Carcassonne Expansions Guide: All 10 Main Expansions
Carcassonne has ten historically numbered major expansions, plus many mini-expansions and standalone titles. Current retail support varies by box and edition; The Catapult is an older expansion and is not promoted alongside the actively supported Z-Man titles. The first two—Inns & Cathedrals and Traders & Builders—remain the most natural starting point.
The 10 main Carcassonne expansions
- Inns & Cathedrals
- Traders & Builders
- The Princess & The Dragon
- The Tower
- Abbey & Mayor
- Count, King & Robber
- The Catapult
- Bridges, Castles & Bazaars
- Hills & Sheep
- Under the Big Top
Inns & Cathedrals
Inns increase completed-road scoring while cathedrals increase completed-city scoring, but unfinished affected features score nothing. The expansion also adds large meeples and support for a sixth player.
Traders & Builders
This expansion adds goods tokens, builders and pigs. Builders can accelerate tile placement on features you are extending, while pigs increase farmer scoring potential.
Later expansions
The later boxes become more specialized: Princess & Dragon adds fantasy disruption; The Tower increases direct removal pressure; Abbey & Mayor adds flexible scoring pieces; Bridges, Castles & Bazaars changes terrain and tile acquisition; Hills & Sheep adds flock management and tie-breaking terrain.
Mini-expansions and Big Box
Z-Man’s Big Box packages the base game with Inns & Cathedrals, Traders & Builders and several mini-expansions including The River, The Abbot, The Flying Machines, The Ferries, The Messengers, The Gold Mines, Mage & Witch, The Robbers and Crop Circles.
Which Carcassonne expansion should you get first?
Inns & Cathedrals is the cleanest first addition. Add Traders & Builders next if you want more tactical scoring and faster feature development.
Detailed Carcassonne expansion guides
Related guides
Publisher sources
Expansion line checked September 2026.