Catan
$48.99
Catan at a Glance
| Game Type Medieval Theme, Dice Rolling, Negotiating, Card Game Hexagon Grid, Building Settlements | Play Time 60 - 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.8 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 10+ | Publisher(s) Kosmos, Catan Studio and others | Published 1995 |
| Categories Family / Strategy | Players 3 - 4 | Rules Manual Official Rules |
| Our Rating 9.5/10 | Cost $48.99 |
About – Description
The Catan Board Game is a multiplayer game that was designed by Klaus Teuber in 1995. It is a strategy based game that’s ideal for the family or for those who enjoy playing games that require a strategy based approach.
The game is suitable for up to four players with players having to be 10 years and over while it has a playing time of up to two hours. It’s not a quick game but no marathon at all.
Who’s it best suited for?
This is a game that is ideal for families where younger children require a relatively simple introduction to the world of strategy based games.
Despite it involving a significant amount of strategy, it is fairly easy to learn.
Skill – Complexity
As Catan the board game is suitable for players as young as ten you might think that it’s a very easy game to play but in reality, it has an average rating in terms of complexity.
While it is a strategy based game, it can help if players have experience in this but it is simple to learn.
There is not a strenuous amount of skill involved but there is a focus on making strategic decisions throughout the game.
Set Up & Gameplay
It takes around ten minutes to set the game up. The board is set up using the hexagonal tiles, all of which are laid out in a honeycomb shape before surrounding them with water tiles.
The box contains the tiles, wooden settlements, cities and roads as well as cards, tokens, dice and a wooden robber pawn.
Throughout the game, players have to collect resources including wood, brick, sheep or stone in order to grow their civilization.
At this point, players have to roll the dice with the person rolling the highest number starting first. They then place their settlements which have already been distributed on an intersection where three terrains meet, then players have to place a road in one of three possible places next to where the first settlement was placed.
Players are then given resource cards which are selected based on hex tiles that are adjacent to the settlements they have placed. Players then roll the dice and pick up a resource card if the number corresponds to a number that their settlement is on. Players can then either continue to build structures such as roads or even grow their settlements using resources.
The game has development cards and these can be played before or after a turn. There is a Knight card, a Road Building card, a Year of Plenty card, a Monopoly card and a Victory point card.
Points are earned by players building settlements, having the longest road and largest army with the winner being the first person to reach ten points.
This video is very helpful on the how to play Catan………
Other Versions, Editions or Expansions Available?
The game has been released in a number of countries and there have been many expansion packs released. This includes the seafarer’s expansion, Traders and Barbarians, cities and knights and an expansion to increase the player numbers.
Likes & Dislikes
- Players found that this was a light-hearted strategy game that offers a great chance for families to play together.
- It is also considered to be straightforward to play when compared to other games and the time it takes to complete it is not too long.
- The perfect gateway game into the world of more serious board games and helping those on the path to take up the hobbie.
- It has suited all types of players from newbies to experienced gamers.
- It plays great without the expansions and if needed the expansions just continue to keep it a great game.
- Some players have found that it can be a little slow to play at times and it does lack an element of excitement.
Final Thoughts
This game provides young players with the chance to get to grips with a strategy based game that is not too time-consuming or intricate.
It offers players the chance to play a quick strategy based game, especially families and that is certainly a positive aspect of the game.
