Ultimate Guide to Playing Carcassonne and Its Expansions

Welcome to the exciting world of Carcassonne, a strategic board game that invites players to build cities, roads, and cloisters while competing for points. This guide will walk you through the login process, game mechanics, and various game types, ensuring you have all the information you need to dominate the game.

Logging In: Game Center vs. Facebook

To start your adventure in Carcassonne, you can log in using either your Game Center or Facebook account. When you choose Game Center, your player alias will be displayed in the game, allowing you to establish your unique identity. Alternatively, logging in with Facebook will show your Facebook name, making it easy for friends to recognize you.

Exploring the Lobby Area

Once you successfully log in, you will find yourself in the Lobby area. Here, you can see two essential lists:

• Lobby List: A list of users currently online, allowing you to connect with other players.
• Games List: A list of ongoing games where you can join existing unlocked games or invite others to play.

If you are new to Carcassonne, it is highly recommended to start with a Demo game. This will help you familiarize yourself with the game mechanics and strategies before diving into more competitive matches.

Game Types: Carcassonne and Beyond

Carcassonne offers a variety of game types, each with its unique tiles and meeples. Here’s a breakdown of the different games you can enjoy:

Carcassonne Games

• Mini Game: 36 tiles, 5 meeples
• Base Game: 72 tiles, 7 meeples
• Expansion 1 - Inns and Cathedrals: 90 tiles, 7 meeples, 1 giant
• Double Base Game: 144 tiles, 10 meeples
• Double Expansion 1: 180 tiles, 10 meeples, 2 giants
• Expansion 2 - Traders and Builders: 96 tiles, 7 meeples, 1 builder, 1 pig
• Double Expansion 2: 192 tiles, 9 meeples, 2 builders, 2 pigs

Seven Castle Games

• Castles Mini: 37 tiles, 5 meeples
• Castles: 70 tiles, 7 meeples
• Double Castles: 140 tiles, 12 meeples
• Castles Plus: 100 tiles, 9 meeples

The Narrow Sea

• Sea Base: 74 tiles, 4 meeples, 3 ships
• Sea Expansion 1: 108 tiles, 4 meeples, 1 giant, 3 ships
• Sea Expansion 2: 108 tiles, 4 meeples, 4 ships

The smaller games are free to play, while larger games require in-game credits. You can purchase credits to access these bigger games, but rest assured that credits are only deducted for completed games. If the game owner leaves before the game concludes, no credits are lost.

How to Play Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a turn-based multiplayer board game that challenges players to strategically place tiles and meeples. Here’s how to play:

1. When it’s your turn, your tile will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen.
2. Place your tile by tapping on the board, ensuring it matches the existing tiles.
3. Zoom in or out using pinch gestures or the zoom buttons for a better view of the board.
4. Rotate your tile using the rotate button on the right side; the tile will only rotate into valid positions.
5. Place one of your meeples (the small avatars at the top) on the tile by clicking on a red circle. This allows you to occupy a city, castle, road, cloister, or field.
6. Click 'Submit' to finalize your move. The program will alert you if the tile doesn’t match or if the entity is already occupied.
7. When you complete an occupied entity, you earn points, and your meeples are returned to you.
8. Points are awarded for completing cities, castles, roads, rivers, fields, or cloisters that you occupy. If multiple players occupy a city, the player with the most meeples receives the points.
9. The game concludes when all tiles are placed. At the end, you also earn points for any uncompleted entities.

Each game type—Carcassonne, Seven Castles, and Seven Seas—features different scoring rules. For a comprehensive understanding of the game, refer to the Guide section within the game.

Conclusion

Carcassonne is a captivating game that combines strategy, skill, and a bit of luck. By understanding the login process, exploring the various game types, and mastering the gameplay mechanics, you can enhance your gaming experience and increase your chances of winning. Dive into the world of Carcassonne and enjoy the thrill of building and competing!