Carcassonne is a family board game that we reviewed back in November, but things have been turned on their head here since then so the review has been delayed.
A game suitable for two or more players aged seven and over, we found playing Carcassonne to be a really, really enjoyable experience for all.
The aim of the Carcassonne game is to build a landscape, one player at a time, and place their ‘meeple’ in order to take ownership of key elements of that landscape. Once those elements are completed, players can score points and move along the score board. Take care not to get too comfortable if you’re in the lead though – big cities and completed monasteries can make a big difference to the scores!
The first time we played the game, we probably played for just over an hour. The box implies that the game should take around 35 mins but obviously the first time tales longer on account of getting to grips with the rules. The rules are easy once you’ve sussed them out – and are all agreed on the understanding of them!
Carcassonne is pretty addictive. As players battle for the most monasteries, biggest cities and longest roads, it quickly becomes a game of strategy – even when you’re only eight years old.
Included in our version of Carcassonne is the rivers expansion pack which adds another element to add to your landscape, and several more expansion packs are available to buy separately too. Have a look online to find one (or more) that takes your fancy! There is also a digital version of the game now but we haven’t tried that ourselves.
We have one more Asmodee game to review and I’m working on getting that one live really soon, but for now I hope you’ll go off into the internet and buy Carcassonne, because if you’re a family that likes board games this is a brilliant one to add to your collection.