- BGG rank
- BGG #8,334
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Walls of York
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2018
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- BGG #7,906
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Carnac
2014
Rules assistance for Carnac
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Carnac
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carnac is a board game released in 2014 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Emiliano "Wentu" Venturini and its main mechanics are Square Grid, Pattern Building, and I Cut, You Choose.
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About the game
Carnac is a simple fast abstract strategy game for two players. On your turn, you take a Megalith — a piece formed by two cubes joined together — from the common reserve, and place it on the board in a standing position. The turn passes to your opponent if he is willing to tip over the Megalith or if the Megalith cannot be tipped over. A player owns a square if it is covered by a Megalith showing his color on the upper face. A Dolmen is a group of at least three adjacent squares belonging to the same player. The game is won by the player with the most Dolmens; in case of a tie, the player with the largest Dolmen wins. All Megaliths are the same: three faces (one square and two opposed rectangular ones) of one color and the other three faces of the other color. The two main aspects of the game are: Your move often is also determined by your opponent's choice. Having a lot of Megaliths with your own color showing on the upper face is not always a good thing as you might end up with merely one giant Dolmen. The basic aim of the game is building many Dolmens and keeping them separated, while trying to connect your opponent's Dolmens to each other. It is possible to play Carnac on different board sizes, leading to the use of different strategies to achieve victory.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- HUCH!
Questions and answers
Carnac supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Carnac is 20 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 Carnac for ages 8 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.
Carnac has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Carnac belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Square Grid, Pattern Building, and I Cut, You Choose. 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 Carnac are: Emiliano "Wentu" Venturini. 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 Carnac 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.