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| Photo by TheSameGuy |
If you could name 5 boardgames off the top of your head, what would they be? I’ll bet that if you actually did think of that list, Settlers of Catan would be on it, and quite possibly would be the only Eurogame on it as well.
Settlers of Catan is one of the best-selling and most popular boardgames of all time! It is a perfect example of what a boardgame should be, and is one of the very few Eurogames that the average American has heard of. Here are the details:
Designer: Klaus Teuber
Publishers: Kosmos (Germany), Catan Studio (USA and UK), Filosofia (France), etc.
Players: 2-4
Setup Time: 12-22 min.
Playing Time: 1-2 hours (depends on the number of players)
My Rating: 95/100
Overview
In Settlers of Catan, the players take the role of settlers who are settling the Island of Catan. The object of the game is to earn 10 Victory Points, which is accomplished by building settlements and roads, trading with other players, getting resources, and more.
The board varies with each game, which makes every time that you play it, unique and different. The board consists of 19 hexagonal tiles, which represent various resources, surrounded by ocean frames (with some trading posts on them). Each tile has a number on it, which represents the number needed to get that resource. For example, suppose there is a tile with a five on it. That means that I have to roll a five with the two die, in order to collect that resource.
There are five resources which you can collect. They are represented by cards:
Wood (from forests)
Brick (from hills)
Wheat (from fields)
Sheep (from pastures)
Ore (from mountains)
You get resources from settlements. If you have a settlement placed next to a tile, and that tile’s number is rolled, then you get one of the tile’s corresponding resource.
Resources are used to build and buy things, such as roads, settlements, cities, and development cards. Roads connect settlements, and in order to build a settlement, you have to have a road connecting it to your other settlements.
You can upgrade settlements into cites. This helps you, because whenever you would normally take one resource from a tile neighboring that city, you instead take two!
Finally, development cards do various things which can help you, such as letting you take resources from other players, and giving you Victory Points.
During the gameplay, the players each take turns rolling the die, trading, and building. During a player's turn, they follow the following steps:
1.) Roll the die. Any player who has a settlement or city next to one of the tiles whose number was rolled receives resource(s) from that tile.
2.) The player whose turn it is can trade resources with the other players and/or at trading posts. However, if it isn't your turn, you can't trade with anyone except for the person whose turn it is.
3.) The player whose turn it is can build things and buy development cards using their resources, and play development cards.
(note that step 1 is mandatory, while steps 2 and 3 are optional)
Some other features of Catan include the robber, the longest road card, trading ports, and more. For more information on how to play, read the official rule book here.
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| Photo by Target |
My Review
Pros:
Settlers of Catan is an incredibly well-made boardgame and as mentioned before, is a perfect model for what a boardgame should be like. The game has the perfect balance of being easy to learn and to play, while still having lots of strategy. It is also not too much based on luck, doesn't get too repetitive, and is enjoyable to play. Finally, the game looks good, and the quality of the components and packaging is superb!
Catan is pretty easy to learn. The rules are simple and easy to remember (although in my opinion the rulebook could be better organized). Its simple rules also allow for lots of strategy however, and during games you will constantly be trying to outmaneuver your opponents.
While Catan has dice and some random-card-drawing, it also isn't too based on luck. Dice rolls do affect how well you are doing in a game, but there is also lots of strategy needed (such as building your settlements on tiles with higher chances of being rolled). Every dice roll also affects every player, so no one player will end up becoming very "lucky", and take a huge lead.
Furthermore, the game also has a variable board. Because of this, in every game, the tiles will be in different places, and will have different numbers on them. This makes Catan not get too repetitive, and makes each game interesting, as you have to quickly figure out how to use the layout of the board to your own advantage, before your opponents do.
Additionally, Catan is also very fun to play. While playing it, you will be trying to outdo your opponents, while building up your own roads and settlements. Despite Catan also being a competitive game, when playing it, you and your friends will have a good time.
The art of Catan is also pretty good. The graphics on the tiles and cards look pleasing, and the wooden pieces are painted well. The art on the front cover of the box is quite exquisitely made.
Finally, the quality of the game is quite high. The pieces and tiles are made with superior materials, and the box is made of a long-lasting cardboard. Conjointly, the publishers didn't waste any money on the organization of the game components, unlike many other boardgames. The box comes with a plastic separator, the cards come in a small box, and the game even comes with small resealable bags to store the game components in!
Cons:
One con of Catan is that when playing it, especially with four players, it gets REALLY competitive. You will be trying to block in your opponents, send the robber to steal from them, limit and take away their resources, etc. For all of these reasons, Catan isn't good for team-building. Although, it is still a pretty social game, and some people even end up forming "Catan Groups", and have a meeting spent playing Catan every week or so.
Another bad thing about Catan, is its price. While Catan is only 50 US dollars on Amazon, the 5 and 6 player extensions for the base game and the expansions are each $25. The expansions themselves are each $50. Thus, if you want to add more to your Catan, it can very quickly get very pricey.
Expansions and Spin-offs:
Due to its popularity, there are many videogame and boardgame expansions and spin-offs of Catan.
There have been a number of video-game spin-offs of Catan, but most of them have come and gone. The two main ones currently going are Catan Universe and Catan VR. Catan Universe is available on PC, Mac, the IOS App Store, Google Play, and on Amazon. Catan VR is a VR (virtual reality) version of Catan which is available on Steam (a computer gaming platform).
There is also a Star Trek version of the game, as well as a Game of Thrones version, and a kids version (Catan Junior). There is even a dice version of the game (Catan Dice Game), perfect for car rides, two card versions, one with two expansions that plays like a board game (Rivals for Catan), and one that is a pure card game (The Struggle for Catan), and a travel version of the game, with pegged pieces and card holders. If you think that this list is already big enough, think again!, as there are also multiple scenario packs, and the Catan Histories Series, which includes themes such as the Stone Age, the Expansion of America into the West, and more!
The four main expansions for Catan are: Catan: Seafarers, Catan: Cities and Knights, Catan: Traders and Barbarians, and Catan: Explorers and Pirates. These add various features, which range from exploring two unknown archipelagos, to upgrading your cities, and fending off barbarian attacks, while repairing all the damage that they created. There are also a few less popular scenarios, such as Catan: Oil Springs, Catan: Frenemies, and Catan: Historical Scenarios (which is different than Catan Histories).
Final Thoughts
I would definitely recommend Catan to you, if you haven't played any Eurogames, or even if you have. It is simple, yet contains lots of strategy, which makes it perfect for both groups. It is also a great social game, and may even make you some new friends. There is a reason why it is so popular and well-known.
Thanks for reading this post. If you have any questions or comments about Settlers of Catan, please comment below. Additionally, please click here for a poll on what the topic of my blog post for the week of 10/28 - 11/3 will be (the poll will close on 10/26).
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