What is Carcassonne?
Carcassonne is the name of a town in France which is famous for its city walls. The game consists of a set of tiles which you will be placing to form cities, roads, monasteries and farms, which you claim via small wooden people (called followers–or, more often, meeples). The game tends to sound a bit overwhelming at first, but it is incredibly easy to play. I’m going to try to step you through the game as simply as possible, but there is a lot to cover so let’s get started. I’m going to apologize right now for the photo quality, as I’m using a phone camera in a dim dorm room, but they’re clear enough to see what I’m talking about. Getting Started Shuffle all of the tiles and place them face down in stacks around the table. Please listen to me now when I say play either on the floor or on a reasonably large table–you WILL regret it if you don’t, and suddenly you’ve run out of room on one side. Don’t be misled by the small table I’m using for my examples, a real play-through of the gam
For those unfamiliar with Carcassonne, it started in 2000 as a German board game inspired by the medieval French city of the same name. While it may not yet enjoy mainstream success, Carcassonne has already gained an almost cult following, for its classic gameplay and simple charm. If you’ve never played this gem, this June is the time to check it out when it heads to Xbox Live Arcade. The game consists of 72 tiles that each make up a section of a medieval landscape, and include features like roads, cities, farms, and monasteries (or cloisters, if you prefer). Players take turns picking tiles at random and placing them adjacent to other tiles on the board. The only rule is that tiles must be placed in a way that makes sense: cities must be enclosed with proper borders, rivers can’t suddenly end and become farm, and so forth. The gameplay is easy to pick up (the included tutorial will give you a complete briefing in under five minutes), but building a winning strategy can take much long
Related Questions
- If we are using the Count, can I use a magic portal to teleport into Carcassonne City or onto one of the field, road or city segments on the edges of the Carcassonne City tiles?
- What is the sequence of play for followers in Carcassonne City at the end of the game?
- How can i get hold of a 2008 Calendar for Carcassonne in France?
