From the makers of Carcassonne came in 2007 Travel Carcassonne: a miniaturized version of the basic game in C1 graphics. For comparison, the regular tiles are sized at 45 x 45 mm; the travel edition at 35 x 35 mm. Regular followers are about 16 mm tall and 16 mm wide; the mini-meeples are reduced to 12 x 12 mm.
In 2012 there was a reprint of the game, however, officially there were no expansions made for this edition. Fans took it on themselves to "miniaturize" several expansions an augment the Travel Edition:
https://boardgamer.ru/forum/index.php?topic=5565.0.
This edition is probably played less than the original one, and rightly so: most of us spend the majority of the year in their home town and travel only occasionally. But the game is there all the time... so Carcassonne enthusiasts have come with ways of integrating the mini-meeples (
minis from now on) in the regular game.
I found 13 variants/expansions, some of them presented rather as an idea, a what-if, while others as finished and quite elaborate expansions.
In this posting I will focus only on the use of
minis, although some expansions may have more elements. I will include the source as well, maybe you'll want to try the variant.
In English alphabetical order, here they are:
1.
ApprenticeAuthors/Contributors: Scott V
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: up to 100 tiles, 1. Up to 200 tiles, 2. And so on...
Gameplay Tile placement: usual way
Mini deployment: deploy on free feature, occupying it.
In-game scoring: alone, cannot score (see cloister below), otherwise has the strength of 0.5 meeple.
On cloister it is a Novice and scores alone, 5 points
Extra Step: Can return in owner's hand at end of turn, even from City of Carcassonne
Final scoring: A Novice gets half the points rounded down
Interactions Count, King & Robber: Can visit the City of Carcassonne
Traders & Builders: A Pig or Builder of same colour may be placed on a feature with a lone Apprentice
Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
Can be protected by Fairy
Can be seduced by Princess
Can use a Magic Portal
Tower: Towers can capture Apprentices. The prisoner exchange is the same, but the optional ransom is 2 points instead of 3
Cannot be used to "cap" towers
Abbey & Mayor: In a city without pennants, a Mayor and an Apprentice of same colour count as a Knight
Phantom: A Phantom cannot be placed in the same time with an Apprentice
Wheel of Fortune: Cannot ride the Wheel of Fortune
Gingerbread Man: Cannot get points from Gingerbread Man
The Plague: Can die of Plague
Crop Circles: Can use a Crop Circle
2.
ApprenticesAuthors/Contributors: crasher
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: number of players
Gameplay Tile placement: usual way
Mini deployment: Deploy on features where you already have meeples, but no
mini In-game scoring: By themselves, 0 strength. If the others are in tie,
minis number may break the tie
Interactions Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
If the last Knight of a player is removed from a city by a Princess, all Apprentices on that city are then returned as well.
Cannot use the Magic Gate
Tower: Cannot be taken prisoner by towers
Cannot be used to "cap" towers
Cathars: A player may use an adjacent cloister to affect the escape of a Squire in a besieged city
3.
Baby BoomAuthors/Contributors: Dave
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: Start with none, can add one: once in game, if you won a city with two meeples, may give up the points and get the
miniGameplay Tile placement: Usual way
Mini deployment: When available, play like regular meeple
In-game scoring: Score like regular meeple
Final scoring: Score like regular meeple
4.
Carcassong of Ice and FireAuthors/Contributors: Fritz_Spinne
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 1
Other relevant new material: 8 strength tokens
1 Princess meeple
Gameplay Tile placement: Standard rules are augmented
Mini deployment: Deploy the usual way
In-game scoring: Current strength is marked by token. Starts from 0.5 and grows by 0.5 with every city the halfling helped win.
In capital, strength increases by 0.5
Interactions Traders & Builders: The Builder can be used on a street or city that has only one child
Princess & Dragon: Cannot be seduced by Princess (on tile or meeple)
5.
Dwarves in MinesAuthors/Contributors: kettlefish
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 1
Gameplay Extra Step: Miner receives one ore unit, then moves to next mining area
Tile placement: Usual way
Mini deployment: Deploy as regular meeple or in mine
Extra Step: If scoring meeple lands on dark field, can place miner. If miner is already placed, return miner to hand.
6.
Family PlanningAuthors/Contributors: Fritz_Spinne
Published on: CarF
Number of minis introduced: 4-5 on the side, depending on expansions and other meeple distribution. The rules are more specific
Gameplay Extra Step: A childless married couple gets a child on the feature. Farmers' child can stay as Farmer or go in player's supply.
Tile placement: Usual way. If connecting a lonely child to a “free” adult, education begins and adult is now “busy” (one pupil per adult)
Mini deployment: Deploy the usual way
In-game scoring: Alone, strength 0. Beside an adult, 0.5.
Extra Step: If scoring in a closed feature and adults are available, child is replaced by adult, otherwise returns in player's supply
Interactions Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
Traders & Builders: The Builder cannot be used on a street or city that has only one child
Princess & Dragon: Can be eaten by the dragon.
Can be protected by Fairy
Can be seduced by Princess
Can use magic portal
Tower: Can be removed by Tower, but return in player's supply
Cannot be used to "cap" towers
Wheel of Fortune: Cannot ride the Wheel of Fortune and is not affected by it
The Plague: Cannot die of Plague
Crop Circles: Can use a Crop Circle
Flying Machines: Can be used as flier. If landing beside a “free” adult, education begins
Catapult: The Seduce token replaces a child with child
Bridges, Castles & Bazaars: Small towns with only one child cannot be converted into a Castle
Gold Mines: Alone or not, is involved in the distribution of the gold pieces
Mage & Witch: Closing a feature with a lonely child and a Mage gives the bonus points (but not the base ones)
In the stocks (Jonathan Warren): cannot be pillored
The Gallows (Jonathan Warren): cannot be hanged
Carcassonne Prison (Kevin Graham): escape capture and return to player's supply.
Jousting Tournament (Jonathan Warren): do not take part in the knight tournament
Archery Tournament (Scott): can participate in the archery tournament
Farmer in the Dell (Carcking): If a meadow is counted as a farm in the valley, a child can finish their training.
The Kids are Growing Up (Patrik Wikström): The children are growing up differently in this expansion. You can also take over the rule for having children from this family planning extension.
It is then recommended that the children who have grown up be taken out of the game and not put aside.
7.
Follo-weeAuthors/Contributors: Dennison Milenkaya
James Searles
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: 2 + # of players
Gameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: Deploy on any feature on any tile if that feature segment is free. Cannot deploy on farm or cloister
In-game scoring: When the feature is closed, the player with the majority scores as usual minus the segment occupied by an opponent Follo-wee
Extra Step: After scoring, do not return in hand (get out of game)
Interactions Traders & Builders: Commodity is not awarded if Follo-wee on it
Inns & Cathedrals: Inn or Cathedral occupied by Follo-wee is cancelled (in game and end of game)
8.
Inns and Stables OwnersAuthors/Contributors: ShadowP68
Published on: CarC
Needed expansion: Inns & Cathedrals
Number of minis introduced: 4
Gameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
In-game scoring: Points for Inn, bonus for road.
Points for completed Stable, bonus for livestock.
Extra Step: Can deploy an Inn or Stable Owner on the freshly placed tile (second wood move)
Final scoring: Unfinished structures do not award extension's points
9.
Minimeeple useAuthors/Contributors: Kolja Geldmacher
The Apostle Green
Published on: BGG
Number of minis introduced: 4, replace one regular meeple
Gameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: Deploy on a free feature, or one populated only by
minis; or deploy on occupied feature, but cannot have more than two if non-
minis are already present
In-game scoring: 3
minis are needed to count as one regular, otherwise they count as 0 and cannot score
10.
Pied PiperAuthors/Contributors: Quevy
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 2, replace 2 regular meeples
Gameplay Extra Step: Pied Piper move triggered by rat. If encountering a child, either pay 2 points, or return child to inventory
Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: Deploy and use like regular meeple
In-game scoring: Strength 0.5
11.
TemptressAuthors/Contributors: Roscoe
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 1
Gameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: Deploy on a tile directly adjacent orthogonally, and on the same feature as a normal meeple of the same colour
In-game scoring: Strength 0.5
Final scoring: Strength 0.5
12.
The Kids Are Growing UpAuthors/Contributors: Patrik Wikström
Published on: CarC
Number of minis introduced: 2, replace initially 2 regular meeples
Gameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: Deploy on feature where you already have regular meeple. Cannot be placed on farm or cloister
In-game scoring: By themselves, 0 strength. If the others are in tie,
minis number may break the tie. The majority owner gets 1 bonus point per tile for one child, 3 points for both in the
same closed structure.
Extra Step: For player who scored the feature, children freshly returned can be exchanged for adults (the children are removed from game)
Final scoring: Unfinished structures do not award extension's points
Interactions Count, King & Robber: Cannot visit the City of Carcassonne
Princess & Dragon: Cannot be eaten by dragon, but, if left orphan due to dragon, returns in player's supply.
Can be protected by Fairy
Tower: Can be removed by Tower, but return in player's supply. If left orphan due to Tower, returns in player's supply
Carcassonne Prison (Kevin Graham): Cannot be taken prisoner
Jousting Tournament (Jonathan Warren): do not take part in the knight tournament
13.
Wishing WellAuthors/Contributors: Novelty
Published on: CarC
Recommended expansion: Wells
Number of minis introduced: 2 if played by itself
6 if combined with
Inns and Stables Owners Revised rule if combined with
The Kids Are Growing UpGameplay Tile placement: Usual way.
Mini deployment: If tile has well on road, can deploy well-wisher
Extra Step: After road completion can make a wish, which leads to another action.
Final scoring: If alone on the road, scores the road; 0 otherwise
Aside of
Baby Boom, which employs a
mini as a joke (but would be served visually better by a normal meeple), all expansions have a role for they newly introduced characters. Unfortunately, there is no consistency in how the new characters should be played, each author having their reasons to proceed the way they do. In one expansion, the
mini can be deployed independently, in another one cannot. In one expansions, the Dragon can eat the
mini, in another one cannot. In one, it can visit the City, in another one cannot. Even how they score varies.
For an easy comparison, I'm attaching a worksheet with the expansions placed side-by-side.
There are common themes: authors are looking to not overwhelm the game with characters, so usually they limit the number of
minis introduced, or replace regulars for
minis. When scoring, generally,
minis have strength 0 (but can decide a tie of the regulars), or 0.5.
Would it be possible to play a mega game with all these expansions? In my opinion yes, but with difficulty. As different
minis behave differently, they would need a distinct mark of a sort - perhaps their belt can be shaped such as to suggest which expansion they belong to. This aspect only would slow down the game, as players may need to check a
mini "identity" and the rules, before deciding of their next move.
But, let's assume a group of three very decided players will accept the challenge. Here is how the meeple startup would look like:
| Regulars | Minis |
Basic Carcassonne | 7 | 0 |
Apprentice | 7 | 3 (assuming somewhere between 300 and 400 map tiles) |
Apprentices | 7 | 3+3= 6 (three players) |
Baby Boom | 7 | 6+1= 7 (the one may be introduced later, or never played) |
Carcasong of Ice and Fire | 7 | 7+1= 8 (note that the regulars side is more complicated) |
Dwarfs in Mines | 7 | 8+1= 9 |
Family Planning | 7 | 9+4=13 (conservative option) |
Folo-wee | 7 | 3+5=18 (two + three players) |
Inns and Stable Owners | 7 | 18+4=22 |
Minimeeple use | 7-1=6 | 22+4=26 |
Pied Piper | 6-2=4 | 26+2=28 |
Temptress | 4 | 28+1=29 |
The Kids are Growing Up | 4-2=2 | 29+2=31 (the two regulars are kept around to replace two minis) |
Wishing Wells | 2 | 31+3=33 |
Even considering the
Baby Boom mini as a later addition to the game, there is a real inflation of
minis, as the player will start with 32 in their inventory. Meanwhile, the regulars are reduced from 7 to 2, with the hope of reintroducing two when kids manage to grow up, and getting a
mini with full functions as the offspring of baby boomers. With
Family Planning, up to 4 more regulars can replace
minis, bringing their total to 9, above the usual game.
Let's go one step further and ask: can such a game be even played? With
Apprentices,
The Kids Are Growing Up and
Temptress, a
mini can be deployed only beside a regular. As it is very difficult to deploy kids and grow them up to get regulars, this is already a huge handicap.
Meanwhile, of the
minis that can be deployed autonomously, 6 kinds don't score by themselves (1 can get help from a Mayor), 1 kind has to team up to three of their number, while five of 1 kind are single-time use and frustrate scoring (small frustration, but still). The recovery of regulars would be very slow, perhaps even with 300 to 400 tiles won't be enough time to get them and play them and the final scores will be significantly reduced.
Is it worth even trying, then, such a game? Depends on everyone's taste, but I'd say probably not, the game straying too much from the original Carcassonne. However, you may want to vary your usual game with a couple of those variants.
Happy playing!