Settlers of Catan

Much as we love wacky board games, you can’t beat a rip-roaring epic; a totally immersive, family-friendly game in which new lands are discovered, colonies are established, armies are amassed, and resources are produced, traded and even stolen. No, we’re not talking about Hungry Hippos. We’re talking about Settlers of Catan.

This award-winning 3-4 player board game has got us gripped with its ultra strategic yet easy-to-learn gameplay. But don’t just take our word for it. Settlers of Catan is already a smash with the tech crowd down in Silicon Valley, and its amazing ability to appeal to both gaming geeks and casual players alike has seen its cult status rocket. Trust us, this baby is about to go ballistic.

So what’s it all about? Well, basically, players compete to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities and roads, and generating resources such as wool, brick and grain. On each turn dice are rolled to determine what resources the island produces. Players collect and trade these resources (via various resource cards) to build up their civilisations, amass 10 victory points and win the game. Confused? We don’t doubt it but give it a few minutes and you’ll be hopelessly hooked.

Terrain tiles – build your settlements, cities, roads and generate resources on these:

Mountain = Ore		Hills = Brick		Forest = Lumber

Pasture = Wool		Field = Grain		Desert = Nothing!

One of Settlers’ greatest strengths is that unlike many strategy games, the board can be set up randomly every time you play, so no two games are alike. Just fit the octagonal terrain pieces together in any order and you’re away.

We could go on explaining the ins and outs of this spectacularly addictive game but trying to explain it in print is like trying to describe quantum physics via the medium of tapestry. Besides, the best way to get into Settlers of Catan is to play it. More importantly we’re in the middle of an incredibly tense game and we don’t want our opponents to suss out our strategy. Your move.

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Proof of how popular this amazing game has become...

Settlers is now poised to become the biggest hit in the US since Risk. Along the way, it's teaching Americans that board games don't have to be either predictable fluff aimed at kids or competitive, hyperintellectual pastimes for eggheads. Through the complex, artful dance of algorithms and probabilities lurking at its core, Settlers manages to be effortlessly fun, intuitively enjoyable, and still intellectually rewarding, a potent combination that's changing the American idea of what a board game can be.
Source: Wired Magazine – March 2009
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