Carcassonne The Tower - Expansion No. 4
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Build the tower, count your steps, point your finger. The other's monk is in sight. You capture him. He glares at you. You smile. Soon he'll ask for ransom.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Towers that change everything: from peaceful expansion to hostage-taking
Carcassonne The Tower (originally Towers & Thieves) is the fourth major expansion of Klaus-Jürgen Wrede's classic, published in 2006. It introduces an element never before seen in the land of Carcassonne: watchtowers, vertical structures that allow you to capture opposing followers and hold them hostage until they pay a ransom.
On your turn, instead of placing a follower on the territory, you can build or raise a tower. The higher it is, the further its range of action. Every enemy follower visible in an orthogonal line becomes a target: you remove them from the board, place them on the tower, and the owner must decide whether to pay 3 points to free them or leave them prisoner. It's a simple system, but it flips Carcassonne's dynamics: no position is safe anymore.
What they say abroad
"The Tower expansion adds a new layer of interaction to Carcassonne, letting you steal followers and demand ransom."
The Tower expansion adds a new layer of interaction to Carcassonne, letting you steal followers and demand ransom.
— The Dice Tower
Finally Carcassonne allows you to say 'I'll take that monk'. And the table laughs, protests, negotiates. The expansion that transforms peaceful tile-laying into a chess game with hostages.
— FroGames
Carcassonne The Tower (Carcassonne: Towers & Thieves)
FrogScore · FroGames editorial evaluation · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat you find in the box
The components that add the third dimension
18 Tower tiles
Tiles with a base space for building towers. You place them like normal territory tiles, but on their dedicated space you can start erecting a vertical structure.
Tower segments
Stackable wooden pieces: you place them one on top of the other to raise the tower. Each added level increases the orthogonal capture range by 1.
Enemy followers
Any opposing follower placed on the board within the tower's range becomes a target. You take them, place them on the tower, and wait for the other player to pay or resign themselves.
Ransom System
Whoever is captured can spend 3 victory points to free the follower and return them to their reserve. Or they can leave them there and play with one less meeple.
Recommended sleeves 18 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 46 × 46 mm | 18 |
| Total cards | 18 |
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Each player on their turn follows these phases, with one more choice than in basic Carcassonne.
As always: draw a face-down tile, flip it, place it respecting the edges. If it's a Tower tile, it has a dedicated circular space for the tower base.
Instead of placing a follower, you can build a tower: place the first segment on an empty Tower tile, OR add a level to an existing tower, OR place a follower on top of a tower (which "closes" it).
If you added a tower level, count the orthogonal radius (tower height = number of tiles). Any visible enemy follower in a straight line can be captured: choose a victim, take them from the board, place them on the tower.
The affected player decides: pay 3 victory points and take the follower back into their supply, OR leave it as a prisoner (loses the meeple until the end of the game or a new capture releases it).
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first tower appears
Someone draws a tower tile, places it, adds a segment. The table notices but doesn't react: it seems harmless. Then that person raises it another level and everyone starts to count the steps from their followers.
The first capture
Three-story tower, three-tile radius. There's an enemy farmer two steps away. They are kidnapped. The owner protests, calculates points, decides whether to pay the ransom. Everyone realizes the game has changed.
The war of the towers
Now everyone builds towers. No longer to expand territory, but to threaten opposing positions. Balances of terror are formed: "If you capture my monk, I'll take your rogue."
The ransom that changes everything
Someone pays 3 points to free a key follower, immediately placing them back on a nearly complete huge city. The other player curses: "I should have kept him prisoner longer." Laughter, recriminations, future threats.
End of game
Final tally. Those who spent points on ransoms fall behind, but with more followers on the board. Those who kept prisoners won tactical battles but lost strategic followers. The game is decided on these choices, not on the tiles.
🐸Things to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Things to know beforehand
Three things to know before buying
Significantly lengthens the game
Towers add extra decisions every turn: do I build? Who do I capture? Do I pay the ransom? A game that lasted 45 minutes with basic Carcassonne can reach 70-75 minutes, especially with 4+ players negotiating and calculating.
Can generate chain revenge
"You took my monk, I'll take your knight." With vengeful players or young children, the game risks degenerating into personal warfare. Maturity at the table or prior agreements on "strategic captures" vs "spite" are needed.
Not compatible with all expansions
Towers take up physical space on the table and can make it difficult to manage secondary boards or tokens from other major expansions. If you play with Inns & Cathedrals + Traders & Builders + The Tower, the table gets crowded.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The Tower does not change Carcassonne's victory conditions: the player with the most points wins. But it dramatically changes HOW you accumulate those points.
Victory
- Points from cities, roads, monasteries, and farmers as per basic rules
- Keeping followers free on the board without getting them captured
- Using captures to prevent others from completing key structures
Mistakes that cost the game
- Paying too many ransoms: 3 points per follower accumulate quickly
- Leaving important followers imprisoned and playing with a reduced supply
- Building towers instead of completing structures: towers give 0 direct points
The Tower is the expansion that divides: you either love it because it adds real conflict to Carcassonne, or you hate it because it betrays the peaceful spirit of the original. There's no middle ground.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Carcassonne The Tower (Carcassonne: Towers & Thieves)
Do I need the base Carcassonne game to play?
Yes, it's mandatory. The Tower is a major expansion: it adds tiles and mechanics, but does not include the board, followers, or basic rulebook. You must own standard Carcassonne (or Big Box) to use it.
Can I capture multiple followers with one tower?
No. When you build up a tower, you can only capture one follower per turn, even if multiple enemies are within range. It's a choice: which target should you neutralize now?
What mechanics does Carcassonne The Tower use?
Tile placement, area majority, follower capture with orthogonal range mechanic, and ransom system with victory point spending. It introduces a vertical element (stackable towers) and strong direct interaction.
Can it be played with children under 10?
Technically the age is 8+, but it depends on maturity. Captures can generate frustration: if the child accepts direct competition and isn't offended by a kidnapped follower, it's fine. Otherwise, it's better to stick to basic Carcassonne.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes. This Giochi Uniti edition includes an Italian rulebook and language-independent components (tiles with universal symbols, no text). Compatible with any Italian edition of basic Carcassonne.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Carcassonne The Tower (Carcassonne: Towers & Thieves) is the fourth major expansion of the famous game by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, for 2-6 players, ages 8+, lasting 60 minutes. It introduces stackable vertical towers that allow you to capture opposing followers with an orthogonal range mechanic and a ransom system (3 victory points to free a prisoner). This is a competitive and interactive expansion, compatible with base Carcassonne, published in Italy by Giochi Uniti. Available on FroGames.it.
Carcassonne The Tower - Expansion No. 4
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