Boardgame Beast reviews Settlers of Catan the board game
Game:
Settlers of Catan
Board game manufacturer:
Mayfair
Number of players:
3-4 (5 with expansion)
Quick Verdict
Settlers of Catan feels different, right from the setting up of all those discs and tiles. It's a tactile game and will appeal to tweens and teens as well as adults, though younger children will struggle with the concept. Lots of fun and a shallow learning curve keeps it accessible to new players.
The Settlers board game combines several aspects of successful games into a simple, yet enjoyable experience with strong replay value.
Its growing popularity is demonstrated by the appearance of an expansion pack, allowing for a fifth player to join the party. We'll review that expansion at a later date.
The Settlers board game is very easy to grasp, with a shallow learning curve and much emphasis on social interaction between the players.
The game
Plays takes place on a board made up of hexagons. These are laid out in a pre-determined pattern, but in a random order, so the board is different every time you play.
There are five tile types, representing
resources: wood, brick, wheat, sheep and ore. One
additional tile is a desert piece.
Onto each of these tiles, discs are randomly dealt with numbers from 2 to 12 on them (representing dice throws of that amount). The exception is the desert, on which the Robber is placed.
The Settlers of Catan board game, once set up, creates a large polygon roughly circular in shape, with 'ports' around the edge represented by other tiles.
Each boundary of three tiles creates a settlement point. From here, if a player chooses this place to build, access to all those resources is created. The scarcity of these resources is dictated by the numbered disc with the dice total on it.
Settlers of Catan places great emphasis on real estate. No settlement may be built adjacent to another, so a maximum of three points on each hexagon can be developed.
The players are given two settlements and two road pieces (both represented by coloured wooden tokens) at the start. Taking turns to choose locations, each player claims two points on the board they think will yield good resources throughout the game. The second choice of starting settlement yields an immediate resource payout.
Resources are the key to the Settlers of Catan. Everything a player builds is done using a combination of the available raw materials. For example, building a road requires wood and brick, while upgrading from a settlement to a city requires two wheat and three ore.
This means that a strong position early in the game, when basic materials like wood and brick are in more demand, may weaken later due to the demand switching towards ore or wheat.
Every time a player throws the dice, the tiles with discs for the amount thrown on them generate resources for any players with settlements that touch them. This shows how important the numbered discs and the player's choice of settlement points are, as the more common dice throws yield resources more often.
Each turn begins with a dice throw, after which
resources are distributed. Then trading begins. The active player may
strike any trade with any other player that both parties feel is fair.
Once that's done, the player may also exchange resources at any ports
they have access to. Finally, they build, if they wish, or retain their
resource cards for later.
If a seven is thrown, the player must move the Robber from the desert to another tile. In addition, one resource card may be stolen from another player. Anybody holding eight or more cards must give half (rounded down) back to the bank!
Victory points are awarded for each
settlement or city, plus for development cards (bought with resources),
owning the longest road or controlling the largest army.
The first player with ten victory points wins the game.
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