Download Article
Lead your meeple to victory with our savvy game guide
Download Article
If you’re looking for a classic to try at your next game night, Carcassonne is the perfect one to try with your friends. Players take turns playing tiles to build out a map and earn points by claiming and completing features. This game is straightforward and only takes a few minutes to learn, so keep reading for all the rules to start playing (plus the best strategies for winning)!
Carcassonne Game Objective
To play Carcassonne, take turns placing scenic tiles together so the edges complete features with previously played tiles. Earn points by completing cities, roads, and monasteries with your meeple pieces on them. Whoever has the most points when the tiles run out wins!
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
Carcassonne Game Setup
Download Article
-
Place the starting tile in the middle of the table. When you open a game of Carcassonne , look for the starting tile with the darker back. Set the tile face-up where all the players are able to reach it. [1] X Research source
- Use a large table or other playing space to play Carcassonne because the tiles will sprawl out and take up quite a bit of space.
-
Shuffle and stack the remaining tiles face down. Mix up all the tiles and form them into a couple even stacks around the table. Make sure all the players are able to reach a stack so they can draw tiles throughout the game. [2] X Research source
- Alternatively, toss the tiles into a cloth bag, shake them up, and draw them at random without looking during the game.
Advertisement -
Place a meeple on the scorecard for each player. Give each player all of the wooden meeples of their chosen color for their personal supply. Place the scorecard near the edge of the table. Have each player put a meeple on the “0” space of the scorecard. [3] X Research source
- You can play Carcassonne with 2-5 players. Two-player games are more head-to-head while more players make the game a little more random.
- Each player is responsible for tracking their own points, or you can have whoever’s sitting closest track the score.
-
Pick a player at random to go first. Any player can volunteer to go first, or you can choose someone at random. You may have the youngest player go first, or let the person who won the last game start. [4] X Research source
- From start to finish, a game of Carcassonne usually takes around 30-45 minutes to play.
Advertisement
Section 2 of 5:
Carcassonne Gameplay
Download Article
-
Play a tile so the edge features match one that’s already been played. Draw a tile from one of the stacks and place it adjacent to an existing tile. Tiles have features like green fields, white roads, and brown cities. When you place a tile, the features must match along any touching edges for it to be a legal move. [5] X Research source
- Example : If the tile you drew has a road connecting to one edge, you may play it onto an open edge with a road.
- On later turns, the tile you place must match existing tiles on each side they touch. If an open space connects to a field on the left and a road on top, then the tile you play must line up with those features.
-
Place a meeple on the tile you played to claim empty features. If the tile you just played has a road, city, or monastery (church) on it, then you may take a meeple from your supply and stand it up on the tile. Placing a meeple lets you claim the feature so you’re able to score it later in the game. [6] X Research source
- If the feature on a tile you played connects to one that’s already been claimed by another player, you cannot put another meeple on it.
-
Score any roads, cities, or monasteries you completed. If playing a tile closes or completes a feature that already has a meeple on it, then it immediately scores regardless of whose turn it is. Add the points to your score card by moving your meeple up the track on the scorecard. After scoring points, players take their meeples off the board and put them back into their personal supply. [7] X Research source
- Roads: Score a road once both ends are closed or connected to a different feature. Earn 1 point for each tile in the road.
- Cities: Score cities when they’re completely enclosed without any gaps inside. Earn 2 points for each tile in the city, and an additional 2 points for each coat of arms (shield) icon within the city walls.
- Monasteries: Score a monastery once it is completely surrounded by 8 tiles. Earn 1 point for the Monastery and each tile surrounding it (for a total of 9 points).
Advertisement
Section 3 of 5:
Final Scoring & Winning the Game
Download Article
-
Take turns until you run out of tiles. Players continue taking turns going clockwise around the table. Players always have to play a tile on their turn, even if it doesn’t directly benefit them or add to their score. As soon as all of the tile stacks have run out, the game immediately ends. [8] X Research source
- If at any point you draw a tile that you cannot place because it won’t fit anywhere, make sure your fellow players agree that there is nowhere to place the tile. In the rare case that there’s no legal spot for the tile, put it back in the box and draw a new one.
-
Earn points for incomplete features. Check the tiles for any meeples that are still on the board and tally up the points for the remaining features. As you score each remaining feature, remove the meeple from the board so you don’t accidentally count it again. [9] X Research source
- Roads: Earn 1 point for each tile in the incomplete road
- Cities: Earn 1 point for each tile in the city, and an additional 1 point for each coat of arms icon
- Monasteries: Earn 1 point for the Monastery and each tile surrounding it (for a total of up to 9 points)
-
Win the game if you earn the most points. Move meeples around the track on the scorecard to count up the final points. Whoever earned the most points from scoring features wins the game!
- If there’s a tie for points, then the tied players share the win.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
-
QuestionTo start, how many pieces are there in the base game?Community AnswerThe basic game is made of 72 tiles, including the starting one. Most starting boxes today include the river expansion, which adds 12 river tiles.
-
QuestionWhat's the difference between gardens and fields?Tai SmithCommunity AnswerA garden grows flowers and stuff while a field is just a lot of grass. Garden = Grows Stuff, Field = Big Long Grassy Area.
-
QuestionCan tiles be placed upside down, e.g. a cloister tile?FredwinaCommunity AnswerYes. The tiles don't have to be right side up as long as they connect to the adjacent tile.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
- Once you get a handle on the basic game, look for Carcassonne expansions to include in your game. These expansions change the rules, add new tiles, and give you new ways to score.Thanks
- Want to play online? You can play Carcassonne in a browser on various websites or download the Carcassonne mobile app !Thanks
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/0_BsfW1OCsk?t=32
- ↑ https://images.zmangames.com/filer_public/d5/20/d5208d61-8583-478b-a06d-b49fc9cd7aaa/zm7810_carcassonne_rules.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ec790ae4b0396cbd14d8a1/t/5979af2f893fc0424c4691f9/1501146946692/Carcassonne-board-game-rules.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ec790ae4b0396cbd14d8a1/t/5979af2f893fc0424c4691f9/1501146946692/Carcassonne-board-game-rules.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/B_sti6CU9zI?t=39
- ↑ https://images.zmangames.com/filer_public/d5/20/d5208d61-8583-478b-a06d-b49fc9cd7aaa/zm7810_carcassonne_rules.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ec790ae4b0396cbd14d8a1/t/5979af2f893fc0424c4691f9/1501146946692/Carcassonne-board-game-rules.pdf
- ↑ https://images.zmangames.com/filer_public/d5/20/d5208d61-8583-478b-a06d-b49fc9cd7aaa/zm7810_carcassonne_rules.pdf
- ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53ec790ae4b0396cbd14d8a1/t/5979af2f893fc0424c4691f9/1501146946692/Carcassonne-board-game-rules.pdf
- ↑ https://images-cdn.zmangames.com/us-east-1/filer_public/14/af/14af825c-9879-42b8-851d-35ce41df7767/carcassonne-supplement.pdf
- ↑ https://images-cdn.zmangames.com/us-east-1/filer_public/14/af/14af825c-9879-42b8-851d-35ce41df7767/carcassonne-supplement.pdf
- ↑ https://images-cdn.zmangames.com/us-east-1/filer_public/14/af/14af825c-9879-42b8-851d-35ce41df7767/carcassonne-supplement.pdf
- ↑ https://www.meeplemountain.com/articles/carcassonne-strategy-guide/
- ↑ https://tickettocarcassonne.com/carcassonne/
- ↑ https://www.meeplemountain.com/articles/carcassonne-strategy-guide/
- ↑ https://tickettocarcassonne.com/carcassonne/
- ↑ https://tickettocarcassonne.com/carcassonne/
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To play the popular board game Carcassonne, aim to have the most points once all of the game tiles have been used. At the start of your turn, draw a tile, place it next to an existing tile, and put a meeple on it to claim the territory. Once you complete an area, you can then remove your meeple, count up the tiles it took you to create the territory, and add this number to your scorecard. Keep playing until you've used all of the tiles. Finally, count up any final points, such as bonus points for connecting roads or for putting shields around cities. To learn how to use your meeples to help keep score during a game of Carcassonne, keep reading!
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 119,203 times.
Reader Success Stories
Advertisement
"Simple to follow the steps."
"I like board games. "
