be too costly or require the right die
- Stopping treating the time track as a service track to be traversed by inertia
Where you lose
- A Gift with an unreached space does not score: the condition is binary, not proportional
- Advancing on the track costs Daimyo's seals, which in the base game are also used to buy resources and actions
- With Matcha already on the table, Boeki is a third layer on top of a game that lasts nine actions: evaluate if your table can handle it
Boeki aims to transform the time track from background to decision. If the part of White Castle that interests you is timing, this is the right direction. If, however, you loved its essentiality, it's an extra layer.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about The White Castle: Boeki
Is the base game needed? And does it work with Matcha and Duel?
The White Castle is needed: Boeki is an expansion, not a standalone game. It is compatible with the base game with or without the Matcha expansion. It is not compatible with The White Castle: Duel, the 2-player version: co-author Shei S. clarified this on the BoardGameGeek forum, because in Duel the passage of time does not exist as a concept.
What's the difference compared to Matcha?
Matcha added a location: an extension of the central board, a fourth bridge with its green dice, geishas, the chasen resource, and increased actions from 9 to 12. Boeki doesn't add anything to the board and doesn't extend the game by an action: it intervenes on an existing element, the Passage of Time track. These are two expansions that work on different levels, which is why they can be used together.
What language is it in? Is it suitable for non-English speakers?
The White Castle is published in Italy by Devir Italia in a multilingual box (Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese) and at the table it is largely language-independent: iconography does most of the work. For Boeki, the Italian edition and the nature of the texts on the cards have not yet been confirmed by Devir: we will update this page as soon as official materials are released. If you have doubts before ordering, please contact us.
Can it be played solo?
The base game includes an official solo mode. In the materials released so far, Devir has not explicitly declared Boeki's support for solo play, so we prefer not to take it for granted: we will confirm as soon as the rulebook is released.
How long does a game with Boeki last?
The indicated duration for the expansion is 80-100 minutes, compared to the 80 minutes stated for the base game. These are pre-release data and should be taken as such. According to the authors, setup is only slightly longer — a deck of cards is laid out, tokens are placed, and an element is added to the initial package — and no new turn phases are introduced.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
The White Castle: Boeki is the second expansion for The White Castle, the board game by Isra C. and Shei S. illustrated by Joan Guardiet and published by Devir, debuting at SPIEL Essen from October 22 to 25, 2026. For 1-4 players, ages 12+, stated duration 80-100 minutes. It contains 20 Privilege cards, which are obtained by advancing on the Passage of Time track and alter requirements such as dice values or the cost of certain actions, 12 Daimyo's Gift tiles with objectives linked to position on the track, and 6 Passage of Time tiles. Requires the base game; compatible with the Matcha expansion, but not with The White Castle: Duel. Page is being updated: the official rulebook has not yet been published. On FroGames.it.
The White Castle: Boeki
Frequently Asked Questions
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