The Journey to Carcassonne

Description

--- "The Journey to Carcassonne" is a Carcassonne mini-expansion replacing the scoreboard with a journey track featuring strategic detours, dual meeples, and an optional disruptive thief. Key mechanics include: - *Scoreboard replacement* Sticker-applied track with small (1 meeple max) and large (unlimited) spaces, starting with 2 meeples per player at 0 and 4 face-up tiles above. - *Strategic scoring* When multiple players score, chooser decides order; sum points for selected color, move chosen meeple (swap on occupied); excess lost on detours. - *Rest detours* Exact stops at white 10/20/30/40 allow protected parking (1 meeple max), granting a bonus tile for a double turn next; 50+10 gate worth 60 at end. - *Meeple management* Detoured players restart one meeple at 0 on next score; any scoring figure (e.g., Abbot) can become a meeple; final scoring sums all without detours/swaps. - *Optional thief* Neutral meeple at 25 movable by any player instead of own; swaps or sends others to 0; resets to 25 at 50; ignored in final scoring. "The Journey to Carcassonne" is a mini-expansion for Carcassonne that introduces a sticker scoreboard depicting a perilous path to the citadel, fundamentally altering scoring dynamics. Players place two meeples each at space 0, with four face-up land tiles displayed above for bonus use. Scoring follows base rules but adds choice in multi-player triggers: the active player selects scoring order by color, sums that player's points, and advances one chosen meeple along the track, swapping positions if landing on occupied spaces. Small spaces (1-49 except rests) hold one meeple only, while large spaces 0 and 50 accommodate multiples. Strategic "rest" spaces at 10, 20, 30, and 40 permit voluntary detours on exact points (discarding excess), securing the meeple there protected from swaps until game end, scoring the space's value; white-numbered rests also provide a pre-selected tile for an immediate double turn on the next player's phase (mandatory even if tiles depleted). Reaching 50 places meeples on the 50+10 gate (60 points final). Detoured players must replenish by placing a new scoring meeple (from any scoring figure) at 0 before moving during subsequent scorings, ensuring dual active meeples. Final scoring prohibits detours, swaps, or thief moves, simply advancing and summing all meeples' positions, adding extras if needed. An optional "thief" rule heightens tension with a neutral meeple at 25: any player may advance it instead of their own during their move (order chosen by scorer), triggering swaps or resetting landed-on meeples to 0; thief hitting 50 returns to 25 (displacing if occupied); it cannot move in final scoring. ---