
- BGG rank
- BGG #966
- BGG rating
- 7.5
878 Vikings: Invasions of England
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2017

2024
Rules assistance for Carolingi
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carolingi is a board game released in 2024 for 2–6 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Christoph Cantzler and Sebastian Freudenberg and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up.
Winter 830: Disaster looms. The vast realm of Charlemagne threatens to fall apart under his son and successor Louis the Pious. Charlemagne's grandchildren are already competing for the throne, pushing their father aside. Strife and rebellion abound—the once stable kingdom is on the verge of war. Is there still hope for peace? In Carolingi, the players assume the roles of the grandchildren of Charlemagne; they are the "Carolingi", who must live through the difficulties and central aspects of early medieval rule. The "Carolingi" have to wield their power by fealty of the nobility. The nobility, in turn, expect to be rewarded with vast estates, so the Carolingi have to seek more and more land and resources, but as the power base of one Carolingian gets stronger, so does the envy and greed of his royal siblings. There's need for action for the Carolingi, but not everything can be done at a time. Only prudent action will bring peace and stability to the realm. The board shows the countries and regions of Carolingian times, and the game features an innovative system of action that guarantees an exciting, effortless gaming experience. Each game year consists of four quarters; in each quarter the players add two of their (wooden) action tiles to a bag, from which they are later drawn one at a time. This results in unpredictability (true to its time). The game includes a competitive version and a semi-cooperative version. The game ends when a player manages to declare peace successfully. The semi-coop version can alternately end in chaos. —description from publisher
Carolingi supports 2–6 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 Carolingi is 60–180 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 Carolingi 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.
Carolingi has a complexity rating of 2.9 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.
Carolingi belongs to these categories: Medieval. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up. 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 Carolingi are: Christoph Cantzler and Sebastian Freudenberg. 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 Carolingi 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.