Tabletop Tuesday - Settlers of Catan

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the cult favorite of sheep and wheat that is Settlers of Catan.

Players: 3-4
Time: 45-90 minutes
Genre: Strategy



This German-style board game (or Eurogame as they're called) was first published in 1995 and would later go on to pave the way for this genre outside of Europe due to its surprisingly massive appeal.  Winner of 9 different awards, including the 1995 Spiel des Jahres Game of the Year award, Settlers of Catan has reached a mainstream universal audience thanks to a good blend of strategy, luck, and simplicity.

Players start each game with a hexagonal grid of an island, each hex representing a different resource that can be obtained from settlements that border that hex: Sheep, wheat, bricks, wood, and ore.  Each tile is randomly assigned a number token, which when that number is rolled with the dice dictates the hex to produce resources.  Although this is reliant on luck, certain number combinations, like 6 or 8, are more likely to be rolled making them more valuable tiles.  There are also docks placed along the edges of the island that allow players who settle there to trade resources at more favorable ratios, though at the cost of being settled near 1-2 tiles instead of between 3 tiles.  And each time a 7 is rolled (most common roll), players get to move the robber, which will block one hex from producing resources until moved and lets the player steal from an opponent with a nearby settlement in place.  With two starting settlements and two roads per player, players will then take turns rolling the dice, gathering resources, and building roads, settlements, discovery cards and more as they expand across the island.  With various means to earn victory points, from settlements to longest roads to largest armies, it's a race to the first player to earn 10 total victory points.

A great aspect of Settlers is the constant involvement every player has in the game, even if it isn't your turn.  Each turn the dice is rolled, you have a chance to earn resources, which means you're always planning what and where you need to build.  And although only the player whose turn it is can trade, the best players will know when to jump in on trades and to keep tabs on what others are collecting.  The use of tiles and randomly assigned number values also makes for a unique and fresh experience each and every game, requiring players to craft new strategies and to adapt with each subsequent play.  And of course due to its tremendous success, there are numerous expansions and spin-offs of which we can cover a few in future installments of Tabletop Tuesday.  But the core game stands strong as a staple for any game collection.  I recommend this game for those who enjoy critical thinking and social engagements.

If you have any questions about Settlers of Catan, let me know in the comments.  And stay tuned to hear more about other Catan expansions and more in future installments of Tabletop Tuesday!

Bonus Tip: For friendlier, less confrontational games of Catan, try the following rule change for the robber: Instead of blocking a hex's resources, that hex now produces double resources while on the hex.  Also, instead of stealing, the robber (or genie as we now call it) gifts the player who rolled the 7 one of whatever resource that player wants.