It's about placing tiles on which roads, city parts, monastries and farmlands are shown. The players pieces may take one role, depending on where the piece is placed. Knight if placed in a city, robber if placed on a road, farmer if placed on farmlands and monk if placed in a monastry. Players should try to earn as many points as possible.
Carcassonne can be played as a family game but it contains enough depth to do advance planning and strategic thinking. On the other hand, taking tiles is a factor of luck, which counterbalances the tactical aspect of the game.