One of the best ways to spend a rainy day is by playing board games with friends and family. But what if you can’t think of a game that will be fun for everybody? Well, look no further! We have found five great games like Carcassonne based on different aspects such as complexity, number of players, etc.
What Is Carcassonne Board Game?
One of the most popular board games out there, Carcassonne is a tile-based game in which players build and expand the land to score points. This award-winning family board game was first published by Z-Man Games in 2000 with its original design created by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede. Each player takes on an individual role (such as knight or robber) that has their own set of actions throughout the course of the game. The beautiful artwork and easy gameplay make this one great for both kids and adults!
The Gameplay of Carcassonne
The goal of Carcassonne is to score points by creating a landscape across the game board. There are six different types of terrain tiles that will be placed on the table before starting: roads, cities, cloisters, fields, rivers, and knights/robbers.
Cities only score points if they’re completed with eight surrounding road segments or surrounded by four towns while having specialized city tiles within them. Cloisters can also only be scored once completely surrounded in tiles while both field and monastery-type tiles must have their corners matching up with those around.
Each player receives two meeples at the start of each turn. One can be placed on an unoccupied city, road, or field while the other one must go to a space that has already been occupied by another player’s meeple (which then gives them control over it). They’re able to perform special actions based on their role during certain stages in the game:
- Knights/robbers are played onto roads and cities with each tile giving players points for completing features within (e.g., connecting cities to roads will score extra points)
- The farmer allows players to place one additional tile when expanding across fields
- The builder is needed to complete either cities or roads by adding another tile on top of them
- The monk is used to removing tiles from the board and drawing new ones
Each of these actions can only be done once per turn (except for when playing with expansions) unless stated otherwise. In the end, all incomplete cities are worth two points while completed roads and cloisters score one point along with every complete field tile; each player adds up their total number of points before moving on to the next round.
Why Do You Need to Play This Game
Carcassonne is a fantastic and simple game to learn. If you’re looking for family-friendly fun, this one will keep everyone busy! The player roles add another layer of depth that makes it great for both kids and adults while the expansions can be added in whenever you want more. It’s also easy enough to just get started quickly with only two six-sided dice (one matching color) so there aren’t any extra pieces that need figuring out before starting.
What Are Games Like Carcassonne?
Games like Carcassonne are becoming more and more popular as time goes on, but it can be hard to find ones that are similar at first glance. If you’re interested in trying out some other titles, here are a few of our top picks:
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Best for Smaller Groups  | Castles of Mad King Ludwig
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Best for Kids  | Takenoko
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Best For Intermediate Players  | Isle of Skye From Chieftain to King Board Game
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Best For Experienced Players  | Queen Games Alhambra: Revised Edition Board Game
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Best For Families  | Cacao
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1. Castles of Mad King Ludwig – Best for Smaller Groups
This tile-placement game takes players on a journey to build the castle of their dreams, but it’s also different enough from Carcassonne that you’re not going to see repeated mechanics. Players will be able to purchase and place rooms in order to score points while each room is worth more depending on how many tiles are touching it. This is a great alternative for smaller groups and can be enjoyed with just three players without any issues at all!Gameplay
Castles of Mad King Ludwig is played by placing tiles onto a board that shows what rooms need to be placed and where they can go. Every player starts with four room cards in their hand: two spaces for the garden, one large space for the rest of the castle, and another small room card. The first round begins with everyone randomly receiving twelve more random smaller-sized room cards along with money equal to half their turn order (e.g., if it’s a five-player game then each person will get $50). Rooms must be purchased from an open market – either via bidding or paying cash depending on which ones are available at any given time – but only three types exist within this pool: towers, halls, or bathrooms.
Each player starts with one meeple in addition to their hand cards: two knights/robbers for roads and cities respectively while farmers are used for fields instead. For every road connected at least once by your meeples, you’ll receive $100 but if your city is complete then everyone else’s will score -$20 each; this goes back into the pool though so there could be money available later down the line depending on how many people complete them! Once all players pass consecutively without placing anything new, the round ends, and points are totaled.
Details
- Game Time: 30–60 Min
- Age: 13+
- Players: 1-4
Final Thoughts
If you enjoyed Carcassonne but wanted something a little different, Castles of Mad King Ludwig is the perfect fit! The room tiles add depth and strategy while still maintaining ease of play. There’s also no expansion required to play: just get started quickly with this one by itself and enjoy every round!
2. Takenoko – Best for Kids
Takenoko is a cute and simple board game that’s perfect for families. The gameplay may be easy to learn but it still provides enough challenge as you progress to keep things interesting! This one comes with an adorable panda piece that will eat bamboo around the track, earning points along the way while three different types of tiles are available: those which give bonus points or move your meeple ahead on the scoring track, clear all surrounding pieces from a space (whether they’re yours or not), and turn them into new bamboo segments instead.Gameplay
The first person each round starts by rolling two dice; one matching color determines where their gardener begins while another number indicates how many actions can be taken this turn after everyone takes turns in order. The gardener can move up to four spaces at a time with one action per space so long as they’re not blocked by another player and if there’s already bamboo on that spot, it will be turned into new segments instead while the panda moves eight spaces but only takes one action for each of those spots (eating). Once all players have passed consecutively without taking any more actions then points are totaled and the round ends; whoever has earned the most points wins!
Details
- Game Time: 30–60 Min
- Age: 13+
- Players: 2-4
Final Thoughts
Takenoko is a cute and fun board game that will keep families entertained for hours. It’s easy to learn but still provides enough challenge as you progress throughout the rounds. The panda piece can eat all of the surrounding bamboos which earn points each turn while earning more actions allows players to perform different tasks such as moving their meeple or clearing tiles; this adds even more variety and depth!
All in all, Takenoko is an adorable family board game perfect for children and adults alike: it’s simple enough for younger kids yet still challenging enough to be interesting without getting frustrating (at least until they lose and need some time off from playing before coming back again).
3. Isle of Skye From Chieftain to King Board Game – Best For Intermediate Players
Isle of Skye is a beautiful and engaging board game perfect for intermediate players. Those who’ve played many board games before will likely enjoy this one while it’s also great to play with family or friends if you’re looking for something fun but not too complicated! This one comes with five different types of tiles: purchase, land, goods (which score points), scoring locations (worth more the fewer other people own them), and special actions which can be taken by anyone on their turn such as expanding off into either direction.Gameplay
The first player each round begins at three paces away from everyone else; they then take turns in order clockwise around the table until someone passes within two spaces of the starter tile whereupon that person becomes the first player.
The first person to reach five points wins while all other players receive negative points for each spot they’re away from that milestone; whoever is closest without reaching it receives positive bonus points instead! This means there’s still an incentive to do well even if you lose since others will likely catch up and overtake your lead with additional bonuses available during scoring rounds as well.
Details
- Game Time: 30–50 Min
- Age: 8+
- Players: 2-5
Final Thoughts
Isle of Skye is a fun and interactive board game that will keep everyone entertained for hours. It’s easy enough to learn but still provides enough challenge as you progress throughout the rounds; this makes it an excellent choice for those who want something challenging without getting frustrating (at least until they lose and need some time off from playing before coming back again).
All in all, Isle of Skye is a beautiful family-friendly board game perfect for children and adults alike: there are plenty of options available during each turn so no two games should be exactly alike which means players must constantly adapt their strategies on the fly! The rules are simple yet engaging which means advanced gamers can appreciate them while beginners won’t feel overwhelmed or lost either.
4. Queen Games Alhambra: Revised Edition Board Game – Best For Experienced Players
Alhambra is an excellent board game for seasoned players looking to try something new. It’s challenging but not frustrating; this makes it great for family or friends who want to play together without getting too competitive (although that certainly adds another level of difficulty if desired). There are six different currency types in Alhambra so planning ahead is very important: you need some money now, more later, and even more after that!Gameplay
The first player each round begins the game with three cards which they can trade at any time during their turn as long as they’re willing to spend one currency type per card exchanged. At the end of every full rotation around the table, everyone gets a scoring phase whereupon all points earned throughout the rounds leading up to then are tallied up. This means that early turns can have a great impact on the final results so you’ll be tempted to change your plans midway through but should consider how it will affect future rounds or other players’ strategies before doing so!
Details
- Game Time: 30–60 Min
- Age: 13+
- Players: 2-4
Final Thoughts
Alhambra is a challenging board game for experienced players looking for something new and exciting: there are many different currencies, properties, and scoring mechanics available throughout each round which leads to complex planning decisions every time even if multiple phases of play exist within them. Players must think ahead carefully about their options as well since the first player each round begins with three cards at all times while others only get one meaning everyone gets an edge over those who waste theirs by not thinking things through thoroughly enough beforehand.
5. Cacao – Best For Families
Cacao is a fun board game that’s perfect for family playtime since it doesn’t require too much time or effort to learn the rules yet still provides enough challenge throughout each round. It’s easy enough to teach others how to play but challenging enough early on so even though you’ll likely get further and score higher in future rounds, this won’t come without putting in some legwork first!Gameplay
Each player begins with their own color-coded plantation featuring four bushes of two different types which are used as currency when trading for new beans from other players during gameplay using an open hand of cards unique to every player based on the number picked at random just before starting (which affects available options).
The game ends when one player runs out of cards after using the rest to create chocolate bars (which are worth more points if you’ve collected three matching beans) and feeding them to their god; this is where strategy comes into play since it’s not just about buying low-value cards anymore but instead trying to save up for high-point value bar combinations that will benefit your overall score at the end!
Details
- Game Time: 30–60 Min
- Age: 8+
- Players: 2-4
Final Thoughts
All in all, Cacao is an engaging board game perfect for families looking for something new yet familiar enough they’re not overwhelmed by its complexities: simple rules combined with challenging gameplay make it a great choice for weekends or family fun nights whether alone or together!
People Also Ask
What Is The Best Game For Two Players?
Many board games are designed for two players and Cacao is no exception with open trading, multiple currencies to keep track of (which affects the choices you make each round), and a challenging endgame where tactics come into play in addition to general strategy. You can enjoy playing it together without having one person take over every time; instead, everyone gets their turn throughout which makes this game perfect for couples who want something new yet familiar!
What Is A Good Strategy Board Game To Play With children?
The best strategy board games for children are ones that not only keep them actively engaged throughout the entire time you play together but also provide enough challenge even when playing multiple rounds in a row if they want to continue! Alhambra is perfect since it features different ways of earning points every round yet still requires foresight into what your opponents could do before making any moves yourself; grandson would love it especially since there's no violence or competition involved during gameplay!
How Do I Get Started Playing A Board Game?
The easiest way to get started playing a board game is learning the rules and then deciding if it's something you want to invest more time into or not: once you know what mechanics are involved, how they work together (or against each other), and whether there's enough content for multiple rounds without becoming mundane; only then will you be able to figure out which games like this one offers enough replay value as well!
Summary
As we mentioned before, Carcassonne is a very unique board game that has no direct analog. However, there are still many other games like it worth playing! These five options all have similar mechanics and rules but vary in complexity and number of players.