Z-Man Games My First Carcassonne Board Card

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.

My First Carcassonne is absolutely brilliant for playing with young children. I play with my 4 year old and after only a couple of games she is starting to think more strategically and I can see her skills developing. It's beautifully designed and it's great to play board games that don't rely on the roll of a dice! We love it and I can see us graduating on to the adult version in a couple of years.

My four-year-old greatly enjoys playing with this game, although he won't actually play by the rules as written. We divide up the coloured tokens and then take turns placing the tiles. He is not yet willing to actually place the tokens on the tiles when roads are completed, as the rules suggest, so we just place tiles until we run out. He likes to see which different coloured people are on the tiles. To be honest, this is much better turn-taking and rule-following than I've seen with other games, and he does really seem to enjoy it, so I'm in no hurry to change anything.The components are well made and will stand up to repeated play with a pre-schooler.

Very simple concept, but makes play very random. Any tactics are too complicated for young users, but also very limited. I expected a game that related more closely to Carcasonne’s main game so that players could progress more naturally from one to another. Definitely over-priced for the box contents and limited game play.

Got this for my 4 year old niece for her birthday and she loved it. Wanted to play straight away. She understood the rules and even beat us 3 grown ups who were really trying!