Rio Grande Games Carcassonne - The Castle

by Rio Grande Games

Product Features

• A standalone game in the popular Carcassonee series
• For 2 players
• Takes 30-45 minutes to play
• Fun twist on a classic game
• Tile-laying game

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 2.8 x 7.5 inches ; 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007V1LTG
• Item model number: 4098789
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,895 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The imposing silhouette of Carcassonne sits like a throne in the Light of the setting sun. The city also acts as a fortress, protecting those who live there with its in penetrable walls. Visit the city to discover its many features and to learn why it is so magnificent. It is an exciting tile-laying competition between two players. Inside the castle walls, the city grows as the players place tiles and their followers: knights to guard the towers, heralds to spread the news, and merchants to sell their wares in the markets. The player who makes better use of his followers will lead the race around the castle wall, which is also the scoring track for the game. There are several items waiting on the castle wall for the first player to reach them. Each will prove useful to the player who acquires. This is a stand-alone game in the popular Carcassonne series that is for 2 players ages 8 and up. It takes 30-45 minutes to play.

Product Description

The imposing silhouette of Carcassonne sits like a throne in the light of the setting sun. The city also acts as a fortress, protecting those who live there with its impenetrable walls. Visit the city to discover its many features and to learn why it is so magnificent. An exciting tile-laying competition between two players. Inside the castle walls, the city grows as the players place tiles and their followers: knights to guard the towers, heralds to spread the news, and merchants to sell their wares in the markets. The player who makes better use of his followers will lead the race around the castle wall, which is also the scoring track for the game. There are several items waiting on the castle was for the first player to reach them. Each will prove useful to the player who acquires. This stand-alone game in the popular Carcassonne series players is for two players and takes 30-45 minutes to play.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strategy, Competition, and Fun, April 14, 2009

By 

BMorrill "Bethany" (Jeffersonville, IN) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Rio Grande Games Carcassonne - The Castle (Toy)

My family got this game for Christmas several years ago, and we're hooked! Our game board has been in constant use since then. The first time through is slow as you figure out the rules and strategies, but after that, it's a blast. A combination of both skill and luck, Castle is a different game each time you play it (based on how the tiles are drawn) and the perfect competition for two players. My dad and I have Castle tournaments when I visit my parents, and it can be anyone's game! Highly recommended for people who enjoy other two player games like chess, checkers, backgammon, and cribbage.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Two Player Game, January 31, 2010

By 

J. Phillips (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Rio Grande Games Carcassonne - The Castle (Toy)

I'm not a gamer, but was looking for a good two player game for my wife and I to play together. This game is excellent, it's strategy, but not so much strategy that you are spending 30 minutes each turn thinking about what the best move to make is. Learning the game is fairly simple, we just needed to read through the rules once, played a practice game to get a feel for the strategy, and from there I think we felt pretty good about understanding rules and how to employ some different strategies. First day we started playing I think we played 7 games.

Likes:
Gameplay is fun (not overly difficult, feels like fun not like work)
Playing time is 30-45 mins (we'll play after dinner on a work night)
Multiple types of strategies will work and have the potential to win
2-player game (this game is ONLY a two player game, see Carcassonne for the muli-player version, it's hard to find a good game that plays optimally with just two people)
Small table footprint (we can play on the coffee table from the couch rather than at the dinning room table)
Price (this is a GREAT deal for the number of hours we enjoyed it in the FIRST DAY ALONE)


Dislikes:
Wish the pieces fit more snuggly in the box, they tend to rattle around a bit, a fabric bag to hold the pieces would be very nice, but for the price of the game, I'm happy to come up with a solution to this problem on my own.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Carcassonne for Two, February 12, 2009

By 

C. Sondag "The Strategist" (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Rio Grande Games Carcassonne - The Castle (Toy)

I own "The Castle" and "Hunters and Gatherers." My wife and I enjoy this game, but have determined that the "bonus" wall tiles frequently make the game quite lopsided. We found that Hunters and Gatherers is our preferred game. It is not only fun for two, but can also accommodate up to five.