Carcassonne (board game)

Game Idea

Each player is adding to a medieval landscape by adding tiles. As part of their turn the player may claim ownership of one of the features of the landcapes (cities, fields, roads or monasteries.) Each of the features has a point value, and the player with the highest-valued features at the end of the game is the winner

Players place a randomly drawn tile on their turn. They can also place one piece representing a man on the tile just placed. In order to get points, players have to finish the cities, roads or cloisters (depicted in the tiles) on which they have the men "working". They are scored when they finish what they are doing, and at this point the player takes that man back, ready to be used again anywhere else (each player has only 7 men). The players add up points at the end of the game for unfinished construction, as well as for farms.

This game is simple to learn, but has place for subtle strategies/tactics. Each tile has more than one kind of "terrain", for instance, a city wall next to a farm, or a road starting in a cloister, so you have different options when putting a man on one of the tiles. You have to plan carefully when to use one of your men, and where to put it. With more players, you usually don't feel like you're very limited having only 7 men, and there's more room for chance.

Designer

The game was designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede.

Expansions and Spinoffs

The game has spawned a number of expansions, such as

• The River Expansion (was originally a free expansion, but now is included in the base game)
• Carcassonne: Inns and Cathedrals (originally known as Carcassonne: the Expansion - adds pieces for a sixth player, and adds some new tiles)
• Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers (a free-standing game - involves the building of forests, rivers and wildlife rather than cities and roads)
• Carcassonne: Traders and Builders (an expansion to the base game - additional tile types and strategic possibilities)

Award

Carcassonne received the Spiel des Jahres award in 2001.