Carcassonne
$24.99
Carcassonne at a Glance
| Game Type Tile Placement City and Territory Building Medieval Theme | Play Time 45 mins | Skill/Complexity (2 - 5) Light |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Hans im Glück and others | Published 2000 |
| Categories Family / 2 Player | Players 2 - 5 | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 9.5/10 | Cost $24.99 + |
About – Description
Carcassonne is a tile-based family game that is designed for up to five players.
The game was created by Kalus – Jurgen Wrede and was released in 2000. The age rating of the game is for 8 years and over while the average game takes around 45 minutes to complete.
The game took its name from the medieval town of Carcassonne in Southern France and there have been tournaments and annual world tournaments held in Germany.
Who’s it best suited for?
As the game is aimed at players who are aged 8 and over, it is more of a family game.
Carcassonne requires territory building and such, so there is an element of planning and forward thinking that needs to be applied to the game, and it could be considered educational in some aspects.
Skill – Complexity
Carcassonne the board game is suitable for a younger audience and does not require a lot of skill to play the game. It’s complexity could be considered to be average.
The game mainly consists of tiles and requires players to turn the tiles over in order to progress through the game.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
The box consists of terrain tiles, a score table and followers.
The game begins with one tile being placed face up and the other being placed face down after being shuffled. Players then take it in turn to pick a card and each time a new tile is turned over, it has to be placed alongside other tiles that have already been placed face up.
The game continues to play in this manner until all of the tiles have been turned over and placed down. Then all features within the game score points and those players that have followers placed on them will be given the points, and the highest scorer is the winner.
Other Versions, Editions or Expansions Available?
Many versions of this game have been released throughout the world and a new version was released in 2014 with updated artwork.
Likes & Dislikes
- Players find the game enjoyable and quick to play, which is unusual given the style of the game.
- Extremely simple set up.
- It’s a game where the board can differ each time it is played and players liked the fact that no two games are the same.
- It is a simple game to learn, making it a favorite with younger players and families and while it is simple experienced gamers also get along very well with the game.
- As the game progresses you’ll need to purchase expansions, however, the base game is not expensive and you could stick with the base.
- Makes a great gateway game for introducing non gamers to board games.
- Great 2 player game.
- What’s not to like? Other games are coming along but as a classic and still going well there’s not a lot to dislike.
Final Thoughts
Carcassonne is a unique yet challenging game in its own ways but what makes it so appealing is the simplicity of it. There are many expansion packs available that transform the game but the fact that each time it is played is different ensures that players remain interested.
It really is an excellent game that belongs in the top of the tabletop game charts.
When purchasing Carcassonne it may be worth buying it with expansions included to save money in the long run and get much more out of the game.
