Inns and Cathedrals

by Rio Grande Games

Product Features

• This is an expansion - you need Carcassonne in order to use it
• Adds depth and complexity
• For 2-6 players

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00008URUN
• Item model number: RGG199
• Manufacturer recommended age: 10 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,080 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The expansion offers all fans of Carcassonne new challenges. The Cathedral triples the value of a city and the Inn doubles the value of a road but only when they are completed. Players may use the new large follower to double their chances of controlling a city, road, or field. Also included is all necessary material to allow a sixth player to join in the fun. Finally, there are six point tiles to make scoring easier when players score more than 50 points. You need to have the Carcassonne game in order to use this expansion.

Product Description

Carcassonne: Inns and Cathedrals from Rio Grande Games is the expansion set for the original Carcassonne Board Game. New challenges await in this exciting expansion pack. The Cathedral triples the value of a city, and the Inn doubles the value of a road - but only when they are completed. Players may use the new large follower to double their chances of controlling a city, road, or field. This set also includes all necessary material to allow for a sixth player! Finally, there are 6 point tiles to make scoring easier when players score more than 50 points!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great expansion to a great game!, June 24, 2003

By 

Peter T. Lee (Renton, WA 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: Inns and Cathedrals (Toy)

Note that this is an expansion set to the original Carcassonne game; you need the main game before you can use this. (Also note that this is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers set.)

This expansion introduces several new city, temple, and road tiles which aren't in the original set. It adds two types of tiles -- two "Cathedral" tiles, which causes a city to be worth 3 times the points if it is finished, or makes a city worth nothing at the end of the game if it isn't finished. It also adds a handful of "Inn on the lake" tiles which makes a road worth 2 times the points when finished or worth nothing if unfinished at the end of the game. Finally, a new pawn is included, which is worth two people when determining ownership of completed sections.

There are two disadvantages with this set -- the backs are slightly different than the original set, which I didn't originally notice. It's not too bad, but it was bad enough for the hardcore players that a bag is given in a later expansion set to solve this problem. The other disadvantage is that it is sometimes difficult to tell which one of your pawns is the big guy, as the only difference is that it's slightly bigger. I've been meaning to paint small sheriff badges on mine to make it easier to tell the difference.

In the end, it's a very nice expansion for one of the greatest board games I've ever played.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent expansion to a great game, November 21, 2007

By 

Aaron Marks (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

This review is from: Inns and Cathedrals (Toy)

This is a wonderful expansion to the original Carcassonne Game. There are two primary factors that make this my favorite of the expansions that are available.

WHY IT'S GREAT:

#1: This expansion adds a new player color (grey), allowing you to play with 6 players instead of the original which is limited to 5.

#2: The rules for the expansion are very simple, and match perfectly with the original game. If you already know how to play Carcassonne, you can learn this expansion in minutes. There are very few additional rules to learn, which means you can add in the expansion and start playing right away.

WHAT'S BEEN ADDED:

There are two new elements to the game introduced with this set, along with several pieces that don't change the original at all, but improve upon what's already there.

The new factors are the big meeples, which can greatly increase your game strategy possibilities, along with the inns and cathedrals, which increase the value of your completed roads and cities.

The other bonuses include new shapes of road, city, and cloister tiles, which adds some variety and new possibilities to your city building. As I mentioned previously, you also get a 6th player color. The scoring cards are cute, but I didn't really find them necessary. We never got confused about how many points people have.

MINOR DETRACTING FACTORS:

As mentioned by the other reviewers, the color of the backs of these tiles is a tiny bit different from the original tiles. An underhanded player could pick them intentionally. This is easily resolved by putting all the tiles in a cloth bag. Also mentioned by another reviewer, this expansion is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers expansion.

CONCLUSION:

This is a very well balanced expansion to what is already a great game. It adds some nice new strategies, making the game even more complete. Once you start playing with this expansion, it's hard to imagine how you ever did without. Pick this one up, you won't regret it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Carcassonne, then Inns and Cathedrals is a must, January 15, 2009

By 

Pinch - 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 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inns and Cathedrals (Toy)

For all the reasons listed by others, the expansion Inns and Cathedrals has become standard for me when playing Carcassonne.
A. The 6th color, grey is a bonus.
B. The big meaple (The Bully) for each color is really fun. Do you lay him down and try to claim the middle farm, or do you save him and try to steal a key city? Great addition.
C. The Inns take the formerly useless roads and make them relevant.
D. The Cathedrals present you with a very interesting choice. Try for extra points or try and hose someone else.
E. Extra tiles - Including one cool one with 4 end-caps.
F. And last, the scoring tiles, which is a nice thought but not really needed.

Overall, I Never play now without I&C.