• This is an expansion - you need Carcassonne in order to use it

• Adds depth and complexity

• For 2-6 players

This expansion introduces several new city, temple, and road tiles which aren't in the original set. It adds two types of tiles -- two "Cathedral" tiles, which causes a city to be worth 3 times the points if it is finished, or makes a city worth nothing at the end of the game if it isn't finished. It also adds a handful of "Inn on the lake" tiles which makes a road worth 2 times the points when finished or worth nothing if unfinished at the end of the game. Finally, a new pawn is included, which is worth two people when determining ownership of completed sections.

There are two disadvantages with this set -- the backs are slightly different than the original set, which I didn't originally notice. It's not too bad, but it was bad enough for the hardcore players that a bag is given in a later expansion set to solve this problem. The other disadvantage is that it is sometimes difficult to tell which one of your pawns is the big guy, as the only difference is that it's slightly bigger. I've been meaning to paint small sheriff badges on mine to make it easier to tell the difference.

In the end, it's a very nice expansion for one of the greatest board games I've ever played.

33 of 33 found the following review helpful:


An excellent expansion to a great game  Nov 21, 2007 By Aaron Marks
This is a wonderful expansion to the original Carcassonne Game. There are two primary factors that make this my favorite of the expansions that are available.

WHY IT'S GREAT:

#1: This expansion adds a new player color (grey), allowing you to play with 6 players instead of the original which is limited to 5.

#2: The rules for the expansion are very simple, and match perfectly with the original game. If you already know how to play Carcassonne, you can learn this expansion in minutes. There are very few additional rules to learn, which means you can add in the expansion and start playing right away.

WHAT'S BEEN ADDED:

There are two new elements to the game introduced with this set, along with several pieces that don't change the original at all, but improve upon what's already there.

The new factors are the big meeples, which can greatly increase your game strategy possibilities, along with the inns and cathedrals, which increase the value of your completed roads and cities.

The other bonuses include new shapes of road, city, and cloister tiles, which adds some variety and new possibilities to your city building. As I mentioned previously, you also get a 6th player color. The scoring cards are cute, but I didn't really find them necessary. We never got confused about how many points people have.

MINOR DETRACTING FACTORS:

As mentioned by the other reviewers, the color of the backs of these tiles is a tiny bit different from the original tiles. An underhanded player could pick them intentionally. This is easily resolved by putting all the tiles in a cloth bag. Also mentioned by another reviewer, this expansion is not compatible with the Hunters and Gatherers expansion.

CONCLUSION:

This is a very well balanced expansion to what is already a great game. It adds some nice new strategies, making the game even more complete. Once you start playing with this expansion, it's hard to imagine how you ever did without. Pick this one up, you won't regret it.

15 of 15 found the following review helpful:


If you love Carcassonne, then Inns and Cathedrals is a must  Jan 15, 2009 By Pinch
For all the reasons listed by others, the expansion Inns and Cathedrals has become standard for me when playing Carcassonne.
A. The 6th color, grey is a bonus.
B. The big meaple (The Bully) for each color is really fun. Do you lay him down and try to claim the middle farm, or do you save him and try to steal a key city? Great addition.
C. The Inns take the formerly useless roads and make them relevant.
D. The Cathedrals present you with a very interesting choice. Try for extra points or try and hose someone else.
E. Extra tiles - Including one cool one with 4 end-caps.
F. And last, the scoring tiles, which is a nice thought but not really needed.

Overall, I Never play now without I&C.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:


A Must Buy to get 6 Players instead of only 5 and extras!  Feb 11, 2009 By J. Alsteen "whyanamearg"
Inns and Cathedrals is the best expansion to the main Carcasonne Game. It gives you the ability to play with 6 players instead of only 5, gives some cool new tiles, and adds a "large" follower for each player (played as a regular follower, but worth 2).
In my opinion, this should have been included with the main Carcassonne Game.

The tiles in MY pack had the EXACT same backing as the main game's tiles, with a tiny follower shaped mark on the front side to tell the tiles apart.
So you can't tell which pack they are from when the tiles are face down.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:


A Competitive Carcassonne Expansion  Feb 11, 2008 By A. Neuhoff "Amish"
This expansion Contains 18 new tiles, a new larger follower for each player (who counts as 2 followers), and a whole new set of gray pieces allowing for 6 players. This expansion is simple to learn, if you know how to play Carcassonne already it only takes a couple minutes to grasp the added elements.
This expansion adds a new competitiveness to the game. The Larger piece allows for more stealing of farms cities and roads. The inns and Cathedrals allow you to double road points or triple city points, but also make incomplete roads and cities worthless. Early in the game the Inns and Cathedrals can greatly increase the value of your road or city, late in the game they can wipe out all the points you've been building up in that large city or long road you've been working on all game long. However if you merely interested in a "friendly" game this may not be the best expansion for you.


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