I've only planed as a 2 person game with my husband. The first few times I played it, I thought, "eh, it's fun, but not much to it strategy wise". Boy was I wrong. The real strategy for us comes from trying to take over and block each other's cities. It becomes intense hoping to draw the exact card needed to either block our opponent from from connecting the cities or hoping to draw the card that does connect the cities that either neutralizes a high scoring city your opponent has created or taking control by having more meeples on the connected portions. The abbot meeple that can be removed at any time also allows for strategic point building. Also, I like to block my opponent from being able to complete cities by placing pieces with roads pointing in certain directions that make it more difficult for a city piece to fit. The way we play it, this game is anything but boring. For the reviews that say it's boring or not nuanced enough are probably no playing as ruthlessly as my husband and I. :-)
Despite everything said above, this game is also a great game for families with younger kids as it can be played in a more relaxed and less cutthroat manner where each party focuses on building their own cities and roads. I give this game a two meeples up!
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From the manufacturer
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Inspired by the medieval fortress in southern France of the same name, Carcassonne is a tile-laying game in which players fill in the countryside around the fortified city. |
Followers can take many different roles determined by the type of tile on which they're placed:
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Each role scores points differently, so you'll need careful planning to make the best use of your followers. For example, thieves are placed on roads, and score one point for every tile making up that road. |
With its simple yet rich game mechanics and tiles that can be configured into numerous combinations, Carcassonne appeals to beginners and veteran gamers alike. |
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Players choose from tiles that depict:
Each new tile placed creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers. |
As the map grows, so does the opportunity for players to disrupt each other’s plans. Everyone is adding to the same map and only one follower can be on any given feature at a time—so if you don’t place a follower on something, someone else probably will. |
Players score points by having followers on features as they're completed. The player who makes the most strategic placements of tiles and followers will score the most points and win the game. |
Whether blocking a city's growth or connecting with your opponent’s road to share the points, Carcassonne provides plenty of ways to use your cunning and outsmart your opponents. |
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| Carcassonne - Base Game | Carcassonne 20th Anniversary Edition | Carcassonne Big Box Bundle | Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals Expansion | Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers Expansion | My First Carcassonne | |
| Type of Game | Board Game | Board Game | Board Game | Board Game | Board Game | Board Game |
| Number of Players | 2-5 | 2-5 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 2-5 | 2-4 |
| Average Playtime | 45 minutes | 30-45 minutes | 45 minutes | 35 minutes | 40 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Recommended Player Age | Ages 7 and up | Ages 7 and up | Ages 7 and up | Ages 8 and up | Ages 8 and up | Ages 4 and up |
| Game Objectives | Shape the medieval landscape of France, claiming cities, monasteries and farms. | Celebrate 20 years of Carcassonne with this special edition of the classic tile-placement game featuring upgraded visuals and enhanced gameplay. | Dive into the world of Carcassonne with the latest version of this exciting bundle! | Incorporate humble inns and imposing cathedrals into your games with this Carcassonne expansion. | Journey to the Stone Age in this prehistoric version of the classic tile-laying game. | After celebrating their city's national holiday, the children of Carcassonne must bring their animals back home. |
| Strategy Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Game | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Expansion Option | ✓ | ✓ | Includes 11 expansions | is an expansion | is an expansion | |
| Fast and Easy to Learn | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Special Edition | ✓ |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
There has been a board game renaissance here lately, and I have missed out on it. So I thought hosting family for Christmas would be a good excuse to check out some of the new board games.After a trip to Barnes and Noble derailed by sticker shock and a certain misunderstanding between me and my wife over what I meant by “let’s buy a board game,” there were two conditions. One, we needed a game that five players could play (so Settlers of Catan was out). Two, we needed a game five board game beginners could figure out on the fly (so the Game of Thrones board game was out—one reviewer suggested each player watch the instructional video and one player read the instruction manual cover to cover twice). Carcassonne met both conditions and was priced to sell so we went for it.It turned out to be a great choice. For all the medieval trappings it is, as my father-in-law pointed out, ultimately a real estate game. It’s a straightforward set up. Each player places tiles with some combination of three features (road, city, abbey) and places “meeples” to control features. That’s it, tiles and meeples. No paper and pen are necessary and scores are kept by meeple on an accompanying scoreboard.I’ve played three games so far, two with five players and one with two players. The first game we tried to play on the fly and, well, we screwed a bunch of the rules up but it was fun nonetheless. I read the short instruction manual between games and by the second game we had everything figured out. Five player games are hectic. You only get to put down so many tiles, and your plans will constantly be affected by moves by other players. This was the most fun part, as every other turn devolved into half-shouted attempts at cutting backroom deals (we had been drinking). This is in contrast to the two player game I played with my wife, where we mostly played our own way, occasionally trying to place a tile to thwart the other’s plans (which seems tough to do).The replayability, I think, will be high. My wife is up for more Carcassonne game nights, and we already have a request to bring the game for Christmas. Three or four people is probably the ideal number to play, though. There is a lot of luck involved (i.e., the tiles you draw), but there are enough different ways to play tiles to keep it interesting for a while, especially with more players. The biggest flaw, I think, is that there is no penalty for failure to terminate roads and surround abbeys, only for failure to wall off cities. Board Game Geek lists the playing time as 30 – 45 minutes, but each of our games went well beyond that (we should really introduce a chess timer). The basic set comes with river tiles and an abbot meeple that we haven’t played with yet (two separate mini-expansions).UPDATE:We played another 5-player game with the river expansion tiles. The additional rules are admirably straightforward (and the reason we started with that instead of the abbot). It did make a big difference. It really spread the game out. For a 5-player game, that meant a lot less of the wheeling-and-dealing and backstabbing I talked about above. It was difficult, though, to do our own thing with so few turns and tiles per player. I think I prefer it without the river tiles, but that may be a bug or a feature, depending on your perspective.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2018
Size: StandardStyle: Carcassonne: Main GameVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2017
Size: Standalone Game:Style: Carcassonne: Big Box
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018
Size: Standalone Game:Style: My First CarcassonneVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
A. E. Barr
The BEST extension. Don't play without it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2017Size: ExpansionsStyle: The Princess & The Dragon ExpansionVerified Purchase
A. E. Barr
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2017
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Peter D Bournemouth
What a brilliant game to help bring kids into the world of Carcassonne and board gaming!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2019Size: Standalone Game:Style: My First CarcassonneVerified Purchase
Andrew Fisher
A hit with my four-year-old
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2020Size: Standalone Game:Style: My First CarcassonneVerified Purchase
Wilting Lily
Great board game for children
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2021Size: Standalone Game:Style: My First CarcassonneVerified Purchase
Singing Dwarf
Introduces a new element to the game
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2018Size: ExpansionsStyle: The Princess & The Dragon ExpansionVerified Purchase
