Reviews

Overall Score – (9/10)

Introduction – Whenever I teach someone Carcasonne, I teach them Hunters and Gatherers, which is my favorite Carcasonne spin-off game. I love the theme and I think this particular spin-off marries its theme to a modified Carcaonne gameplay more successfully than any other Carcasonne spin-off.

Concept (7/10) – Prehistoric Carcasonne.

Components (9.5/10) – All the quality components you’d expect from a Carcasonne game: terrain tiles, meeples, and a couple of new elements: bonus tiles and wooden huts. Like Carcasonne, the box is the right side and functional in the storage of pieces.

Gameplay (9/10) – Hunters and their prey take the place of Farmers and their fields, Gatherers and forests take the place of Knights and their cities, and Fishermen and rivers take the place of Robbers and roads. What makes this spin-off feel significantly different than Carcasonne and avoids making it Carcasonne-opoly is the interaction of hunters and their prey, the interaction of fishermen and the fish in the lakes at the end of rivers, the addition of the huts as a meeple substitute (they get played on lakes and score points for every fish in a connected water system), and, most importantly, the addition of bonus tiles (which players get to place whenever they score points for a forest with a gold nugget in it. The bonus tiles are very diverse and powerful tiles, granting a variety of exclusive effects.

Complexity (9.5/10) – Like Carcasonne, Hunters and Gatherers is an easily accessible game. The gameplay is quick to learn, teach, and implement. Carcassone players and gamers new to the Carcasonne system will be able to compete against each on equal footing, discover and implement their own varied strategic plans, and react to the plans of opponents.

Fun Factor (9.5/10) – Carcassone’s fun lies in the satisfaction that comes from completing the various terrain types of the game, getting in on opponent’s points, and creating intricate terrain systems. Hunters and Gatherers combines that satisfaction with the fun of unleashing saber tooth tigers on your opponent’s prey. Best of all is gaining and using the bonus tiles, which most players will be able to do several times throughout a game.

Replay Value (9/10) – As a spin-off, not only does Hunters and Gatherers represent replay value for players of classic Carcasonne, but it also possesses plenty of replay value in its own right. In part, I think this has to do with the that successful marriage of theme and gameplay I mentioned earlier – players really feel a connection between themselves and their meeples that may be lacking in other Carcasonne games. For both veterans and new Carcasonne players alike, I think once you try Hunters and Gatherers, you’ll find, like me, that Hunters and Gatherers will become your Carcasonne of choice.