Review Details

Carcassonne

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on December 5, 2008):

Carcassonne, like it’s biggest rival Settlers of Catan, is an award winning ‘Euro-game’ that has many adherents and a lrge number of expansions. The basic game is very simple to learn like Settlers but takes an innovative approach to the creation of the board, thus altering the ensuing game-play.
In Carcassonne, players take on the role of an explorer, turning over a new randomly chosen tile at the beginning of each turn. Players must decide where to place the newly revealed tile on the growing board, each tile having to fit to the existing features of adjoining tiles (roads to roads, fields to fields, cities to cities). This both limits how a tile can be placed as well as dictating a structure to Carcassonne. After placement, players may then choose to claim the tile with one of eight followers or to leave it empty to save their followers for more useful locations.

Scoring is simple – each time a specific feature has been fully explored – roads that meet, cities and monasteries that are completely enclosed – the player with the most number of followers claiming that feature scores all the points. At that time, followers return to the players hands except in the case of farmers who are only scored at the end of the game. This feature provides the additional strategic element to the base game – place too many followers down on unfinished features or as farmers and you’ll not be able to compete against other players. Don’t play them at all as farmers or concentrate on too few and you’ll never score enough.

Carcassonne is a very simple, easy to learn game that has good replay value and quite a bit of fun included. It’s biggest disadvantage is the lack of player interaction – beyond competing with other players for specific features, you rarely need to interact with players.

A good addition to any starting collection, and certainly a lot more fun when combined with the various expansions.