Abstract
Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers ("Hunters") is a standalone version of the classic tile-laying Carcassonne, (designer <PERSON>), and was released in 2002. I have played over 100 games of Hunters (89 recorded plays), with the vast majority of these plays being 2-player games. Hunters stands out as a game that strikes a paradoxical balance between its outward appearance and accessibility as a light game and its hidden and genuine depth that can sustain many repeat plays. Hunters’ mechanics are straightforward yet flexible enough to foster good tensions and a competitive edge throughout the entire game.
Introduction
The Backstory
I was late to the modern boardgame party. Despite having played a variety of games my entire life (both physical and digital) I really didn’t play many modern euro-style games until a few years ago. In one of my first game purchase binges (x-mas 2010 as it was), I looked to grow a modest collection of games and asked for recommendations.
Carcassonne is always in the top of the list of recommendations as a gateway game because of its potential widespread appeal, easy rule set, and engaging gameplay. In researching the Carcassonne line, I came across Hunters & Gatherers, and after reading reviews and comments, got the impression that Hunters functions as a better standalone game with more depth, and better suitability for 2-players, compared to the original (unexpanded) Carcassonne. Plus I liked the look of the artwork and theme more. Ultimately, I was pushed to buy it upon reading that a couple working abroad in Central America had only taken along Hunters, and they never tired of it for years. Whow! So into the cart it went!
Fast-forward to the present, and I’m happy to say that I have likely played over 100 games of Hunters (89 recorded plays thus far). The majority of these plays have been 2-player games, between me and my wife. Hunters has been a success in bridging our differences in gaming preferences and providing a game experience we enjoy every time we pull it off the shelf. 504
This review reflects primarily my experiences with Carcassonne as a 2-player game.
Gameplay Synopsis
Hunters is a tile-placement game, and sharing a lineage with the original Carcassonne(2000) puts it within the realm of genre defining euro-style games. Unlike Carcassonne’s medieval setting, Hunters uses a pre-historic theme. For the uninitiated, below is a basic overview of the gameplay:
Players take turns drawing a single tile and placing it next to an adjacent tile where the edges match. Tiles contain portions of woodlands, rivers, and hunting grounds in various combinations. After placing a tile, that player has the option to then place one of their 5 meeples onto the tile that was just played in one of the landscape regions, provided no other player already has a meeple in that region.
Once placed, meeples remain in place until the region is closed in the case of woodlands and rivers (and players earn points for these closed areas). In the case of hunting ground regions meeples remain in place until the end of the game. Each player also has two huts which may be placed onto any river or lake system that doesn’t already have another player’s hut somewhere in that system. If two regions with different player’ meeples and/or huts on them are connected through subsequent tile plays, both players score points for the region.
* Comparison with original Carcassonne:
Discussion
Thesis
Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers stands out as a game that bridges a lot of gaps. It provides a solid balance between simple rules and relatively deep gameplay. It can satisfy many styles of play and appeal to a wide variety of gamers, from those wanting to play a low-conflict casual game to those looking to squeeze out every opportunity for competition and conflict. It packs a modest level of depth into a game with low overhead and that is easy to learn. Overall, Hunter’s success is attributed to how well it balances these potentially competing interests; luck and skill; ease of learning and depth of play; passivity and aggression; casualness and seriousness.
Decision Space
Hunters poses two decision points to players on their turn; tile placement and meeple/hut placement.
Decision #1: Tile Placement
Regarding the first decision, players only have one tile in their hand and it has to be played. At the broadest level, your choice of tile placement is constrained by the legal moves for placement, meaning that it must be placed in a way that avoids mis-matched edges. 84