Objective

The goal of Carcassonne is to score the most points by creating completed cities, roads, monasteries, and fields on the landscape. Points are scored both during the game and at the end of the game based on the completed features.

Setup

1. Tiles: The game comes with 72 land tiles that depict parts of cities, roads, monasteries, and fields.

2. Starting Tile: Place the starting tile (marked with a darker back) in the center of the table.

3. Followers: Each player chooses a color and takes 7 followers (also known as meeples). One meeple is placed on the score track to mark your points.

4. Draw Pile: Shuffle the remaining tiles and place them face down in several stacks.
   

Gameplay

1. Turn Sequence:

   • Draw a Tile: On your turn, draw a tile from the draw pile.

   • Place the Tile: You must place the tile on the table, connecting it to the tiles already in play. The tile must fit so that all sides match the existing landscape (e.g., roads must connect to roads, city to city).

   • Deploy a Follower: After placing the tile, you can optionally place one of your followers on the newly placed tile. Followers can be placed on:

     • City: Place on the city portion of the tile to claim the city.

     • Road: Place on the road portion of the tile to claim the road.

     • Monastery: Place on the monastery to claim it.

     • Field: Place on the field (grass area) to claim the farmland.

   • Score: If placing the tile completes a feature (city, road, or monastery), it is scored immediately. The player scores points and retrieves the follower from the completed feature.

2. Completing Features:

   • City: A city is complete when it is fully enclosed by city walls. The player who owns the city scores 2 points per tile and 2 points per shield (if any) within the city.

   • Road: A road is complete when both ends are closed by a city, monastery, or crossroads. The player scores 1 point per tile that makes up the road.

   • Monastery: A monastery is complete when it is surrounded by tiles on all eight sides. The player scores 9 points (1 point for the monastery tile and 1 point for each surrounding tile).

   • Fields: Fields are scored at the end of the game. They connect to completed cities, and the player with the most followers in a field scores 3 points for each completed city connected to that field.

3. End of the Game:

   • The game ends when all tiles have been placed. Any incomplete features are then scored:

     • Incomplete City: 1 point per tile and 1 point per shield.

     • Incomplete Road: 1 point per tile.

     • Incomplete Monastery: 1 point for the monastery and 1 point for each surrounding tile.

     • Fields: Score 3 points for each completed city connected to the field.

4. Winning the Game:

   • The player with the most points after all features have been scored wins the game.
     

Strategy Tips

1. Tile Placement: Think ahead about how your tiles can complete or expand features.

2. Follower Management: Be careful not to run out of followers by over-committing them early in the game.

3. Blocking Opponents: Place tiles that prevent opponents from completing their features.
   

Variations and Expansions

Carcassonne has numerous expansions and variations that add new tiles, features, and rules. These can introduce elements like rivers, inns, cathedrals, traders, and builders, adding depth and variety to the game.