I’ve noticed that when used as a “gateway” game, people that respond positively to Settlers of Catan are more likely to move on to other more involved games than people taught with Ticket to Ride, Alhambra, or Carcassonne. More is going on during a game of Settlers of Catan than in other gateway games like Ticket to Ride, making it harder to learn on your own.

There are many small rules that are easily forgotten, or could be confusing to a new player learning the game on their own, so having an experienced person teaching the game is important. Settlers of Catan is a straightforward game, once you see how everything works. I had been a collectable card game (CCG) player for many years, and the concept of a one-time purchase that didn’t require everyone to have their own cards was very appealing.

I am one of the people that experienced Settlers of Catan as my first modern boardgame. Compared to games like Monopoly, Risk, or Clue this can be a great thing, especially with people who have tighter schedules. You can look at a game state, see who has how many points, and have a good idea how much longer the game is going to take. At pretty much all times, players can see how many points any player has (except for hidden victory point cards). Once someone can get 10 points, they win. Victory Points – The end of the game is very well defined. Once you build a settlement (house), you gain resources from it when its number is rolled (akin to someone landing on your property and paying you).

Rolling a 7 lets you move it once, and thematically it makes sense that having a robber on a hexagon limits the resources it produces, and steals from someone near its location.īuilding – When you’re aiming to show advancement in a game, what better way than to give more houses which can be upgraded to cities (similar to Monopoly‘s house/hotel structure). Robber – Ah, there’s the pawn we’re used to in most games, but it’s not owned by any one player. For players that don’t like to trade with opponents, they still have an option available to them, and they’ll quickly learn that those that trade are building a lot more on the board. If you don’t like these rates, see what an opponent will give you. Settlers of Catan tells you what resources are worth for trading with the board (4:1, with the possibility of getting 3:1 or 2:1 on ports). Trading – Other games allow trading, but often the rules around trading are not well defined. The cards’ color matches the hexagons on the board, easily showing the link between them. Resource Cards – These are very much like currency in other games, coming in colors (or goods types) instead of cash. You’re still starting your turn by rolling dice – as in many games – and once you see how resources are distributed, it all makes sense. Different colored tiles easily show that different locations will do different things.ĭice – One of the staples of traditional boardgaming, but here instead of moving a pawn the number of spaces rolled, you’re using the dice to gain resources. Having these similarities makes the game feel more accessible.īoard Layout – The tiles make a map, with the vertexes/sides of the hexagons making it clear where paths will go. Viewing a game of Settlers of Catan in progress looks very different from the standard mainstream boardgames, but there are similarities that make approaching and learning the game easier. One of the things that makes Settlers of Catan such a great introduction to boardgaming is that it uses many of the items people are already familiar with in gaming, but in different ways than they are used to. It has become one of the handful of great “gateway” games, and will continue doing so for many years to come. Going to any convention (or boardgaming website!) and you’ll run into people that trace their modern gaming roots to a game of Settlers of Catan. Settlers of Catan has converted many into gamers over the years.

Catan board game pieces