Tell me about Carcasonne

[Dilbertian]

I see this game recommended here in every thread asking for board game recommendations.

What is the game? Why is it so good?

It is a game played with tiles that have patches of city, roads and cathedral etc on it.
You essentially build a different game board each time but it’s easy to play.
Fun with 2 people but good with more too. Easy to talk over but doesn’t get dull.
You claim the various roads, cities etc as you build the city and gain points that way. You can explain the game to new players in about 5 minutes.

If you want to mix it up you can get the expansion packs for a bit more variation.

That’s about it. Great game

I thought you meant the place! Which is fascinating.

The reason why it’s so good Summed up

1. Still good with 2 players but can play with more
2. Easy to explain but enough variation
3. You can talk over it but still have to think
4. Different each time
5. Expansions

It doesn’t take three hours, unlike a lot of other good board games. So you can fit in a quick game with the kids after tea without delaying bedtime. I love Carcasonne.

@giletrouge

I thought you meant the place! Which is fascinating.

I thought that too... and I agree it's an amazing place

I also thought you meant the place, which is beautiful! I first heard of it through a book, Citadel by Kate Mosse, which goes into the history of the place and I've been fascinated ever since.

Sounds like a cross between Labyrinth and Monopoly!

It's going on my list

I've passed through Carcassonne, though not visited it.

It's nothing like Monopoly. You basically build a landscape with the tiles, and accumulate points by building roads, cities, drawing a monastery card or garden card. This is just the basic game. Expansion packs are slightly more complicated.

Monopoly is crap.

Carcassonne is simple enough that most people get an idea of what they are doing by their second or third turn, with very limited explanation.

Its quite calm. You can play it very gently with younger children But it can be thoroughly cut throat and very strategic. So is satisfying for more experienced players. You can even do both in the same game.

It isnt like monopoly where one person wins in the first 3 rounds of the board then everyone has to continue playing for hours after

It is a brilliant game.
The place, I went as a child maybe 30 or so years ago and it was magical. DH has also been and remembered it similarly.
We went with our own kids about 10 years ago and were sorely disappointed! It's become hugely commercialised. Still a beautiful castle though, but none of the charm it used to have.

Closer to labyrinth from what I remember (haven’t played that for years!)

Definitely nothing like monopoly

Carcassonne is the only board game we all enjoy playing. I’d agree that it’s nothing like Monopoly, which I absolutely detest!
I think it can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone as you can either be quite strategic or play it really gently and just basically create a pleasing landscape. The board looks totally different each time and it doesn’t take too long either.

Thought you meant the city! It's very disappointing!

@Trisolaris

The reason why it’s so good Summed up

1. Still good with 2 players but can play with more
2. Easy to explain but enough variation
3. You can talk over it but still have to think
4. Different each time
5. Expansions

Unlikely to provoke weeping/storming off/I hate you/that’s so unfair/I hate this game/why are you doing this to me/I’m never playing games with you EVER AGAIN type responses (from my dds anyway).

On Amazon there's New Edition and Big Box Edition - which one should I get?

@ScribblyGum
Apart from my DH who does not like it when I stealthily blend his farm with two of mine and thus steal all his farmer points 😂

I was curious and just looked up the two editions. If it's the same one I saw the Box Box Edition says it is all in Italian! So unless you are fluent I'd go with the New Edition. 😁

*Big Box Edition. Stupid autocorrect

@TakeMeToYourLiar that's what I do but DP clocked what I was doing and has turned my own devious strategy back on me, it makes me FUME

There's a big box edition the contains a few different expansion thats rather good value for money so it might be that. I wouldn't worry too much if its Italian. No components are language dependent. You can usually get replacement rule book pdfs online.

So excited now. Got it for £12.99 on amazon not so long back.

91 sleeps!

We bought the german big box edition as it was massively cheaper than the english version and just printed an english instruction booklet online. We’ve not needed to buy any expansion packs yet so it was really good value.

It's very easy to learn - like dominoes. Just score for roads, cities and chapels if playing with younger kids, add the farmers later (which makes it fiendishly complex, but the mechanic is still simple, on your go you place the tile you draw, and choose whether to place a person on it).

The City Walls expansion is better for letting small kids play with than as a game. The dragon and princess add-on is good.

It is a game that quite young kids can participate it but is still fun for the adult playing.