Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale (2015) Board Game

Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale is a standalone game in the Carcassonne series, designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede. It was released in 2015 by Hans im Glück, known for their popular farming games. This version takes players out of the city and into the countryside, focusing on farming and nature themes.

Game Components of Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale

Land tiles

Follower pieces

Stable tokens

Animal tokens

Field tiles

Scoring board

Rulebook

How To Setup Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale

To set up the game, players start by placing the starting tile face up on the table. Each player selects a set of follower pieces and places them within reach. The remaining tiles are shuffled and placed face down within reach of all players. The scoring board is also placed within reach. Players then draw a starting tile and place it adjacent to the starting tile, ensuring that the edges match.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Tile Placement: Players take turns placing tiles to build a landscape of fields, hills, and pastures.

Follower Placement: Players can place followers on newly placed tiles to score points.

Stable Building: Players can build stables to house animals.

Animal Collection: Players collect animals and place them in their stables.

Shepherd Placement: Players can place a shepherd to move animals around the board.

Objective: The goal is to score the most points by collecting and managing resources, building stables, and strategically placing followers.

Player Experience

In Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale, players experience a mix of strategic planning and tactical execution. The game requires careful consideration of tile placement to optimize resource collection and animal management. The addition of stables and shepherds introduces new layers of complexity and strategy, making it engaging for fans of the original Carcassonne series as well as new players.

Pros

New Mechanics: Introduces fresh mechanics like stable building and animal management.

Depth and Strategy: Offers a deeper layer of strategy compared to the original Carcassonne.

Thematic Change: A refreshing change from the traditional town and castle building.

Cons

Learning Curve: New mechanics can make the game slightly more complex for beginners.

Component Management: Managing the additional components like animals and stables can be cumbersome.

Personal Thoughts on Carcassonne: Over Hill and Dale

This game is ideal for fans of the Carcassonne series looking for a new twist on the classic game. It is also suitable for players who enjoy farm-themed games and are interested in resource management and strategic planning. However, new players to the series might find the additional mechanics a bit overwhelming, so it’s recommended for those with some experience in tile-laying games.

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