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The Settlers of Catan

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4.5 (3)
 
4.0 (14)
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14 reviews

 
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4.0
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14 results - showing 6 - 10
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Rating 
 
5.0
this is a fun, clean, quick german game, something that eurogames seemed to have lost along the way.
it looses some of it's appeal in translation (with the wood for sheep bit, not being funny in spanish).
but it's generally a nice eye opener for the non-gaming crowd, which seems pleased with all the trading an stuff. Maybe someone should invent it's AT counterpart, just to make sure that people are directly initiated into the right side of the hobby.
J
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Rating 
 
4.5
I wish more modern Euros were made in this style.
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One of the Best Euros
Rating 
 
4.0
Easy to learn and a fun way to spend a couple hours. Like any trade/negotiation game the group you play with can impact the flow/fun of the game a lot. It a combination of the greatness of this game and the weakness of it's successors that Settlers- which started the Euro Board Game invasion is still one of the best in the field.
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One of the best games ever
Rating 
 
4.0
There's a lot to like for AT fans in this game. It's essentially Civilization distilled down into a concentrated paste, minus the warfare*. The board is random, resource production is random, there's tons of compulsory interaction, a few chances for total screwage, and it's always tight.

The game is a triumph of design--the modular board keeps rounds fresh. The combination of open information (how many resource cards do you have?) and hidden information (what -are- those cards? Victory Points? Knights?) keeps everyone simultaneously in the know and guessing. The balance in the resource management element is also so well done, it's no wonder that is has been copied countless times since. You need resources, but if you hog them, you might get burned. A player can try to win on her own, but she'll fall behind fast--there's a constant hustle for goods. The beginning game's demand for brick and wood slowly creeps to stone and wheat production as players get more established.

There's so much to like in this game, it's hard for me to justify not recommending it universally.



*(Dearth of warfare remedied by Cities & Knights of Catan expansion).
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Great intro to EuroGames - lots of luck
Rating 
 
3.0
Yeah, this was my first introduction to Eurogames as well and I did really like it at the time. I loved that my g/f (of the time) and all her friends loved playing it as well. Getting to game with females was a new thing for me and I liked the social aspect of involving the g/f.

Nowadays, I can't stand this game and far prefer Agricola, Puerto Rico, Power Grid and the like. The trading aspect of Settlers of Catan just drives me nuts cuz, like Monopoly, he who can manipulate the others the best seems to do well. It's not really why I game and is why Diplomacy is my most hated game of all time.

It's also difficult to go back to dice. I like how dice are used in Twilight Struggle. I hate how dice are used in Settlers of Catan, Risk, Axis & Allies and all that jazz. Oh man, don't get me started on Battlelore either.

Overall, it's a good game, even a great game maybe. But I'm sure I can fire off 30 better board games off the top of my head. There's always something better to be played.

In terms of game mechanics:
You like the trading aspect of the game? Try Pandemic, it's better.
You like playing with a modular board? Hmmmm? Find that fun, do you? Battlelore is way more fun.
You like rolling dice in a game? You're Chinese or something? War of the Ring is like the best die-rolling game of all time.
You like building routes and networks? Power Grid ftw.

In terms of themes,
You like the Civilization aspect of the game? Obviously Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization is a FAR better Civ-themed game. Man, I love that game.
And if you actually, unlike me, like Negotation in a game, then play Twilight Imperium 3rd edition instead.

My point is that Settlers of Catan is a stepping stone for getting into much better games. I don't think it really deserves much play time once you've grown up and moved on.
BB
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14 results - showing 6 - 10
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