Carcassonne board game

by Amanda Nettgen

(USA)

Game:
Carcassonne board game for the Xbox 360
Video game manufacturer:
Sierra Online
Number of players:
1-5

Quick verdict

Carcassonne is the medieval conquest strategy game come to the 360. It’s based off of an ancient walled city in France.

The game and gameplay

Carcassonne is all about marking your territory. The game consists of 72 common tiles, of which you then distribute some or all of your 7 followers strategically to claim said territory.

Carcassonne is played in turns. On yours, a tile will be drawn for you randomly as well as the spots you may rotate and place the tile. Aim to form long roads, big cities, and/or large fields and employ your followers accordingly.

Cities (castles) are worth 2 points per tile. If you happen to have a few blue-and-white shields in there you score an additional 2 points per penant.

Roads are worth 1 point per tile and go on until they are blocked off by a bush or building. Maintain one that is at least 5 tiles in length to get one 1 of 12 achievements.

Monasteries are the final opportunity for scoring, worth 1 point per tile that surrounds them. Snag two of them in one swoop and you’ll nab an achievement as well.

Your followers are returned to you anytime you complete a city or road. This is also when the game points are awarded.

Final scoring is really when Carcassonne fates are decided. Your farmers’ jurisdictions are tallied (worth 3 points per supplied city) and any incomplete buildings or roads are also calculated (so don’t be afraid to branch out and conquer!).
Like most any game, it is the player with the most points after final scoring who wins. Keep at it and acquire a cumulative score of 5,000 for a particular achievement.

Pros and cons

The tutorials in Carcassonne are really helpful, and it’s good that it can support up to five local players. It has a basic feel, but at least there’s no setup.

The biggest con about Carcassonne for the Xbox 360 is that many may not find it to be terribly interesting.

There aren’t a variety of objectives – indeed, there’s only one – and it’s bound to get dull for those accustomed to flashier games after just a few plays.

And while a beginner can comprehend the rules set quite easily, developing consistent and solid strategy takes time.

The verdict

It’s okay for those who like the Carcassonne board game, but many others will crave a more exciting option as far as a strategy game. It’s a very rudimentary classic.