Review
The Settlers of Catan offers multiple combinations each time you play making this game one of the most ultimately replayable board games of all time. It's not brand new, there's an ultra uber amazing 3D edition out now to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Settlers of Catan, complete with its hefty price tag. However for most of us the basic 3 - 4 player game of Settlers of Catan will do us nicely as it's still just as classic, just as appealing as it's ever been and probably ever will be.
The world of Catan
Three or more of you will begin your small settlement on the Isle of Catan, the main objective being to achieve the biggest and bravest settlement before your friends / foes do. You do this by gathering various resources to enable building roads, settlements, cities and other additions in the form of bonus cards such as an army of knights, universities, churches and palaces. This may not sound very exciting but within the first 5 minutes of game you'll be laughing shouting and scheming as with all descent board games! The wretched robber will probably be the cause of most ill-will, being that whenever a 7 is rolled the person who rolled may choose an area to blight until he is moved on again. At times you'll also need to trade with your most bitter enemy, but be warned, even though you receive the item you need most you may well be aiding your enemy to victory before you do.
3 - 4 players?
You can get away with playing with 2 people even though you're not really supposed to, although 3 or more does play much better, as with most board games. To play with 5 or 6 players however you'll need to buy the additional aptly named 5 - 6 Player Expansion (see below). It's not the end of the world though as it's not too expensive, and highly recommended for games with all your friends and family around.
Easy, rewarding, never-ending strategy
There are three main reasons why Settlers of Catan is a classic; firstly anyone can learn the rules in no time at all, this includes family members who normally can only be bothered playing Monopoly or Uno etc because they can't be bothered absorbing new rules... Secondly, despite the simplicity, there is a good deal of rewarding tactics and strategies to keep the game nice and moreish. And thirdly, like all classic board games, there is an element that allows for a different game each time it's played, and Catan is no exception. The hexagonal tiles can be arranged differently each game as can the outer coastal tiles, and as if that wasn't enough you can also re-arrange the variables for each tile meaning you practically have limitless possibilities for how the game will begin and inevitably play out. Some variations offer an easier or harder game - you may even want to try a completely random setup and work with your foes and allies to get what you need to win (this is where Catan really lives up to its reputation in my opinion).
Catan expansions
If you were to buy all of the many, many expansions / spin-offs for Settlers of Catan then you would be probably have to sell all your wee settlements, all your wee sheepies and consider a career as the robber... However, as with most board games with a huge list of expansions, you're best picking the ones that appeal most to you and collect them over time. The basic game already offers hours and hours of gaming delight so you're unlikely to get bored with it easily. But when if it does ever begin to lose its sparkle by all means pick up the Cities and Knights Expansion and get excited about Catan all over again!
Catan settles itself nicely in the board game halls of fame, and we at Liber Mortis agree totally. If you don't already own this then you should definitely give it a go and see what all the fuss is about.
If you like Settlers of Catan you may also like...
If you're thirsty for more great alternative classics then Dominion and Carcassonne are your best bets. You may also want to try Stone Age and Tobago.
by David 04/06/2010
