Let's talk Carcassonne (the game). So far, it's boring. What am I missing?

[Colleen]

After talking here, and reading a bit on boardgamegeek, I decided which games to add to our collection this Christmas season. One of those was Carssonne, but as it happened, my parents gifted it to my son for his birthday just the other day. (Before I purchased it, thank goodness.) So now that we've played it a few times, I'm wondering...Is it just me, or is this game pretty darn boring?:tongue_smilie: I'm disappointed! I knew it'd be easier than Settlers, which we enjoy a great deal. And boy, it's easier all right! Even Kai, my youngest can lay down tiles, put the guys on there, and end up doing well. I do have the Inns & Cathedrals extension waiting in the wings. I don't know that I want to keep it, though. Does it change (e.g. make more interesting) the game a lot? Because if it's just going to be more of the same, I dunno....

[Nicole M]

Honey, it's a boy game. It's about the entering that whole world, and we just don't have the right chromosomes for that.

 

One of my colleagues came over last spring and he and the boys from my staff just raved on and on and on about this game. My sons got all excited about it listening, and then, seeing their reaction, the truth came home to me. It's a boy thing.

[Lakeside]

The whole strategy and feel of the game definitely change when you start adding in the expansion packs. We played the original version for a while before getting the first expansion and it really seemed like an entirely different game to me when we did add it.

 

My husband thinks that the game is greatly improved with the addition of expansion packs.

[Colleen]

Honey, it's a boy game. It's about the entering that whole world, and we just don't have the right chromosomes for that.

 

One of my colleagues came over last spring and he and the boys from my staff just raved on and on and on about this game. My sons got all excited about it listening, and then, seeing their reaction, the truth came home to me. It's a boy thing.

 

 

Mmm, no that's not proving true here. My two older boys spent some time figuring the game out and then when they finally played the first time they were kinda like, "Is that it?". It really is very, very simplistic.

[Colleen]

The whole strategy and feel of the game definitely change when you start adding in the expansion packs. We played the original version for a while before getting the first expansion and it really seemed like an entirely different game to me when we did add it.

 

My husband thinks that the game is greatly improved with the addition of expansion packs.

 

Good to know. I keep saying, with the basic game, "Are we missing something?". Maybe if we would've played this first, a few years ago, and then moved on to Settlers. Any-hoo, I'll put Inns & Cathedrals under the tree and we'll see if that livens it up.

[Lakeside]

I would also recommend Traders and Builders. It adds a few more elements that make it much more engaging.

[Nicole M]

Okay. So I did a little research. That is, I emailed our guy who is the Carcasonne fanatic, because I have a small gift dilemma, and your question made me realize that Carcasonne might be the answer to my prayers. I was confused about this add on thing, so I asked what would be necessary, and here's what he says:

 

I recommend purchasing the “Carcassonne Big Box,†which includes several expansions in one neat package (it makes it easier to sort and store the tiles, too). If you can’t find the Big Box, I would buy the expansions in this order:

1. Carcassonne Basic Game

2. Inns & Cathedrals

3. The River

4. Traders & Builders

5. The River II

6. The King & the Scout

7. The Princess & the Dragon

8. The Tower

 

You really don’t need the expansions (in fact, it’s easier to learn strategy by keeping it simple at first); however, nos. 1-4 would make an incredible gift.

Maybe it's the type of thing where it's simple at first, then you realize there are as many nuances as you can make of it? I have no idea. Do you just have the basic game, Colleen?

[cjzimmer1]

It's definitely NOT just a boy thing around here. Both my daughter and I love the game.

 

I have never played just the basic game. The friends who introduced it to us had most of the expansions at the time. So we used all of the tiles but only some of the rules. They picked out the ones they thought would be easiest to start with and we were hooked. We went out and bought it with most of the expansions. We don't use all of the rules because "I" can't keep track of all the different rules/points/scenarios (and since I'm the scorekeeper i get to decide the rules). With all the expansions I find it to be incredibly complex.

 

The rules/pieces we use are (although I don't remember which expansions they go with). Both rivers, inns, cloisters, farmers, builders, pigs and the big follower (worth two little followers). For us the fun is finding a strategy to bounce an opponent off a city or farm (by joining 1 big guy or two or more little guys thus having more "weight" in owning something than the other person. We just got catapults and my kids LOVE flinging pieces around although so far it hasn't really impacted the play of the game (although I did get bounced from two different farms in one game - URG). Towers is another expansion that allows removing opponents pieces. we haven't tried this because frankly "I" don't like having my pieces removed and prefer to play with rules where my pieces stay where I put them.

 

So this is lots of strategy involved once you start adding in all the expansions. I never played just the base game but I can guess where it would seem pretty slow. Settlers of catan is our family gift this Christmas and we are actually hoping it is as much fun as carcassone because we play it almost weekly.

[Colleen]

Maybe it's the type of thing where it's simple at first, then you realize there are as many nuances as you can make of it?

 

Yeah, I think that must be the case since a lot of adults enjoy the strategizing.

 

Do you just have the basic game, Colleen?

 

Yeah, my parents just gave Per the basic game. I'm giving the boys the Inns & Cathedrals expansion for Christmas so that'll add a new element. Seems like the more you expand it, the better it gets. These eurogame developers sure have a way of drawing you in, if you $$$kwim$$$.:tongue_smilie:

[Colleen]

Thanks for the info! Now that I read the replies I'm excited to add Inns & Cathedrals and get more into the strategy of the game. I hope you like Settlers. I was introduced to it several years ago and still haven't tired of it. In fact, I've never yet added any expansion sets to our basic Settlers game. Playing it "as is" still satisfies me.:)

[Melinda in VT]

Thanks for the info! Now that I read the replies I'm excited to add Inns & Cathedrals and get more into the strategy of the game. I hope you like Settlers. I was introduced to it several years ago and still haven't tired of it. In fact, I've never yet added any expansion sets to our basic Settlers game. Playing it "as is" still satisfies me.:)

 

That's how I felt too . . . until we added Cities & Knights. Now we almost never play basic Settlers.:D