Introduction
Carcassonne originally published by Hans im Gluck Verlags-GmbH. is a modern classic. This tile-laying strategy game for 2-5 players wasn't just a game for me; it was the gateway drug that lured me into making board games a hobby rather than a casual thing. It took me from the familiar comfort of Dominoes and Rummikub to wanting to try more and more games. Carcassone takes around 30 minutes to play. The game is set on medieval Carcassonne, France. The objective is to score the most points while bringing the beautiful landscape to life. The game offers a delightful blend of strategic depth and easy-to-learn mechanics. This is the perfect game for a casual gamer wanting to dabble into more or to try to crush your friends at your next gathering.
What makes Carcassonne special? Perhaps it's the familiar tile-laying mechanic that feels intuitive yet offers surprising strategic depth. Maybe it's the way the game scales seamlessly from a quick two-player duel to a lively group competition. Maybe it's the strategy behind placing each meeple. Or maybe it's the sheer satisfaction of watching a medieval world unfold piece by piece, tile by tile. My Carcassonne journey began with a resounding defeat. The game's simplicity was deceptive, and I was quickly schooled when scoring brought out the farmers. I had no idea about the farmers! Yes, it was explained, but my brain did not capture that little detail. Instead of feeling discouraged, I craved another shot. And another. That initial defeat sparked a passion for Carcassonne to be played over and over again.
Components: a fest for the eyes
A clear rulebook with images and examples
Chunky landscape tiles (depicting roads, cities, monasteries, and farms)
Scoring sheet
5 sets of wooden pieces called Meeples in yellow, red, green, blue, and black color. Each set comes with 8 meeples of each color
Depending on the version you get, the game may come with a blue bag to place the tiles or a mini expansion
Set Up: easy breezy
Carcassonne's setup is quick. Quicker if you have a bag to dump the tiles in. If not, shuffle the deck of landscape tiles and place the starting tile in the center of the table
Each player grabs a their preferred color of meeples
Place the scoring sheet and a meeple on 0 for each player
Start the game!
How to Play: tile here, meeple there
The game is played over several rounds. In each round, players draw and place a landscape tile featuring a road, city, monastery, or a combination of these features. They can then choose to place one of their meeples on the newly placed tile. This claims a feature on the landscape (road, city, monastery, or farm). When a feature is complete (a city is fully surrounded by walls, a road reaches an endpoint, etc.), all the meeples on that feature score points for their owner. The player with the most points wins the game!
Scoring: the way to victory!
Beware of Running Out of Meeples! After each feature is completed, your meeple returns to your supply to be used at a later time. You must have a meeple in your supply before placing it. This means that if you are out of meeples and complete a feature during your round, you can't place that meeple again until the next round. Plan your worker placement carefully to maximize your scoring opportunities throughout the game.
Roads: When a road is completed by connecting to a city, monastery, or another completed road, score 1 point for each tile in the road
Cities: Cities are scored when they are completely surrounded by walls with no gaps. Each tile in the city scores 2 points, and any coats of arms (little shields) on the city tiles score an additional 2 points each.
If by any chance you are outnumbered in the city (another player has more meeples than you when it closes and can be scored), you get no points for that city. Those sneaky meeple placements by your opponent can be brutal! However, you do get your meeple back to use on another feature
Monasteries: Monasteries are scored when they are completely surrounded by eight tiles (including the monastery tile itself). Each surrounding tile scores 1 point, along with the monastery tile itself, for a total of 9 points
Farmers: I don't recommend adding these until you feel comfortable with the game. Farmers are placed by laying your meeple down in a field. Only one farmer can be placed on a single field. Farmers are only scored at the end of the game, so use them strategically because you won't get that meeple back. You score 3 points for each completed city
NOTE: At the end of the game, incomplete roads, cities, and monasteries score one per tile. Cities also score one extra point for each coat of armsWinning: The Glory of Carcassonne
The game ends when the last tile is drawn and played from the deck. Players then score points for their claimed features and any incomplete features based on size. The player with the most points is declared the victor and earns the glorious title of Lord of Carcassonne!
Key Features
Tile-laying mechanic: Easy to learn, but with surprising strategic depth
Scales well from 2 to 5 players
A classic game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages
Pros
Simple to learn (rules in 5 minutes and play in about 30), but difficult to master
Scales well for different player counts
High replay value due to the ever-changing landscape
A great gateway game for new hobbyists
Language independent
Family friendly (watch out for farmers)
Cons
Can be random at times due to tile draws
Low on player interaction
Some players may find it too light on strategy compared to more complex games
The game can get mean if players start blocking or outnumbering each other on cities
Side Note
When playing two players, the wife and I enjoy excluding the farmers and drawing three tiles, and only playing one tile at a time. The base game is fantastic, but there are a number of expansions available. My afvorite one is the River and Mist over Carcassone. All expansions introduce new features, scoring elements, and if you are lucky, new meeples!
Conclusion
Carcassonne isn't just a game, it's a gateway drug to board game bliss (at least it was for me)! This tile-laying gem offers strategic depth disguised in an easy-to-learn package. It scales perfectly for casual nights or strategic showdowns, making it a must-have for any game night. So grab your meeples, unleash your inner medieval lord, and prepare to be hooked (I hope)!
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