Introduction
Overview:
Carcassonne, one of the top competitive boardgames around. Where as games like Chess and Othello rely on brutal simplicity and pushing back your opponent with every move, games like Carcassonne give players more of a diplomacy element to them, while you can still try to bully your opponent out of particular strategies, you could also encourage them by playing others against each other or having them complete goals that in the long term with serve to benefit you the same amount if not more.
Through this blog I will endeavour to go through the game of Carcassonne, how it is played, the base and its expansions, my opinion of the quality of the game in terms of gameplay, pieces, difficulty, etc, to final rounding the package and how, I believe, you will best enjoy what many consider a pinnacle of the modern board game community.
The World of Carcassonne – Setting the Stage
To begin, there are two main components of Carcassonne, the tiles and the meeples, meeples refer to the small wooden characters that are used by players to represent their ownership of their tiles and structures. Starting with the first tile, which you will recognise as the one with an inverted colour scheme to the rest, players take it in turns to draw shuffled tiles and place them down on the growing field of play. Each player starts with 8 meeples, each of the same colour, 1 is used on the score board to track players points and the other 7 players place on the tiles as the game progresses.
Once the first Player has been decided each player takes it in turns to draw a face down tile, place that tile next to a tile that it fits on and then decide whether they wish to take any unclaimed structures on that tile. It is important to note that tiles can only be placed next to tiles as long as the joining sides of both tiles match it terms of structure, barring expansions added though expansion, you cannot for example have a tile with a road going off one side and place that side next to the side of a tile that has a city, that side can only be placed next to another road tile.
Players earn points based by claiming cities, roads, monasteries and fields with their Meeples as knights, highwayman, monks and farmers respectively, and completing these structures, except the fields which are scored at the end of play. When players place down a Meeple they claim the structure that Meeple is on and no one else can put Meeples down on any structures that connect to that tile, if 2 structures with separate Meeples become connected then both players score for that structure. if a player to connect two structures with 2 or more of their own Meeples on it, the points are times by the number of their Meeples on the structure and anyone else who has Meeples on that structure will not score points for that structure unless they have the same amount of Meeples as the person with highest number of Meeples. Cities and roads must be completed to score full points and for the players to regain their Meeples, the monasteries are scored once it is surrounded by tiles. If the final tile is placed and these structures are not completed, they will score less points per tile, except the monastery which only scores 1 point per tile anyway. The farmer is slightly unique, you place that on any open field on tile that has just placed, so long as it does not connect to a previously connecting farm, and then gain points based on how many unique completed cities are connected to that farm.
External Link:
For more detailed rules and player discussions, check out BoardGameGeek and CarcassonneWiki
Carcassonne’s Base Game – Simple Yet Deep
The Base game of Carcassonne follows a simple premise, build. You will early on try to gauge the way the board is developing and then build around it, some tiles will obviously be more useful if drawn earlier, such as a monastery, but you can still plan for certain tiles. This is the beauty of the base game of Carcassonne, you need to be paying attention to all structures being developed and possible directions it can go, the gameplay is simple, put a tile down then maybe put a Meeple down however every tile put down can have you change your whole strategy.
The idea of the tiles being blindly drawn would cause some to think the game is mostly random luck, draw the tile you need then you can get the points, however every potential space does have a tile that would fit but you need to consider the likelihood of such a tile being drawn, that you will draw it and if you don’t what is the likelihood you opponent will place it in that space. All this creates a system of resource management and strategizing, players will have to determine whether they believe the structure is worth it or will lose that Meeple for the rest of the game unable to collect points from other structures. With famers in particular you need to think since you need to find fields that connect to a number of cities but need weigh the cost of having one less Meeple for the rest of the game and avoid closing the field and losing access to connect to more cities. As for your opponents you can build around there structures to either lower their chances of completing that structure or build around it in order to push your opponents to assist with your structure to also complete theirs.
This is why this game has proven popular for over 20 years, the limited choice options per turn means players can quickly strategize as the game continues, but the tile combinations means that each game, as long as you shuffle the tiles properly, will give the players a unique layout, so players can’t rely on the exact same strategies and can play around with the same base principle but update them for how the game develops. Of course, its lifespan has been assisted by its expansions, but we will come to those later.
Personal Thoughts:
I first played Carcassonne many years ago with family, some relatives that once lived nearby moved away and bought it to play. it was my first experience playing a boardgame that was not Chess, Monopoly, or something similar, and at first, I was confused. With no set board it was interesting to see how you created a landscape as you played and the feeling of when the massive city you had been working on since the start of the game was finally finished was something I had experienced from any boardgame I had played previously. Plus due to the gameplay length being tied to the number of tiles you have meant you could gauge how long the game will take, it’s not short by any means however unlike monopoly one wrong move doesn’t kick you out of the game entirely.
Expanding Horizons – A Look at Carcassonne’s Expansions
I have played a number of expansions of Carcassonne each has its own styles and levels of complexity.
o 1. The River Let the river flow – a gentle twist to your tile-laying tale.
The first expansion of Carcassonne set to reinvent the start of you game experience, it gives you a set of new tiles, you start with placing the spring then you place down the shuffled river tiles following the typical gameplay loop, until you place all the river tiles then you place the lake tile and continue with the main tiles. This gives the game a further way to randomise the board as you now have a new landmark to build the structures.
o 2. Inns and Cathedrals (2002) Enhance your cities with majestic inns and towering cathedrals.
The second expansion of Carcassonne gives the two main structures a new bonus to the points they deliver to the players but with a new risk of structures that contain Inns for roads and Cathedrals for cities that are not completed will give the players no points at the end of the game. It also includes a new Meeple, the big Meeple, which for the purposes of points scoring and structure ownership counts as 2 Meeples, and a new variety of tiles as well as the ones that have the Inns and Cathedrals to increase game length and possibilities.
o 3. Traders and Builders (2003) Trade, build, and seize extra turns for extra points!
The third expansion add a new element for the player in a new resource to manage as well as 2 new types of Meeple in the Builder and the Pig. This expansion also offers new tiles, some of which have the symbols of trade resources the players can collect on the completion of the city they are within and give bonus points at the end of the game, the Builder can be placed on a city or road the player already owns allowing for the player to draw a second tile when they add new tiles to their builder structure.
o 4. The Princess and the Dragon (2005) Beware the dragon – protect your followers or risk a magical setback!
The fourth expansion adds the first fantasy element to the game, and the 2 new Meeples that this time are not owned or controlled by the player. The Dragon Meeple starts inactive until a volcano tile is placed after which the Dragon is placed on the volcano until a new volcano is placed, in which case it is moved to the new volcano, or eruption tile is placed, in which case it is moved a set number of times by the players without going back to a previous tile it had been on that round of movement, any tiles it lands on with a Meeple it, sees that Meeple immediately taken off. The princess is a special tile that in effect deactivates one of the Meeples on a city without removing them from the city. The final piece, which is un named in the title of this Expansion is the Fairy Meeple, which works as a shield form the dragon preventing it from moving to a tile with the fairy on it, it activated when the fist tile with a grove on it is placed and who ever places that grove, or any subsequent is allowed to move it to any tile placed down.
o 5. The Tower (2006) Reach new heights – capture your foes with a vertical twist!
The fifth expansion adds new threat to the game in the form of the titled Tower. Players are each given a set of new pieces to build a tower, with the new tiles you have tower site tiles you can place a tower piece instead of placing down a Meeple and then steal another players Meeple, as long as it is the same number of tiles as the pieces on the tower or less after you put a piece down or less.
o 6. Abbey and Mayor (2007) Fill in the gaps and lead your city with authoritative flair!
The sixth expansion adds new ways to fill to board and gain more points with a new Meeple. The Abbey is a bonus tile players gain at the start of the game; they can place it regardless of what structures are next to them however they do not count towards the points of structures they are connected to. The Mayor Meeple players of their cities to score more points on its completion, for every pennant, the little shield on some of the city tiles, in your city the mayor counts as an extra Meeple in terms of scoring, unless you have no other Meeples in that city in which case it scores the player nothing.
o 7. Count, King & Robber (2008) Seize the title – vie for count, king, or the ultimate robber honour!
The seventh expansion adds a new set of achievements for the players to gain points. Players can now compete to build the longest city and road to gain the King and Robber tiles respectively and whomever holds them at the end of the game gains bonus points. The count sections refer to a new starting system with the City of Carcassonne tiles you can build your game around, it also adds a new system where when you complete a structure you can place the Meeples from that structure to one of the 4 areas in the City of Carcassonne as long as completing the structure also scores your opponent points as well, the once a different structure is completed you can move them from the City to the completed structure as long as they are in the corresponding quarter of the City. The count starts in the castle quarter of the City of Carcassonne and is moved Clockwise around the City every time at least 1 new Meeple is placed in the city, whatever quarter the Count is in all Meeples in that quarter are locked there and cannot be used for completed structure until it’s moved.
o 8. Bridges, Castles & Bazaars (2010) Bridge gaps, build mini castles, and bid for bonus glory!
The eighth expansion offers, in my opinion, the most in terms of new rule variety. The bridges give players new bridge tokens that they can place on tiles allow them to build roads over tiles that have none, the castles are new tokens place over two tile cities and increase the points they give to farmers, and the bazaars are special tile that when placed let players spend points to ‘buy’ a tile that has been drawn and flipped for the auction.
o 9. Hills & Sheep (2014) Herd the sheep and conquer the hills for a pastoral boost!
The ninth expansion is the first expansion that focuses on giving new functions to farms, instead of giving the more ways to score points along with others. Players can place down the new Sheperd Meeple instead of a regular Meeple and then every time that player places a tile down that increases that field they draw tokens from a bag, tokens with sheep increase the flock while wolves mean the entire flock scatters, all tokens are returned to the bag, and the shepherd is returned to the player. Once a tile with a stable is connected to the field the player regains their Sheperd, the sheep tokens return to the bag and the players who Shepherd it was gains points for every sheep on the tokens. Meanwhile the hill part is a special tile that when drawn the player also draws a different tile face down and places it under the hill tile, if there is a Meeple on the hill, and they are tied with the amount of Meeples on that structure with another Player, the Player whose Meeple is on the hill is the one who receives the points and the other player/ score nothing.
o 10. Under the Big Top (2017) Step right up to a circus of strategic surprises!
The tenth expansion adds a new point scoring tokens as well as a new Meeple with its own goal. The Circus works when you draw a circus tile and place it down, players can place Meeples as normal, but will also need to place the new Tent Meeple, with a face down animal token underneath it, when a new circus tile is draw, at the end of the players turn you more the tent, placing a new animal token underneath, and flip the token that was underneath the Tent at the start, any player with a Meeple on or next to the circus tile gains the number in points for every Meeple. You also have the Acrobat tiles, players can place Meeples on this tile one at a time to from a 3 Meeple pyramid if they place a tile next to that tile, once three Meeples have been placed, and another tile has been placed next to the acrobat tile each Meeple scores their player 5 points. As for the new Meeple, the Ringleader, they work by proximity to the two new tile types mentioned previously, you place it on a structure and once it is completed you count how many circus or acrobat tiles are next to it and it gains 2 points for each, you do not need to be the owner of the structure when it is completed to score points.
o 11. Mini Expansions (Various, 2012 onward) Small additions, big twists – tailor your game with extra mini extras!
The mini expansions are an odd one, the ones listed above are the main listed above are just a taste of the huge amount of content they offer. Typically giving one new rule, the changes of gameplay can vary from minor additions the Ferries giving roads across the river, or flying machines allowing you to move players from structures allowing for players to fix bad plays, to adding new elements and strategies changes for players the robbers allowing players steal points or Corn Circles to add and remove from structures pushing players to challenge each other and be careful how far they push their strategies with a constant risk hanging over them. Due to them not being full expansions they can be difficult to source, sometimes you can get them in a bundle however if you already have most of the expansions in the bundle it may not be worth getting. Not that I’m saying these expansions are bad, it’s just their difficulty to get tied with how little they add overall doesn’t work well for them, if you get a chance by all means get them but you not missing out heavily if you don’t.
Carcassonne by the Numbers – Our Ratings
Overall Score:
Overall, I give Carcassonne a clean 75/100, it is a very enjoyable game, watching the board grow is great to look at and the feeling of finally completing the city, road, that you have been working on and see your Meeple run laps around then board is great. The main thing holding it back are the expansions the constant additions just make the game more and more complex, not only with the new rules but with the new tokens and Meeples mean you have more potential options every turn so the game slows down the more you add to it, I find it nice to sometimes play the game without the expansions just to relax in a way I cannot with most of the expansions.
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Breaking Down the Components – Base Game & Expansions
The Base Game Components:
When talking about the art style of the game I have to mention that the style changes the game had in 2014, and then again in 2020, which gave 3 main changes. The 1st, and most obvious, is the change in colour pallet, with the newer version having a brighter colour. These new colours do make the game board stand out more but I do feel the paler palette fit the thema of a medieval landscape, but most recent version, I think, fits a good balance between the 2. The 2nd was adding minor details structures to the fields that where generally devoid of features aside anything gameplay related, these include things like flower gardens, trees and bushes. The city, roads and monasteries also had more details added like flags, brick detailing different roof colours and such. Again, they make areas stand out more and look more varied but, in my experience, some of the new details can confuse players, particularly new players, whom might mistake them for gameplay features rather than decoration. The 3rd is the tile edges, which have been rounded in new releases, the good thing about this is that it removes any connections issues with some of the art of tiles like city where the walls can seem have gaps due how tiles connect, on the downside it does create these small gaps that can look a little ugly.
Expansion Components:
Overall, I do like the individual expansions, they add new layers to the medieval areas, items like Bridges and Abbies can help to fill gaps in structures making the board look nicer and deal with the frustrations of trapped Meeples. Landmarks the River can create an interesting environment to look at, and the minor additions they have like, new Meeple colours, tile holders, token bags, can really make for more enjoyable experiences. My issue with the expansions is not quality but quantity, with so many expansion a new player looking in will easily be over whelmed with just how much there is, and organising so that you keep tiles from different expansions can become tiring to do if you play regularly, expansions rules that simply add to the base game, like the Big Meeple, just working as 2 Meeples, the river giving a new way to start and the King and Robber just giving bonuses to play styles players will already be playing. But Expansion rules like the Tower, forcing player to check placement of most Meeples, Inns and Cathedrals pushing players to focus on single strategies to get points and Circuses and Ringmasters adding completely new mechanics on top of the base rules make of an intricate game that most casual players will likely not enjoy.
Final Thoughts – Why Carcassonne Remains a Classic
Overall Carcassonne is a fun a detailed game, if taken slowly players can understand the game and each of its expansions, but don’t feel like you need all expansions to enjoy the game, test them see how they work for you and which you prefer to play with and without, you can still use tiles without the rules from their expansion and you may find you like certain additions for expansions are fun but not want the whole ruleset.
Carcassonne competitive nature has spawned a strong competitive seen but unlike games like Chess or Checkers the lack of a board makes it harder to see how the game can play out and opens strategies are harder to predict. Of course, the usage of expansions has created a way to inject retention over the years putting it in the top bracket of classic boardgames despite its shorter life span.
Of course this is mostly my opinion, and now invite others to continue the discussion, what are your feelings on Carcassonne, what expansions are a must have for your gaming experience, how do you feel about the art style changes, and are there any expansions you would like to see, both in terms of themes and rules.
