# Carcassonne: Der Tunnel

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2009
- **BGG Rating**: 6.5
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 2, 3)
- **Duration**: 60 min
- **Weight**: 1.73 / 5
- **Designers**: Christwart Conrad
- **Artists**: Doris Matthäus
- **Publishers**: W. Nostheide Verlag GmbH
- **Categories**: City Building, Expansion for Base-game, Medieval
- **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement

## Verdict
If you love Carcassonne and want an extra strategic twist without added complexity, this mini-expansion is for you! It adds an interesting connection between roads.Strategic road connectionEasy to integrateAdds tactical twistsFew pieces, big impactRequires base gameCan be hard to findFOR GENRE FANS

## Description
Hey Carcassonne fans! Ready for another sprinkle of medieval fun? "Der Tunnel" has arrived, a mini-expansion that debuted in Spielbox magazine, bringing just four tiles and two tunnel tokens for each player. The concept is straightforward: in addition to your normal tile and meeple placement, you can use one of your tunnel tokens to mark an exposed tunnel entrance on the table. It doesn't matter if the entrance is on a regular tile or from another expansion; just mark it! Once you've placed both your tunnel tokens, they magically connect any two roads on the map, wherever they may be. It's a cool way to shake up scoring and add an unexpected strategic twist to your games. Perfect for those who've already mastered the base game and want a little variation without overcomplicating things. "Der Tunnel" is the kind of expansion that shows how a small detail can make a big difference on the Carcassonne board. Let's build some tunnels and connect those roads!

## How to Play
Game Objective
The objective of the game is to supplement the rules of the base Carcassonne game with the Der Tunnel expansion. Players will continue to build the Carcassonne landscape, but now with the addition of tunnels that connect roads. The victory condition follows the rules of the base game.

Setup

    Shuffle the four tiles from the Der Tunnel expansion along with the standard game tiles.
    Each player takes the tokens of their color (there are two tokens of each color).


Gameplay Flow
The game proceeds according to the rules of the base Carcassonne game. The rules of this expansion are a supplement to the standard rules.

Actions and How to Play
Covering a tunnel exit with a token
During your turn, you may, additionally, place one of your tunnel tokens on any unoccupied tunnel opening on an already placed tile (even the one you just placed).
If you have already placed one of your tunnel tokens, on a later turn you may place your second token on another unoccupied opening. Thus, the road is connected via tunnel: one token marks the tunnel entrance; the other, the tunnel exit. If the connection of the two roads caused the road to be completed (because the ends exiting the tunnel are both closed), proceed and score the road as usual.
Tunnels with other expansions
Some of the tiles in other expansions (e.g., The Princess & the Dragon) depict tunnel entrances. It is perfectly allowed to place tunnel tokens on them. In this case, treat the road the same way you do for other tunnels in this expansion, instead of following straight through. (Just because you see a road enter on one side and exit on the other, don't be so sure it's the same road!)

End of Game and Scoring
Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Tips for Winning

    Use your tunnel tokens to connect roads and complete them, especially if this can earn points on a later turn.
    Keep an eye out for tunnel openings on already placed tiles, as you can use them to extend or complete existing roads.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base Carcassonne game to play with Der Tunnel?
Yes, absolutely! Der Tunnel is an expansion and only works with the base Carcassonne game.

### How many players can enjoy this expansion?
Just like the base game, Der Tunnel is for 2 to 6 players.

### Does it significantly increase the game's complexity?
No, the complexity is minimal. It just adds a new tactical option with the tunnels, without overwhelming the rules.

### What comes in the box?
The expansion contains 4 new tiles and 2 tunnel markers (tokens) for each player.

### Is this expansion easy to find?
Since it was released in a magazine, it might be a bit harder to find than traditional expansions. Keep an eye on second-hand markets or game stores!

### Is it worth it for casual Carcassonne players?
If you like adding small novelties that impact strategy without overcomplicating things, it's definitely worth it! It's a subtle but interesting addition.