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The Settlers of Catan

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4.5 (3)
 
4.0 (14)
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The Settlers of Catan

Game Information

Publisher
Designer
Year Published
Genre
Mayfair Games

In Settlers of Catan, players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads. On each turn dice are rolled to determine the current production on the island. Players collect raw materials to build up their civilizations to gain enough victory points to win the game.


Editor reviews

3 reviews

Rating 
 
4.5
Rating 
 
5.0
Still the most important new design in the last 25 years, and it's not even close. The terrific combination of resource management, trading, and good old fashioned gambling isn't as cool as it once was, but it has aged quite well, and remains a high watermark in not just German game design, but game design in general.
SI
Top 50 Reviewer 55 reviews
A game with great legs.
Rating 
 
4.5
Every time I play I think I have it figured out, and as the game progresses I have to change my strategy. The game is legendary, you owe it to yourself and to your kids to have a copy around the house. Catch-phrases from Settlers are entering mainstream culture the same way "Do not pass Go" and "Free Parking" have from Monopoly. This may be the one game from the last quarter of the 20th century to establish ubiquity.

The discussion after any game will give you a good clue about how good a play it is. Settlers always produces a good post-game show.
Rating 
 
4.0
Settlers of Catan is a game that continues to work after all this time. It is simple, the dice resource production produces drama, and a lot of the game is above the table, which helps it with staying power.

My mild critiques of the game primarily lie with the way that the game does not produce enough materials to make granular trading possible. I feel that the game could be designed a little better to encourage trading. As it is, a lot of otherwise attractive trades aren't possible because the difference between one and two cards is simply too great from a resource perspective. I think later trading games have gone to some effort to grease the gears of trading.

User reviews

14 reviews

 
(7)
 
(2)
 
(4)
 
(1)
1 star
 
(0)
Rating 
 
4.0
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A great European game
(Updated: July 30, 2008)
Rating 
 
5.0
This was my introduction to European games, and it still stands as one of the very best ever. Short enough to get played often, but long enough to be satisfying. Simple enough to teach casual gamers to play (and they like and understand it), but still a very engaging and fun game. Has lots of decision making and player interaction, and requires a good mix of luck, strategy, and trading.
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One of the finest of its genre.
Rating 
 
5.0
Like most, this was my introduction to Eurogames. It's an amazing game, no questions asked.

It's no filler coming in at about 90 minutes. It has concepts that are advanced for the "mainstream" gamer but it has enough accessibility to help them make that jump. It's nicely produced, has a good tempo where everyone can be involved thanks to trading, has player screwage, dice rolling...for a Euro, it's one of the best. There are some Euros that are better, but it is a tiny, tiny selection.

It was invigorating to play this for the first time, as though you'd found something new, something totally alien to a person weaned on Ameritrash. Unfortunately you eventually find out it's like finding a new radio station where they don't play the same damned 12 songs you're used to over and over again; but you listen to the new channel for two weeks and realize they're merely playing a *different* 12 songs over and over again. It's sad that one of the best Euros ever came out 13 years ago.

Anyway, gamers from every walk, fans of every genre, owe it to themselves to play this at least once. One of the very few "tentpoles" in boardgaming that everyone can point to as being an important, monumental moment.
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Rating 
 
5.0
First boardgame that I came across as I was becoming spent on Magic. Opened up my eyes and I've always loved playing this one. I honestly think I always will. Solid ideas that have paved the way, but enough replayability to stand on it's own still. I probably couldnt play this game over and over all day, but pretty close. (varients and expansions are always there to help!)
If any Euro could get a 6 on FAT, it's this one. (but really, it IS a euro...)
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Rating 
 
5.0
This is one of my favorites. It has enough randomness to be unpredictable yet there's enough strategy to overcome that. The end game feels about right. It doesn't feel rushed like the rest of the Euros. Interesting theme and screwage.
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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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