Unboxed the Board Game Blog

Inspired by the medieval fortress in southern France of the same name, Carcassonne is a tile-laying game in which players fill in the countryside around the fortified city. Players choose from tiles that depict cities, roads, monasteries, and fields; each new tile placed creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers. Players score points by having followers on features as they're completed. The player who makes the most strategic placements of tiles and followers will score the most points and win the game.

To be selected for the coveted post of Master Builder, you must impress the monarchy by constructing a majestic medieval metropolis. In Citadels, players use the local citizens to acquire gold and build districts to complete their city. Players draft characters each round, looking for those who provide the desired special abilities to further develop their cities—or hinder their opponents' efforts. Hire the elusive Thief and pick one of your rival’s pockets, or commission the Artist to beautify your districts and increase their value. Plot, scheme, and deceive your way to the top as you attempt to predict your opponents’ actions and foil their plans. Only the best city will earn its steward the title of Master Builder.

Use resources to build a village of critters and constructions in this woodland game. From Everfrost to Bellsong, many a peaceful year have passed in Everdell — but the time has come for new territories to be settled and new cities to be established. You will be the leader of a group of critters intent on just such a task. There are buildings to construct, lively characters to meet, events to host— you will have a busy year ahead of you! Will the sun shine brightest on your city before the winter moon rises?

Settlers from four major powers of the world have discovered new lands, with new resources and opportunities. Romans, Barbarians, Egyptians and Japanese all at once move there to expand the boundaries of their empires. They build new buildings to strengthen their economy, they found mines and fields to gather resources, and they build barracks and training grounds to train soldiers. Soon after they discover that this land is far too small for everybody, then the war begins…

In the best-selling family classic, you are a king seeking new lands to expand your kingdom. Match tiles, claim crowns and expand your land to build the most impressive Kingdom! But be careful, other kings will try and claim the same terrain!

The Japanese smash hit comes to the U.S.! Machi Koro, the city building card game, sees players compete to build the perfect city. Each turn players will roll dice in order to gather resources from the bank or their opponents. The player to build his four powerful landmark cards first is the winner. The game is fast and furious and with more than a dozen different resources, the replayability is endless!

In Welcome To, players are American architects in the 50s during the Baby Boom. But beware of the competition! Who will best accomplish the city’s plans by creating the nicest housing estates in the three streets they’ve been assigned? Will your luxurious parks and fancy pools be enough to earn you title of Best Architect? Welcome To is a game where everyone plays at the same time with the same cards. It’s all about cleverly combining the house numbers with their associated effects in order to become the greatest architect of tomorrow !

Welcome to the Moon is the last episode of the Welcome to... trilogy of games. After the residential housing estates of the 1950s, after the casinos of the 1960s, you will aim to conquer space... Welcome to the Moon is an evolving and narrative flip & write game. It contains 8 different Adventures that form a complete story with an increasing difficulty level. You can play these 8 Adventures independently, or successively to play out your story.

The Inns & Cathedrals expansion adds more ways to shape the Medieval countryside in the award-winning tile-laying game Carcassonne. Eighteen Land tiles feature two new buildings that open additional avenues to scoring points. Construct imposing cathedrals that increase your cities' value, or build humble inns along your roads to double the value of your thieves. But be careful! An incomplete feature that uses an inn or cathedral scores no points at the end of the game.

Nightweave has made Plots and Plans for taking over Everdell with the aid of her spiderlings! Pit your wits against Nightweave's in solo or two-player games, and recruit heroes of yore like Corrin Evertail himself.

This small expansion to Carcassonne released by Rio Grande Games is actually a compilation of smaller expansions. * The Cult, 6 tiles. (One tile is only available in this compilation.) * The Siege, 4 tiles. (The tiles in this release have different art than the original Spielbox 2004 Release.) * “Creativity”, 2 blank tiles that you can use to create your own expansion. Part of the Carcassonne series.