Cover of the game Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Hans im Glück, 64 Ounce Games, 999 Games · Board game · 2000
Ludopedia
8.3 Ludopedia
BoardGameGeek
7.4 BoardGameGeek
Players
2–5 · best 2
Play Time
30–45 min
Weight
Weight 1.9/5
Year
Year 2000
Minimum age
Minimum age 7+
Buy · from US$ 19.95
8.3 rating Ludopedia
7.4 rating BoardGameGeek

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Our Verdict
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

If you're looking for a delightful and accessible tile-laying game, Carcassonne is a classic for a reason! It's a collaborative puzzle with a clever twist of strategic meeple placement.

Highlights
  • Simple rules, quick to learn
  • Engaging tile-laying puzzle
  • Iconic meeple placement strategy
  • Scales well across player counts
Keep in mind
  • Can feel a bit random sometimes
  • Direct player interaction is limited
Learn How to Play Step by Step Check out our complete step-by-step rules guide.
Access Rules Guide

About the game

What you do in a play session

Carcassonne transports you to the south of France, where you and your friends build a medieval landscape tile by tile! Each round, you draw a tile that might feature a piece of a city, a winding road, a tranquil cloister, or a verdant field. The trick is that you need to fit this tile into the existing map, connecting roads to roads, cities to cities, and so on. It's like assembling a collaborative puzzle, but with a touch of rivalry. After placing the tile, you have the chance to place one of your meeples (those super cute wooden figures that, by the way, were popularized by this game!) on a newly added area. Place a knight in the city, a robber on the road, a monk in the cloister, or a farmer in the field. The big question is: is it worth using one of your limited meeples here? They remain trapped until the area is completed, and only then do they return to your hand and score points. Completed cities and roads yield immediate points, cloisters score when surrounded by other tiles, and farmers? Oh, these are the most strategic, staying in the field until the end of the game, waiting for the point harvest! Decisions are quick but full of weight: expand your own area or disrupt your opponent's plan? Carcassonne is a modern classic, accessible for beginners, but with a depth that attracts experienced players in tournaments worldwide. It's the perfect game for anyone looking for an engaging tabletop experience with infinite replayability.

Expansions

Published additional content

67 items
Cover of the game Carcassonne Maps: Chips Carcassonne Maps: Chips Cover of the game Carcassonne Maps: Deutschland Carcassonne Maps: Deutschland Cover of the game Carcassonne Maps: Great Britain Carcassonne Maps: Great Britain Cover of the game Carcassonne Maps: Península Ibérica Carcassonne Maps: Península Ibérica Cover of the game Carcassonne: 4 Seasons – The Autumn Carcassonne: 4 Seasons – The Autumn Cover of the game Carcassonne: 4 Seasons – The Spring Carcassonne: 4 Seasons – The Spring Cover of the game Carcassonne: Abbey & Mayor Carcassonne: Abbey & Mayor Cover of the game Carcassonne: Bonusplättchen Spiel 2020 Carcassonne: Bonusplättchen Spiel 2020 Cover of the game Carcassonne: Bonusplättchen Spiel 2022 Carcassonne: Bonusplättchen Spiel 2022 Cover of the game Carcassonne: Castles & Bridges Carcassonne: Castles & Bridges Cover of the game Carcassonne: Castles in Germany Carcassonne: Castles in Germany Cover of the game Carcassonne: Catapult Carcassonne: Catapult Cover of the game Carcassonne: Circus & Artists Carcassonne: Circus & Artists Cover of the game Carcassonne: Corn Circles II Carcassonne: Corn Circles II Cover of the game Carcassonne: Cult, Siege & Creativity Carcassonne: Cult, Siege & Creativity Cover of the game Carcassonne: Das Labyrinth Carcassonne: Das Labyrinth Cover of the game Carcassonne: Der Tunnel Carcassonne: Der Tunnel Cover of the game Carcassonne: Die Windrosen Carcassonne: Die Windrosen Cover of the game Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy Carcassonne: Dragon & Fairy Cover of the game Carcassonne: Expansion 6 – Count, King & Robber Carcassonne: Expansion 6 – Count, King & Robber Cover of the game Carcassonne: Expansion 8 – Bridges, Castles and Bazaars Carcassonne: Expansion 8 – Bridges, Castles and Bazaars Cover of the game Carcassonne: German Cathedrals Carcassonne: German Cathedrals Cover of the game Carcassonne: GQ Promo Tiles Carcassonne: GQ Promo Tiles Cover of the game Carcassonne: Halb so Wild Carcassonne: Halb so Wild Cover of the game Carcassonne: Halb so wild I Carcassonne: Halb so wild I Cover of the game Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals Cover of the game Carcassonne: Jousts & Crests Carcassonne: Jousts & Crests Cover of the game Carcassonne: King & Scout Carcassonne: King & Scout Cover of the game Carcassonne: Little Buildings Carcassonne: Little Buildings Cover of the game Carcassonne: Mage & Witch Carcassonne: Mage & Witch Cover of the game Carcassonne: Messengers & Mayors Carcassonne: Messengers & Mayors Cover of the game Carcassonne: Mini-Bundle I Carcassonne: Mini-Bundle I Cover of the game Carcassonne: Sheep & Shepherds Carcassonne: Sheep & Shepherds Cover of the game Carcassonne: Siege & Defense Carcassonne: Siege & Defense Cover of the game Carcassonne: Spiel Doch Mini Expansion Carcassonne: Spiel Doch Mini Expansion Cover of the game Carcassonne: Spiel Doch! Expansion Carcassonne: Spiel Doch! Expansion Cover of the game Carcassonne: Starttableau Carcassonne: Starttableau Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Abbot Carcassonne: The Abbot Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Barber-Surgeons Carcassonne: The Barber-Surgeons Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Count of Carcassonne Carcassonne: The Count of Carcassonne Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Cult Carcassonne: The Cult Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Drawbridges Carcassonne: The Drawbridges Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Ferries Carcassonne: The Ferries Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Festival Carcassonne: The Festival Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Flying Machines Carcassonne: The Flying Machines Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Fruit-Bearing Trees Carcassonne: The Fruit-Bearing Trees Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Gifts Carcassonne: The Gifts Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Gold Mines Carcassonne: The Gold Mines Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Land Surveyors Carcassonne: The Land Surveyors Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Markets of Leipzig Carcassonne: The Markets of Leipzig Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Messengers Carcassonne: The Messengers Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Peasant Revolts Carcassonne: The Peasant Revolts Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Phantom Carcassonne: The Phantom Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Plague Carcassonne: The Plague Cover of the game Carcassonne: The River Carcassonne: The River Cover of the game Carcassonne: The River II Carcassonne: The River II Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Robbers Carcassonne: The Robbers Cover of the game Carcassonne: The School Carcassonne: The School Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Signposts Carcassonne: The Signposts Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Tollkeepers Carcassonne: The Tollkeepers Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Watchtowers Carcassonne: The Watchtowers Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Wonders of Humanity Carcassonne: The Wonders of Humanity Cover of the game Carcassonne: The Wonders of Humanity Set II Carcassonne: The Wonders of Humanity Set II Cover of the game Carcassonne: Towers & Thieves Carcassonne: Towers & Thieves Cover of the game Carcassonne: Traders & Builders Carcassonne: Traders & Builders Cover of the game Carcassonne: Ukraine Promo Tile Carcassonne: Ukraine Promo Tile Cover of the game Nebel über Carcassonne: Die Bannkreise Nebel über Carcassonne: Die Bannkreise

Rules videos

Learn by watching before you open the box

12 videos

Rules manual

Official PDF file

Rules manual — Carcassonne English · PDF
Download Manual

Best player count

BGG community vote

2–5 players
2 BEST
3 BEST
4 REC
5 REC

Soundtrack

Ambience suggested by Melodice

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Game details

Mechanics, categories, families and credits

Families

Cities: Carcassonne (France) Components: Meeples Components: Map (Regional scale) Components: Wooden pieces & boards Containers: Tin/Metal Box Country: France Digital Implementations: Apple App Store Digital Implementations: Board Game Arena Digital Implementations: BrettspielWelt Digital Implementations: Google Play Digital Implementations: Steam Digital Implementations: VASSAL Game: Carcassonne Misc: BGG Hall of Fame Misc: Dice Tower Hall of Fame Misc: DIZED Tutorial Misc: Watch It Played How To Videos Occupation: Farmer Players: Games with expansions that change player count Region: Languedoc (France) Religious: Monks/Abbots & Monasteries/Abbeys
Publisher Hans im Glück, 64 Ounce Games, 999 Games, Albi, Astrel Games, Bard Centrum Gier
Designer Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
Artist Anne Pätzke, Chris Quilliams, Doris Matthäus, Franz-Georg Stämmele, Marcel Gröber

Community

Data from BoardGameGeek

228,797owners
11,440wishlist
707want to play

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers before you buy

6 questions
How many players can play Carcassonne?
Carcassonne is ideal for 2 to 5 players, but it works great at any count within that range. With two, it becomes a more direct duel; with more people, the competition for areas gets even more intense!
What is the average playtime for a game of Carcassonne?
A game of Carcassonne usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. It's quick, which makes it great for a casual play session or to fit between other games.
Is Carcassonne a complex game for beginners?
Not at all! Carcassonne is considered one of the best "gateway games" in the board game world. The rules are easy to pick up, and fun is guaranteed from the first game. Strategic complexity increases the more you play.
What are the main components of the game?
You'll find a bunch of landscape tiles, which are the heart of the game, and the famous colorful meeples, which you use to claim areas. It's a game with few components, but very well produced.
Who is Carcassonne recommended for?
Carcassonne is recommended for almost everyone! Families, groups of friends, couples, hobby newcomers, and even experienced players looking for a light yet strategic classic. If you enjoy puzzles and a bit of territorial dispute, you'll love it.
Are there any expansions for Carcassonne?
Yes, and many! Carcassonne has a vast collection of expansions that add new mechanics, tiles, and special meeples, increasing the replayability and depth of the base game. It's a universe to explore!

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