No boxes were physically harmed in the making of this comparison.

You’ll find that all pictures on this site are pictures of actual boxes in our collection. We are still missing a few boxes in the Russian language, but we hope to fill these gaps soon! If you can help us with that, please contact us. If you are not sure which box you have, have a look below or contact us and we’ll be able to tell you!

Astrel Games, first printing

2004

The first printing of the game in Russia is one of the more special and rarest editions of the Carcassonne game. Astrel Games, a local publisher, put their own spin on the box design and brought us an odd-sized box. It is the same width, but slightly longer/taller than a usual box. It also is quite a bit thinner. But the big standout is that this box design is in landscape orientation, whereas the usual boxes are in portrait orientation. 

The text on the front gives a short description of the game, as well as sharing prizes won in 2001 and 2003. It also shares over 1.5 million copies sold worldwide! On the inside, there is no inlay, and the score track has a smaller size compared to the ones we’re used to. The tiles seem to have a more plastic feel to them. Although Russian tiles are known for having a ‘K’ on the back, these had the regular ‘C’.

Smart Ltd., first printing

2005

We do not currently have a copy from this printing in our collection. If you have one that you would like to donate or sell, please contact us.

Smart Ltd., second printing

2011

The second printing from Smart Ltd. (a subsidiary of Hobby World) made minor changes from the first printing. We see the same seal on this box as was on the first printing from Astrel Games, which is a seal to show the game is from a series of popular global games (“Best games in the world”). As with the first printing from Smart Ltd., the tiles now have the ‘K’ on the back, but still have a plastic feel to them. Although the image on the back of the box shows the tiles with the ‘C’, as this image is taken from the other language releases.

Hobby World, first printing

2013

In 2013, Hobby World released a printing of the game under their own banner.

This box followed the 2013 re-design of the box, with more detailed cover art. However, on the back, the re-design seen in many other languages is not adopted, but instead, we see a more familiar design. This time, the example landscape shown has the tiles with the ‘K’ on the back.