Z-Man Games Carcassonne: Hills & Sheep Expansion Board Game

New Pastures, New Possibilities

Just when you thought you knew every road and city in the medieval landscape of Carcassonne, a new hillside comes into view. Hills & Sheep is the ninth major expansion for the beloved tile-laying classic, and it does what the best expansions do — it deepens what you love about the base game without overcomplicating it. Shepherds now wander your fields tending flocks, hills add a clever tiebreaker mechanic that rewards smart placement, and the familiar rhythm of drawing and placing tiles takes on fresh texture.

What It Adds to the Game

Z-Man Games has been the North American home of Carcassonne for years, keeping this Spiel des Jahres winner alive and expanding with care. Hills & Sheep introduces two intertwined mechanics. Shepherd tokens let you claim and grow a flock on the open fields — but push your luck too far and a wolf can scatter everything you've built. Hills, meanwhile, are stacked beneath certain tiles, letting them peek above the landscape and break ties when two farmers contest the same region at scoring. It's a small change with surprisingly large strategic ripple effects, and it layers in naturally enough that new players won't feel overwhelmed.

Who Should Add This to Their Collection

If you already own and enjoy Carcassonne, Hills & Sheep is one of the most player-recommended expansions in the game's long history. It works well for two players as a tense tactical game, and scales comfortably up to five. The push-your-luck element of the shepherd mechanic adds a light dash of risk management that keeps casual players engaged, while the hill tiebreakers give seasoned Carcassonne veterans something new to think about during placement. Plan for 45–75 minutes depending on player count.

What's in the Box

The expansion includes new landscape tiles featuring hills, a set of wooden shepherd tokens, flock tokens, and wolf tiles — all matching the warm, hand-drawn visual style that has made Carcassonne's art direction so enduring. Components integrate seamlessly with the base game and are compatible with other Carcassonne expansions, so if you're building out a larger, customized version of the game this adds cleanly to the mix.