Settlers of Catan, now branded as just Catan, is arguably my favorite board game of all times. I picked up a first edition copy of this game at GenghisCon back in 1995. It was a featured game at the convention, and after playing just a couple games, I was already a huge fan.

Players represent Settlers on the island of Catan. They collect different resources from the gameboard (5 total; wood, brick, ore, wheat, & wool), which then allow them expand roads, build new settlements, upgrade settlements to cities, and purchase development cards. Scoring is based on what players have built and development cards they’ve collected, so the game ends as soon as a player collects the required number of victory points. This elegant scoring style requires no scoring sheets or scoring tracks; everyone has a live score as they expand their settlements. The base game is designed for 3-4 players, but you can get an extension which allows for 5-6 player games. 

The game board is actually a set of hexagonal tiles, and the board is constructed anew for each game, which creates fantastic replayability, since each game will have a different tile layout. The tile placement can be randomized or can be purposefully designed to create different scenarios. I’ve spent hours just designing board layouts, which was honestly one of the big draws for me in this game. The tiles represent the five different resources (or lack of a resource in the case of the desert tiles) and then a resource number is placed on each producing tile relating to each number combination that can be rolled on two 6-sided dice (2 through 12). The ‘7’ is not used to produce any resources; instead allows the player rolling to steal a resource as well as punishes players for sitting on too many resource cards, encouraging faster play. It’s probably not a coincidence that Craps is my favorite casino game, since Settlers of Catan plays off of those same odds.

Players can also trade resource cards between themselves, or trade them into the bank to help fill the gaps in their building plans. The trading aspect makes Settlers a more social experience and also helps speed up the game play. The game mechanics are simple and easy to learn. New players get the hang of the game within the first couple turns, and it’s been one of the best board games I’ve found to introduce new players to the Table! But, also built into the simplicity of the game, veteran players rarely get bored with refining their individual strategies which is also why it remains one of the top favorites at the Table.

Expansions

Settlers of Catan, in and of itself is very fun, but to add immensely to the experience, I highly recommend the Seafarers of Catan expansion. This awesome expansion adds more tiles to the board and sets up a slightly longer game. Whereas the original game board is a representation of one continent, Seafarers of Catan adds a number of water tiles that are used to create islands around the main land mass. Obviously, this adds so many new possibilities for designing fun new boards. Players get to add boats to their game pieces which allow them to expand out to the islands of Catan.

Along with a larger game board, Seafarers of Catan adds two other aspects which increase the enjoyability of the game. Ports are coastal water tiles that allow a player to increase the effectiveness of trading with the bank. Gold mines are a new production tile type that can only be found on an island but a player on a gold mine can request any one of the five resources! Also, Seafarers of Catan does not really increase the complexity of the game play, so it is very easy to add this expansion and still play with novice players. Like Settlers of Catan, this base expansion is for 3-4 players, but a 5-6 player extension is available. (I’ve actually got two copies of both Settlers with the 5-6 player extension and Seafarers with the 5-6 player extension, which allows us to play giant maps for even longer game play or more than 6 players….just make sure the Table is big enough!!)

Now, if you really like Settlers of Catan, like me, there are several more expansions that you can try.

Cities and Knights of Catan can be added to Settlers of Catan (with or without Seafarers of Catan) and there is also a 5-6 player addition for this expansion as well. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this expansion for the beginner though, since it does add quite a bit of complexity to the game play, like defense knights and city improvements, as well as 3 new commodity cards (coin, cloth, & paper). It’s also a pretty fun expansion, but because of the added complexity, I will refrain going into any more game play detail than that. Add this expansion after you become a Catan addict!

Traders & Barbarians, and Explorers & Pirates, are the third and fourth main expansions which included scenarios and a 2-player variant. Scenarios began to appear as the popularity of Settlers of Catan began to rise, and they were played using specific board designs and win conditions. There are quite a few scenarios available. Traders & Barbarians collected and reprinted some of the most popular scenarios as well as adding some brand-new ones of its own. Explorers & Pirates featured scenarios around battling pirates and exploring new lands. However, the majority of the scenarios were designed for the basic 3-4 player Settlers of Catan game board, and so there is limited compatibility with the other two expansions. 5-6 player extensions are available for these expansions as well. There are numerous other scenarios and variants available to try once you've become a fan of the game!

So, this concludes the review for one of my absolute favorite board games. I’ve been playing this game for the better part of 25 years and it just doesn’t get old. The simple elegance of the game play, but still being strategically challenging, combined with a constantly changing and customizable game board makes this masterpiece a perennial mainstay at the Table!!

Click these links for 5-6 player bundles! (Individual links are available in the game info area at the top of this page.)

Settlers of Catan (for 5-6 players)

Seafarers of Catan (for 5-6 players)

Cities and Knights of Catan (for 5-6 players)

Catan: Traders & Barbarians (for 5-6 players)

Catan: Explorers & Pirates (for 5-6 players)

And then, if you really enjoy your Catan experience, be sure to add scenarios, aternate variants, and new maps to your collection!