Carcassone

This fine evening Amanda and I broke out one of the classics of modern board gaming: Carcassone. Although there are a dozen variations and half a dozen expansions, we only own the original game in it’s 10th anniversary format. I’ll begin by saying that if you are looking for a copy of this game, you would be well served by getting any other version.

So having played Carcassone in various versions, I’ll say that the components for the game are simple but excellent. The meeples (I understand this game coined the term) are still the industry standard for human shaped wooden tokens to this day, the tiles are solid and the points track is readable, and these are the total components of the game. The art is “meh” but serves it’s purpose. Classic eurogaming at it’s finest.

The anniversary edition on the other hand, instead of being the deluxe edition you might expect, generally makes everything worse. The meeples are swapped from wood to acrylic, which would be fine except it makes one of the expansions unplayable. The case is meeple shaped and stacks with nothing, and also makes it awkward to return the components to the box, as the insert only allows things to be placed into it in an awkward way. I understand all too late why this “collector’s” version was available for $20 bucks at a bring and buy auction.

With all that being said, the gameplay is simple, fun and playable by pretty much anyone. There is some strategy, and an experienced player will without a doubt defeat an inexperienced one, but there is also enough luck to keep it fun when there is an experience or skill gap. Players draw and place a tile and if they wish, add their meeple to one of it’s features. Completed cities, roads, and churches score as they are finished, and farmers score at the end of the game.

This is one of my go-to gateway games for new gamers or those who have only played Monopoly, Life, Battleship etc. Not only does it introduce the world of eurogaming, but it’s also fast and interactive, which is why I prefer it to other euro classics such as Settlers of Catan as a gateway game. Building the map as you play is also a rarity in classic North American board games and it allows more player interaction than landing on the same space as other players or asking for sheep ad infinitum. The lack of dice is a great hook for players who may have played Monopoly or similar growing up and are soured to the concept of board games.

Playing Carcassone with only two players changes very little from a larger game. There is a little more freedom to place your meeples as there is only one other player to compete for spaces with, which allows some larger city or road combos to be pulled off but otherwise it’s largely played the same. Because of the game is played until tiles run out, there really isn’t any difference in playtime with a lower player count either, making the game very versatile for all sorts of situations.

Overall I would recommend Carcassone to players interested in the euro genre, or those looking for a quick and fun experience with some, but not a ton of thinking. If you are already a fan of euro games, I would probably stay away from it unless you are looking for a filler, or a way to introduce your housemates/spouse/friends to board gaming. Just don’t buy any of the weird editions.

The Teal Dear

Game: Carcassone
Designer: Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
Price: $33
Players: 2-5
2 player Scaling: Barely noticeable in gameplay
Playtime: 20 Minutes
Estimated Lifespan: Until I find a better version, then that version stays forever
Average Play Frequency: Quarterly and when new players show up
Complexity: 1
Components: 4.5 (3 for my version)
Bang for Buck: 4
Value for Time: 5
Fun Factor: 3.5
Overall: 4