Z-Man Games Carcassonne Big Box (2022) | Board Game | Ages 7+ | 2-6 Players | 35 Minutes Playing Time, Multicoloured, (ZMGZH010)

I have played the full version of the game with family and enjoyed it. I was looking for a board game to help me entertain four kids on a stopover! I chose this one based on reviews and boy I was NOT disappointed. Bear in mind these kids were a) not native English speakers b) aged between 6 and 13 c) hardened smart phone app gamers!However, after a quick 5 minute YouTube intro (do find it - it is well worth while) we got them going and they loved it. They played for about an hour which is pretty good for the 6yo. Later times they returned in twos, threes, with a parent etc.The best features are:Game length is perfect for kidsThe tiles are visually appealing - but the space needed is not excessiveThe meeple tokens are nice tooGame play is simple to learn - but you can deepen your strategy - though there is a bit of luck involved - Good combo!It is not too combative and has no depiction of violence of battle. That said there is a winner (and therefore losers!)Whilst not a game to be played addictively, it is one kids return to from time to time and enjoy the fun of it!Finally, a good price!What could be improved - first of the instructions - they are not well written Better go to YouTube and watch someone play for a few minutes. Drawback is that it is only up to four players - no more. Also, not so much fun when just two players. Ideal for 3 or 4! There could have been some variant to the rules (e.g. like an inverse game where you aim to keep your meeple off the board rather than set them down, but it doesn't quite work!I am being fussy - its a great game and I fully recommend it to anyone with 3 or four kids to entertain.

We found ourselves playing the base game of Carcassonne increasingly often, and were tempted to buy an expansion. Although this is number 2 in the series we liked the look of it, and it transformed the game. Firstly, we discovered that we had not picked up the farmer element in the base game, which is a whole new dimension in itself. In this expansion, the pig augments the farmer scoring and can often be a game winner. The extra go when using the builder meeple speeds things up, and with the extra land tiles the game strategy is more challenging. We have since bought the first expansion, Inns and Cathedrals, and Carcassonne is now, without doubt, our favourite game.

Great expansion ! Now we just spending free time playing Carcassonne -)

NOTE: this review is for My First Carcassone, not all the other versions!Disclaimer - I love the original Carcassone! But it's impossible to play when my 4-year-old is around. so I decided to get him into boardgaming by buying My First Carcassone.Conclusions: it sorta works for the 4-year-old. he's still more interested in assembling tiles with all the cows together with each other (here will be the cows), tiles with sheep together, etc. so he's very focused on the content of the tiles rather than any strategy, and that works, he enjoys it and doesn't destroy anything. Tiles are large (compared to the adult version), and have fun details. I guess it is the right level - all one tries to do is to complete the roads and put meeples on them.Why 4 stars - It is too simple, there's just no wrong way to put the tile down (all 4 sides have a road), and soooo many tiles have ends of the roads that we end them all the time. even at this level it could have been made more fun by NOT having roads on all 4 sides of all tiles, so one would think a bit harder and get a more interesting road design. but all in all, it's a good start, it just won't last long. I can imagine, by 5 my kid would be "fluent" in it, but that's yet to be seen

What a game and what great value. A superb board game. Yes there is a lot to it but it is worth just starting playing with the basic game to familiarise with the mechanics and then add the expansions in to increase the enjoyment and fun levels

good box with sort tray for expansion tiles. easier segregation of which tile is which expansion would be good, and having score board lay flat on one side of the box.

This expansion adds a great new dimension to the game and is perfect if you're starting to tire of it following a predictable pattern. The builder enables you to aim higher with your building projects, and we've seen several mega-cities change whole games (ones we never would have had an opportunity to finish before using the builder). The traders mix things up even more, giving players an incentive to finish each others' cities, which really changes the dynamic.The rules for the new pieces are easy to pick up and integrate into the game - we've even taught a few people to play since adding this expansion and have found that, although there are a few more rules to learn, it doesn't really make it much harder. I really reccommend this for new players or for seasoned players.

We love Carcassonne and have many of the other expansion packs, large and small. We played this expansion at a friend's house and bought it the moment we got home. It is such a simple concept yet all about strategy. When you place your barn is crucial, and how you then try and join it up even more so. The Mayor is also a fun addition as you can sneakily steal possession of a city as he is worth as many pennants in that structure. The key finish tiles are great too as you can complete an impossible section without waiting for exactly the right tile, so again, good for blocking/stealing from your opponents. As ever, it seems a costly addition for just 12 tiles, 6 barns and 6 mayors, but it makes for different game play, so a worthwhile twist.