Who goes first in Das Schloss der 7 Schlösser?

Rule details

The starting player places the keymaster in front of a tower of their choice, then distributes fourteen pearls: one into each of the seven towers, followed by a second into each. Everyone listens before play begins.

On a turn, roll the die, add pearls, move the keymaster and try a key. The keymaster moves clockwise; the player-order instruction passes the die to your left neighbor.

After the fifth tower opens, players may make the one-time enchanted-key guess in order, beginning with the player who opened that tower. Ordinary play then resumes in unchanged order with that player’s left neighbor.

The strategist variant changes coat-of-arms withdrawals during tower opening, not the initial starting-player criterion. The rematch for tied winners belongs to final scoring.

These Zoch English rules cover two to four players.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say.