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How to play
Grounded in Carcassonne: Expansion 10 – Under the Big Top's rulebook — cite-checked answers, not guesses.
Get a straight answer with the exact rulebook passage to back it up.
The easy-to-forget bits, straight from the rulebook.
Game end scoring
At the end of the game before final scoring, score the circus one last time.
Ringmasters game end
At the end of the game, ringmasters in fields or on incomplete features score ringmaster points.
Big Top movement
The Big Top moves only when a player places a new Circus tile, after scoring a feature.
Acrobat scoring
Each acrobat in a completed pyramid scores its owner 5 points and then returns to its supply.
Scoring circus figures
Normal meeples, abbots, wagons, mayors, builders, pigs, barns, shepherds, large meeples, and ringmasters score points when scoring a circus.
Ringmaster general use
The ringmaster counts as a normal meeple and has the same uses as a normal meeple in all expansions.
Acrobat pyramid limit
Only normal meeples can be part of a meeple pyramid; no other figures are allowed.
Circus tile setup
When the first Circus tile is placed, take the top Animal token from the stack, place it facedown on the circus space, and place the Big Top on it.
To set up the game, follow these steps: * Shuffle the 20 new Land tiles with those from the base game and any other desired expansions. * Shuffle the 16 Animal tokens and place them in a facedown stack within easy reach. * Place the Big Top near the stack of Animal tokens. * Each player adds a ringmaster in their color to their supply of meeples.
On your turn, you can perform the following actions, typically after placing a tile: * **Place a meeple**: * On a road or in a field, as usual. * As an acrobat on one of the two acrobat spaces of a newly placed Acrobat tile. * As an acrobat on an Acrobat tile adjacent to a tile you just placed. * If two acrobat spaces are already occupied, you can add a third meeple to complete a pyramid. * You can also place your Ringmaster instead of a meeple on a road, in a city or a monastery, or lay him down in a field. The Ringmaster counts as a normal meeple but cannot be used as an acrobat. * **Score a completed pyramid**: * Instead of placing a meeple or any other figure, you can choose to score a completed acrobat pyramid. Each acrobat in the pyramid scores its owner 5 points. The rulebook also describes actions that occur automatically during your turn when specific tiles are placed: * **Scoring a circus**: * Whenever you place another Circus tile, you will first score any features completed by that tile, then score the circus itself. Scoring the circus involves revealing an Animal token and scoring points for your meeples on the Circus tile and its surrounding eight tiles. Ringmasters also count for this scoring. After scoring, the Animal token is removed, and the Big Top moves to a new Circus tile.
The provided rulebook passages (Carcassonne: Expansion 10 – Under the Big Top) describe several scoring events that occur at the end of the game, which contribute to a player's final score: * The circus is scored one last time before final scoring. * Ringmasters on fields or incomplete features score ringmaster points. * Each of your acrobats scores 5 points during final scoring, regardless of the pyramid's size. However, the loaded rulebook(s) (Carcassonne: Expansion 10 – Under the Big Top) do not explicitly state the overall condition for winning the game (e.g., "the player with the most points wins"). I couldn't find that specific rule. Did you mean something around **final scoring**, **game end**, or **points**? Try asking again with one of those terms.
Rules summaries are AI-generated from the official rulebook and may contain mistakes — check the manual for anything critical.
Scoring in Carcassonne: Expansion 10 – Under the Big Top involves several components: * **Acrobat Pyramids (during the game)**: * When a pyramid contains three acrobats, it is considered complete and can be scored. * Instead of placing a meeple or other figure during your turn, you can choose to score a completed pyramid. * Each acrobat in the scored pyramid earns its owner 5 points and then returns to their supply. * You can score a completed pyramid even if you do not have any acrobats in it. * After a pyramid is scored, players can begin a new pyramid on the same tile. * **Acrobats (at game end)**: * During final scoring, each of your acrobats scores 5 points, regardless of the size of any pyramid they may be in. * **Circus (at game end)**: * The circus is scored one last time at the end of the game, just before the final scoring phase begins. (The specific method for scoring the circus is not detailed in these passages). * **Ringmasters (at game end)**: * At the end of the game, ringmasters that are in fields or on incomplete features will score "ringmaster points". (The specific value or method for scoring ringmaster points is not detailed in these passages).
The provided rules from *Carcassonne: Expansion 10 – Under the Big Top* describe specific scoring events that happen at the end of the game, but do not specify the condition that triggers the game's conclusion. At the end of the game: * The circus is scored one last time before final scoring. * Ringmasters in fields or on incomplete features score ringmaster points. * During final scoring, each of your acrobats scores 5 points, regardless of the pyramid's size. I couldn't find the exact rule detailing how or when the game itself ends (e.g., what triggers the "end of the game" condition). You might be looking for a rule concerning **game end condition** or **final tile placement**.