Carcassonne Review

Carcassonne seems to sit in a rather nebulous area complexity-wise - it's a game that seems very light, due to the tile-laying mechanic, but the scoring is of sufficient complexity to put off very casual gamers if not explained correctly - yet it is a hugely enjoyable game. Tasked with building the city of Carcassonne, players compete to score the most points as the aesthetically pleasing city grows ever bigger, turn by turn.

Players take turns to draw a tile and then lay it adjacent to a tile already laid. They have the choice to then place one of their 'followers' on the tile they just laid, and the scoring opportunities differ depending on where the follower is laid. Once the supply of tiles is depleted, final scoring takes place (followers placed in a field become farmers and are not scored until the end of the game, and any followers on incomplete features are scored at the end of the game too). The player with the highest score wins.

Those are the rules in their simplest terms, but as stated above there is an extra layer of complexity due to the placing, scoring and management of followers. Placing them on a road is a route to a quick score - once a road is 'closed' (which can happen very quickly), the player who has the follower on the relevant road scores 1 point for each tile the road is on and then the follower is returned to their supply. One of the most important aspects of the game is being able to efficiently turn over your followers, so that they don't go to waste. It is often the case with new players that they are loath to place followers on roads as it is seen to hardly be worth the effort, but in the early stages of the game for example, players have a full supply of followers anyway, so should take every opportunity they can to score.

It is this layer of depth that lies at the heart of Carcassonne's appeal. Far more than just a simple tile laying game, there are subtleties to the game that are only revealed through repeated play. Of course there is a huge amount of luck involved in the tile draw, but there is generally a huge amount of choice as to where to lay it, and there is seldom a right or wrong way to play the tile. The layout of the tiles as a game is in progress is another factor - the tiles have a very pleasing look to them as Carcassonne is gradually built during the game. It's a very feng shui thing, and it is very satisfying to survey the landscape once complete.

The length of the game is perfect, especially for the type of game that it is - games rarely take longer than 40 minutes, and it is all too tempting to play again immediately after finishing! In short, Carcassonne is a great game to introduce to players not used to the intricacies of, for example, a Knizia game. It is easy to teach within minutes even to non gamers, and it's quick enough that more than one game can be played, therefore giving new players a chance to learn and adapt very quickly indeed. Also, once players tire of the standalone game (not that this has happened with my group yet...we haven't even used The River Expansion, which comes free with the game), there are several fairly inexpensive expansions for the game which add differing layers of complexity and scoring opportunities, thus increasing the replay value even further. One of the best games to lure new gamers into the fold, Carcassonne will also keep them interested in games for years to come!

Summary

Presentation: Nicely sturdy box and components – the tiles themselves are brilliantly produced and will stand up to lots of punishment – which is good because you will be playing this a lot. The wooden followers are also well made and appealing. 9.6/10

Clarity of Rules: Very simple to play and learn – except the farmer scoring – with excellent, short rules that come with lots of illustrated examples. 9.3/10

Game Length: Usually around 30-40 minutes, and is always a hard fought battle for first place. Farmer scoring when the game is over keeps thing tense and unpredictable right up to the last moments! 9.5/10

Value: The game comes complete with a free expansion which varies the game slightly, adding to its already immense replay value. Very tough to fault. 9.7/10

Overall: I count Carcassonne among the very best games in my collection, both for new players and experienced players alike. Whenever it gets played, it never fails to be played more than once - and is always appreciated highly by anyone who plays it. Superb! 9.6/10 (not an average)

Review by Jason M. Brown