Carcassonne: Castles in Germany

Ever felt like your Carcassonne map needed a bit more grandeur? 'Castles in Germany' is the perfect little tweak for that. This mini-expansion brings some German architectural flair to the table with six double-sized tiles depicting majestic castles. The core loop remains the same, but now you have a strategic ace up your sleeve: instead of playing a standard tile, you can drop one of these giant castle tiles, provided the edges match the existing landscape.

Depending on the player count, you'll start with either one or two of these special tiles. When you place a castle, you can assign a follower to it. If your meeple stays in the main castle area, the tile behaves like a cloister—once fully surrounded, it nets you a solid 12 points. However, the real strategic twist lies in the bonus points. If a city or road is completed and any part of that structure touches a castle tile, that structure earns an additional 3 points. The beauty here is that the bonus applies regardless of who placed the castle tile, making these spots highly contested real estate.

It's a lightweight addition that doesn't bloat the rulebook but adds a fresh layer of tactical decision-making. Do you use your castle to secure a guaranteed high score via the cloister mechanic, or do you place it to boost the value of a city or road? It's a subtle shift that encourages more interaction and creates high-value targets on the board. Perfect for players who love the base game but are looking for a quick way to spice up their sessions without spending an hour learning new rules.