Carcassonne

Objective

The objective of Carcassonne is to score the most points by the end of the game. Points are earned by placing tiles to build cities, roads, monasteries, and fields and strategically placing your meeples to gain control of these features.

Components

• 72 Land tiles
• 40 Meeples in different colors (each player gets 8)
• 1 Scoring track
• 1 Abbot meeple (depending on version)

Setup

1. Each player selects a color and takes all the meeples of that color.
2. The starting tile, showing a crossroad, is placed in the center of the table.
3. The remaining land tiles are shuffled face down and placed in a stack.
4. Players place their scoring meeple on the zero of the scoring track.

Gameplay

The game is played in a clockwise manner, starting with a chosen player.

Each player's turn consists of the following steps:

1. Draw and Place a Tile: Draw the top tile from the stack and place it to continue the landscape. Tiles must match geographically (e.g., road with road, city with city).

2. Place a Meeple: After placing a tile, you can place one of your meeples on that tile, but only on a feature (city, road, monastery, field) that is not yet claimed by another meeple. Special circumstances and rules like placing on fields (which are only scored at the end) require strategic thought.

3. Complete and Score: If by placing a tile you complete a structure like a city or a road, it is immediately scored, and the meeple of the player who controlled it is returned to them. Each completed feature scores points immediately.

Game End and Scoring

The game ends when the last tile is placed. Then a final scoring occurs:

1. Incomplete Features: Points are awarded for incomplete cities, roads, and monasteries.
2. Field Scoring: Players score points for each city adjacent to their controlled field.

Players should strategically place their meeples as they only return to you once a feature is completed. Consider when to complete roads or cities quickly or when to place meeples on fields that are scored at the end.

The player with the highest score wins the game!

Strategic Tips

• Long-term Planning: Place meeples on fields with many nearby cities to maximize the end-game scoring.
• Meeple Management: Make sure to have enough meeples available to capitalize on new opportunities.
• Blocking: Use tiles to prevent others from completing structures or scoring points.

Carcassonne is an accessible yet strategically deep game, appealing to both casual and avid gamers alike.