On the surface, a game as simple as the obscure German board game “Carcassonne,” doesn’t look to be an enthralling addition to the X-Box Live Arcade library of games.

But just like Uno was turned into a cult classic on the 360 by Carbonated Games two and a half years ago, Sierra has done the exact same thing with “Carcassonne,” making the sometimes complex game of strategy and precision a great pick up and play title on the 360.

For those who are unfamiliar with the game, “Carcassonne,” is basically an interactive puzzle where players connect pieces to build kingdoms, roads, farms and churches, all which are worth points when connected to each other. After 70 pieces, or tiles are laid on the game board, the game is over and whoever has the most points wins the game. While this sounds rudimentary enough, up to five players can play at the same time, making for some quite interesting and intense gameplay.

As a matter of fact, “Carcassonne,” may be the most addictive title currently available on the X-Box Live Arcade.

Imagine playing a game as thought-provoking and strategic as chess and as addictive as “Tetris” and you have the foundation of “Carcassonne.” Then add in a slew of expansions, which allow gamers to create rivers and different types of towns and it’s easy to see how deep the gameplay is. If deep and addictive gameplay wasn’t enough, the game also features a fully capable online mode that also adds to the gameplay and provides even more hours of playability to already deep game.

However, the game is far from perfect on the sound and graphical level. While the game’s mediocre sound and graphics don’t take away from the game’s playability and fun by any means, Sierra could have spruced up the game board more and perhaps could have tightened up the average camera. The sound as well is far from great, as the same track is pretty much played over and over throughout the game, with various sound effects thrown in for good measure. If these problems were to be addressed, “Carcassonne” could possibly be one of the most dynamic puzzle games of all-time.

Nonetheless, these problems won’t stop you from playing this game by yourself, with friends or online against total strangers; yes, it’s that addictive. The same way games like “Sim City” and “Tetris” were able to get by on sheer gameplay is the same way that “Carcassonne” will suck you in and steal away hours of your free time away. Overall, it’s a welcome addition to anyone’s 360 collection and a phenomenal puzzle game that will be remembered for a long time.

Related posts:

1. Bargain Bin Gaming: Sega Genesis Collection The 16-bit era was considered by many to be the golden age of gaming. During this time, many great games were released that many still play today. In 2006, Sega...
2. Sketch Games’ Arkanoid-inspired game for iPhone / iPod touch released on the App Store BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic - Independent game developer Sketch Games Laboratory brings classic Arkanoid-style gameplay to a new generation of mobile gamers with ArknoArena for iPhone. ArkanoArena for iPhone is now...
3. Mighty Just got Mightier When “Mighty Fin” was originally released on the iPad, the only real concerns were the monotonous in-game tunes. With its current update, not only has Launching Pad games added new...
4. The Mightiest Fin on iTunes In the ‘80s, games such as “Pac-Man,” “Frogger” and “Gauntlet” were able to attract huge audiences and entrench themselves in video game history thanks to simple, yet addictive gameplay. While...