Settlers of Cataan

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Settlers of Cataan

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

The game is OK but some LDS folks are obsesses like my sister and brother in law. The game is long and too complicated for children. Pre-teens can probably pick it up ok. I prefer the version of the game with the Knights and Castles. It has a military component that makes it a little more exciting.

It is a fun game for getting together with other couples and playing or playing with teens and pre-teens. If you have small children who demand your attention every few minutes you might as well postpone your purchase until they are older. I can't watch a DVD movie with my wife without 50 interuptions from small children so playing a long game is impossible. And playing Risk (my favorite board game) is definitely out.

Pt314 · Senior Member

If you are into board games, I strongly recommend it. It's really fun, especcially if you play it with people who know how to play well. It's a great example of the direction of board games today.

I love board games. I love playing them, and I love making them. I am a member of the Board Game Designers Forum www.bgdf.com

Melissa · Veteran Member

I just have to put my .02 in on this thread.

My husband and I used to get together with my sister and her hubby every weekend and play games. Some of our favorites were Rook, Phase 10, Canasta, etc. One Christmas I got Settlers of Catan as a gift (from the same brother I mentioned in the Apples to Apples thread.) I think in the two years since being given that game you can count the number of times we have played any other game on one hand. It is such a fun game.

Some things you should know:

It's expensive. The regular game is $40, with each expansion (Cities and Knights or Seafarers) also costing $40. Then, if you want to play with more than 4 players, up to 6, you can purchase the expanded sets for $15. Really all you need to start is Settlers of Catan for $40, unless you have more than 4 players in the family and then you should also get the 5-6 player expansion for $15. (I think you can get them combined for less on ebay.) Once you get Settlers down, you'll want to add Seafarers or Cities and Knights. I personally recommend the latter. We have Seafarers, but really don't ever play it.

It takes a while to learn, but it is really worth it. When I hear Glenn complaining about games that need books to explain the rules, I could swear he's talking about Settlers. Another nice thing is that every single game is different. The board is made up of many components that end up in different spots every time. We just never get tired of playing the dang thing.

You can check out online what the game is like at www.asobrain.com. It's a free online game site where they have made their own version of Settlers, calling it Xplorers. Look for a "Basic" game to learn regular Settlers, or "C&K" to do the Cities and Knights Expansion.

Good luck!