- BGG rank
- BGG #6,752
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Microbrew
- 2 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,990
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Carcosa
2017
Rules assistance for Carcosa
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45–60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for Carcosa
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carcosa is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Nigel Kennington and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement, and Team-Based Game.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #424
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Neuroshima Hex
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,787
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Gazebo
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,088
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Pandoria
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,045
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Columba
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,491
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Misty Waters: At the World's Edge
- 1–5 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2026
- BGG rating
- 8.5
The Castles of Burgundy
- 1–4 players
- 70–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 9.1
The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition
- 1–4 players
- 70–120 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,426
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Tiny Epic Zombies
- 1–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,141
- BGG rating
- 7.4
The Waste of Parts
- 1–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,432
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Hellenica: Story of Greece
- 1–7 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,690
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Islet
- 1–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2023
About the game
In Carcosa, you summon forth the home of the Tattered King, one tile at a time, using your cultists to control leylines, conduct rituals, and influence the districts of Carcosa itself. If they displease you, you can sacrifice them to the dark waters of Lake Hali for the pleasure of the King. Each player leads a Lovecraftian cult, taking turns using their prophet to select a tile representing a section of Carcosa from the cult board and adding it to the growing magnificent landscape of ritual sites, leylines, towers and domes. Players can then deploy cultists to control a leyline, conduct a ritual, or influence the districts they have just summoned. But Carcosa is no normal city! You must stabilize your summoned tiles with power drawn from leylines or they may be reshaped by other cults! Recruit more cultists by conducting the Forbidden Play at theatres you summon! Send your cultists to gather power and watch them be driven mad by the terrible secrets! Use your oracles to spend power on game-changing spells! Sacrifice your cultists to the horrific avatars of the King! The game will end either when a cult gathers enough power to conduct the final summoning of the King in Yellow or enough tiles are placed such that Carcosa becomes a permanent feature of our Earth and the cult with the most power seizes control. Only one cult can succeed in these insane tasks — but in Lovecraft's mythos, can one truly call that winning?
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- MS Edizioni
- Spiele-Offensive.de
- One Free Elephant
Questions and answers
Carcosa supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Carcosa is 45–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Carcosa for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Carcosa has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Carcosa belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Horror, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Carcosa are: Nigel Kennington. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Carcosa as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.