When is a road complete in Carcassonne?
A road is complete when both ends stop at something, such as a village, a city or a monastery, or when it loops back on itself. It scores 1 point per tile, even if another player's tile finished it.
The rule:
In Carcassonne, a road is complete when both ends stop at something, such as a village, a city or a monastery, or when it loops back on itself, and it scores 1 point per tile even if another player’s tile finished it.
What closes a road end:
- it runs into a village, a city, a monastery or another feature, or
- it forms a loop back onto itself.
A completed road scores 1 point per tile for the player with the most travelers on it. It’s scored in step 3 of whoever’s turn completed it, then the meeples go back to their owners.
Example:
Your road starts at a city and runs onto 1 more tile. Ben places a third tile where the road ends at a village. The road is closed at both ends, so it's 3 tiles and you score 3 points.
Why players argue about it:
People argue about whether a road ending at a village counts as closed (it does) and whether you score on someone else's turn (you do).