One small island full of various resources but not enough room for settlers. You are one of those settlers. To be victorious, you must utilize these resources to build roads, settlements, and cities. Gathering and managing resource cards, trading with other players, and trusting the luck of the dice roll could possibly lead to victory in Settlers of Catan! This link will lead to the manufacturer’s website.

Settlers of Catan has been around since 1995. It makes a great gate-way game in that new gamers can learn it quickly but the variety and unknown factors can make even seasoned gamers enjoy a round.

As this is not a tutorial, I won’t delve into the details on gameplay. I will simply rate and review the game.

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Here is my rating system:

There are 10 points distributed in 5 categories.

Learning – Can players teach/learn in a short amount of time? Is the rule book clear and concise?

Components – Are the pieces good quality? Do they make the game better or are they distracting?

Interaction – Do players need to work together? Is there actions that can be spiteful or helpful?

Complexity – How deep is this game? Are there lots of ways to earn points and win?

Replayability – Will this game get boring? Is it the same for every play?

Each category will earn 0, 1, or 2 points.

Score of 0 – game does a poor job or does not display any beneficial or useable substance

Score of 1 – passable quality and fair mechanics but will still lack superior form 

Score of 2 – excellent craftsmanship and function, brings enhancement to overall game play

I said I would rate and review. Here are my thoughts on Settlers of Catan.

Rate – 7 out of 10 

Learning – This game is good to learn or teach because it is fairly easy to grasp. The gameplay is not confusing either. Score of 1

Components – The wooden pieces are sturdy as well as the tiles. It’s easy to distinguish different cards/colors. I like the art work as well. Score of 2

Interaction – Players can trade with others but this is not absolutely vital for a well-balanced player. Players can also block other players. Score of 1

Complexity – Once you learn Catan, there are only a couple of ways to win. The luck of the dice keep this game from being too complex. Score of 1

Replayability – There are dice and tiles that change every game. These two reasons give it a feel each time you play. Score of 2

 

There you have it. Even though I scored this a 7, it still deserves to be in your collection. Did I mention the fact that there are about a dozen expansions for the base game?!?! This will drive my score up. Things get more complex. Player interaction increases…and so does the tension! And it is that tension that drives any gamer to want to win. It’s fun to play board games!

If you are not a gamer, this would be a great place to start. Settlers of Catan is a classic in my book and will always have a place on my shelf.