How to Play Carcassonne Big Box 7

Game Objective

In Carcassonne Big Box 7, players build the map of a medieval region by placing land tiles that represent roads, cities, monasteries, and fields. Each player places their followers (called meeples) on these structures to claim control and earn points. The game ends when all land tiles have been placed, and the player with the most points wins.

Setup

1. Place the starting tile (with a dark back) in the center of the table.
2. Shuffle the remaining land tiles and form face-down piles, accessible to all.
3. Each player chooses a color and takes 7 meeples of that color, placing the 8th on the "0" space of the scoreboard.
4. Return unused colors to the box.

Beginner tip: For your first games, ignore the river tiles and farmers (supplemental rules).

Game Flow

Each turn consists of 3 mandatory actions, in this order:

1. Place a land tile: Draw a tile and position it to expand the existing landscape (roads, cities, etc.). If placement is impossible, discard it and draw another.
2. Place a meeple: Optionally, place a meeple from your reserve on the newly placed tile as:
   • Thief (on roads)
   • Knight (in cities)
   • Monk (in monasteries)
   • Farmer (in fields, lying down)
   Restriction: Only one meeple per structure is allowed (except in disputes).
3. Score: If the tile completes a structure (closed road, walled city, or surrounded monastery), the player with the most meeples on it earns points. Remove the scored meeples.

Actions and How to Play

Structure Types and Scoring

• Roads: Complete when closed at both ends. Each road tile is worth 1 point.
• Cities: Complete when fully walled. Each tile and coat of arms in the city is worth 2 points.
• Monasteries: Complete when surrounded by 8 tiles. Worth 9 points (1 per adjacent tile + the monastery).
• Fields: Score only at the end of the game. Each adjacent completed city is worth 3 points (4 with a pig).

Disputes: If there is a tie for a structure, all tied players receive the full points.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when all land tiles have been placed. During final scoring:

• Incomplete roads: 1 point per tile.
• Incomplete cities: 1 point per tile and coat of arms (half the normal value).
• Incomplete monasteries: 1 point per adjacent tile + the monastery.
• Fields: 3 points per adjacent completed city (see farmer rules).

The player with the most points wins!

Winning Tips

• Control large structures: Cities with coats of arms and long roads yield more points.
• Use farmers carefully: They remain until the end and can decide the victory.
• Block opponents: Complete contested structures to force scoring before others increase their influence.

Expansions: Consult the manual for details on the 11 included expansions (such as The Abbot, Ferry, etc.).