Carcassonne - Xbox Live Arcade review

Long name, amazing results

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Very easy to pick up

  • +

    Fully customizable rules

  • +

    Online play

Cons

  • -

    Repetitive tunes

  • -

    Extreme zoom-out during play

  • -

    Lack of expansion packs

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

With the launch of Catan a few weeks back, Microsoft showed off a new side of Xbox Live Arcade; a side where mature, thoughtful board game fans are more than welcome. That being said, however, Catan definitely isn’t a jump-in-and-swim kind of experience. It’s an awesome game that takes more than a little getting used to before you really know how to play properly.

Carcassonne is the second game to follow the mature tabletop theme. This virtual adaptation of the popular, strategic German board game is the polar opposite of Catan. It’s deceptively simple at first; meaning just about anyone can pick up and play competently in a matter of minutes. But the strategy involved in becoming a Carcassonne master… well, that takes quite a bit more time.

Each game of Carcassonne is played by strategically placing 72 tiles on the game board. Use these randomly selected tiles to link roads, build cities and farms, and so on. Then use your limited number of followers to claim the various landmarks being built, thus earning points.

More info

GenreStrategy
DescriptionSet in a medieval landscape composed of 72 tiles, you'll start with just one tile and steadily expand into a virtual bathroom floor of territory.
Platform"Xbox 360"
US censor rating"Rating Pending"
UK censor rating""
Less