Summary
Collect resources, build settlements and trade to become the dominant force on the island of Catan
Players: 3-4 players
Gametime: 60-90 minutes
Gameplay
Set up the game
- Lay out the game board with the hexagonal tiles in a random pattern.
- Place the number tokens on top of the tiles to indicate which numbers will yield resources when rolled.
- Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding set of settlement and city pieces, roads, and resource cards.
- Players place their starting settlements and roads on the board.
Roll the dice
- Each turn begins with the active player rolling two dice.
- The number rolled determines which hexagonal tiles produce resources for that turn.
Collect resources and trade
- Each player collects resources for any settlements or cities they have adjacent to the tiles that produced resources.
- Players can also trade resources with each other or with the bank to get the resources they need to build.
Build settlements, cities, and roads
- Players can use their resources to build additional settlements, cities, and roads.
- Settlements and cities provide resources and points.
- Roads connect settlements and cities, and can block other players’ paths.
Aim to score 10 victory points
- Players earn victory points by building settlements, cities, and the longest road or largest army.
- The first player to reach 10 victory points wins the game.
Here is a video from Rodney Smith teaching us how to play Catan
Review
An award winning game, Catan (formerly known as Settlers of Catan) is a worldwide phenomena and a great game to begin your journey. With numerous twists, intense strategy and extreme shouting, Catan is a crazy ride (and possible friendship breaker). Catan opened us into the board game world and no matter how many times we play there’s always something new to discover. It has great re-playability and requires prior strategy to get to the winning points.
Difficulty: Medium
Likeness: 84%
Purchase
You can purchase Catan on Amazon here