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go to MAIN
go to TheGoldenShoppingCart |
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Your first step into the world of "German games" |
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Carcassonne
by Klaus-Jurgen Wrede
Rating: 7/10 after 20+ plays |
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CARCASSONE
by Klaus-Jurgen Wrede
art Doris Matthaus
publish Hans im Gluck/Rio Grande
Players: 2-5
Duration: 30 mins.
PACE: Quick.
COMPLEXITY: Medium. Interesting decisions, but no real long-term planning. Quite easy to learn.
LUCK: Medium. Good tiles can easily win this game, but clever placement can make many points.
TENSION: Low. You are playing a tile for the turn and hope you get the tiles you need later.
VICIOUS: Medium. The game has lots of luck, so you can make up for it, but when a player steals a farm or city you've been working on all game...ay caramba!
SOCIAL: Medium. Some though required. Opportunities to mess with other players.
VISUALS: Excellent. Illustrated cardboard tiles, and wooden markers. Good colors. Looks like medieval countryside as the 'land' develops.
THEME: Good. Nice to watch the countryside expand and develop different each game. Feels pastoral.
GAMER APPEAL: Yes. Well-liked.
NON-GAMER APPEAL: Yes. Addictive.
2 PLAYERS: Excellent. One of the best games that plays 2+ players.
REPLAY: Very Good. The countryside takes shape differently each game, and the gameplay is fast and fun with lots of opportunities to for clever play.
I've played 20+ times.
Good with 2-5 players.
Best with 2-5 players. |
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Quick summary | It isn't hard to see why this game is rated so highly: the game plays easily; scoring, while initially complicated, makes great sense after a few games; you can vary how many tiles are in your hand to limit the amount of luck in the game; plays quick; looks great; it's cheap. I am not going to fight the tide on this one--it's a great game with a great theme. On a player's turn he places one tile on the board by connecting it to on fo the tiles already on the board. So a tile with a road going thru it, a field on one side and a city on the other side can be placed so that the road extends a previous road, or a city expands a previous city, or a field expands a previous field. Players have 5 'meeple' or pawns that they will use to score points. When a player places a tile, he may play one of his meeple on that tile. The meeple can score various ways, and that constitutes the tactics in this game as players try and manipulate the 'board' by expanding projects they started and want to increase the value of. It is similar to, but not as good as it's sequel, Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers, but this basic version of Carcassonne has 2 expansions, while Hunters & Gatherers (H&G) does not. I recommend H&G over this basic version of Carcassonne. Either way though, you are getting a good game. |
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Carcassonne Sequel:
Green: Hunters & Gatherers
(not matchable with original) |
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Carcassonne expansions:
Blue: Inns & Cathedrals
Red: Traders & Builders |
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