Catan

Players: 3-4
Duration: 60-90 min
Difficulty: Medium
Age: 10+

Video by Watch It Played

General Description

Catan is a strategic building and trading game created by Klaus Teuber in 1995. Players take on the role of settlers arriving on the island of Catan, rich in natural resources. The goal is to build settlements, cities, and roads while trading with other players to obtain necessary resources.

Game Components

  • 19 terrain hexagons:
    • 4 Forests (wood)
    • 4 Pastures (wool)
    • 4 Wheat fields (wheat)
    • 3 Hills (brick)
    • 3 Mountains (ore)
    • 1 Desert (produces nothing)
  • 6 sea frame pieces
  • 9 harbor tokens (4 general 3:1 harbors, 5 specific 2:1 harbors)
  • 18 number tokens (numbers 2-12, no 7)
  • 95 resource cards (19 of each type)
  • 25 development cards:
    • 14 Knights
    • 5 Victory Points
    • 2 Road Building
    • 2 Year of Plenty
    • 2 Monopoly
  • 4 sets of pieces (1 per player):
    • 15 roads
    • 5 settlements
    • 4 cities
  • 2 six-sided dice
  • 1 robber (black piece)
  • 2 special cards: Longest Road and Largest Army

Game Objective

Be the first player to reach 10 victory points during your turn.

How to Score Points

  • Settlement — 1 point
  • City — 2 points
  • Longest Road (minimum 5) — 2 points
  • Largest Army (minimum 3 knights) — 2 points
  • Victory Point card — 1 point

Setup

Board Assembly

  1. Assemble the sea frame forming a hexagon
  2. Place the 19 terrain hexagons inside (randomly or using suggested layout)
  3. Place the robber on the desert
  4. Place number tokens on hexagons (in spiral, avoiding placing 6 and 8 adjacent)
  5. Place harbors on sea frame pieces

Player Setup

  1. Each player chooses a color and takes their 15 roads, 5 settlements, and 4 cities
  2. Initial placement (in turn order):
    • First player places 1 settlement + 1 adjacent road
    • Second player places 1 settlement + 1 adjacent road
    • Third player places 1 settlement + 1 adjacent road
    • (Fourth player if applicable)
  3. In reverse order, each player places their second settlement + road
  4. Starting resources: Each player receives 1 resource card for each hexagon adjacent to their second settlement

Distance Rule

Settlements must be separated by at least 2 intersections. They cannot be adjacent.

How to Play

Turn Structure

1. Roll the Dice (mandatory)

  • Roll both dice and add the result
  • All players (not just the active player) receive resources from hexagons with that number
  • For each adjacent settlement: 1 card of the resource
  • For each adjacent city: 2 cards of the resource

2. The Robber (if 7 is rolled)

When the result is 7:

  1. Discard: Any player with more than 7 cards must discard half (rounding down)
  2. Move the robber: The active player moves the robber to any other hexagon
  3. Steal: The active player may steal 1 random card from a player with a settlement/city adjacent to the robber

Important: While the robber is on a hexagon, it does not produce resources.

3. Trade (optional)

Trading with other players:

  • You can offer and negotiate any exchange
  • Both players must agree
  • Only the active player can initiate trades

Trading with the bank:

  • 4:1: Exchange 4 identical cards for 1 card of any resource
  • 3:1 (general harbor): If you have a settlement/city at a 3:1 harbor
  • 2:1 (specific harbor): If you have a settlement/city at a harbor of the corresponding resource

4. Build (optional)

  • Road — 1 wood + 1 brick
    • Connects your settlements
  • Settlement — 1 wood + 1 brick + 1 wool + 1 wheat
    • +1 point, produces 1 resource
  • City — 3 ore + 2 wheat
    • +2 points (replaces settlement), produces 2 resources
  • Development Card — 1 ore + 1 wool + 1 wheat
    • Special effect

Building rules:

  • Roads must connect to your existing roads/settlements
  • Settlements must respect the distance rule (minimum 2 intersections)
  • New settlements must be connected by road to your settlements/cities
  • Cities replace existing settlements

5. Play Development Cards (optional)

  • You may play 1 development card per turn
  • You cannot play a card the same turn you bought it
  • Victory Point cards are revealed only when you win

Development Cards

Knight (14 cards)

  • Move the robber to any hexagon
  • You may steal 1 card from a player adjacent to the new hexagon
  • 3 knights played = Largest Army (2 points)

Road Building (2 cards)

  • Build 2 roads for free immediately

Year of Plenty (2 cards)

  • Take 2 resource cards of any type from the bank

Monopoly (2 cards)

  • Announce 1 type of resource
  • All players must give you all their cards of that resource

Victory Point (5 cards)

  • Worth 1 point of victory
  • Kept secret until you win

Special Cards

Longest Road

  • Awarded to the first player with 5 or more connected roads
  • Worth 2 victory points
  • If another player builds a longer road, the card changes hands
  • The road cannot be interrupted by other players’ settlements/cities

Largest Army

  • Awarded to the first player who plays 3 or more knights
  • Worth 2 victory points
  • If another player plays more knights, the card changes hands

End of Game

The game ends immediately when a player reaches 10 victory points during their turn.

Secret victory points (cards) are revealed at this moment to confirm the victory.

Basic Strategies

  • Diversify resources: Place settlements on different terrain types
  • Prioritize frequent numbers: 6 and 8 are most likely to be rolled (5 possibilities each)
  • Trade actively: Negotiation is key to progress
  • Watch the robber: Use it to block the leader or resources you need

Advanced Strategies

  • Control harbors: 2:1 harbors are very valuable if you have excess of one resource
  • Plan for Longest Road: 2 extra victory points
  • Accumulate knights: Largest Army is an easy 2 points
  • Manage your hand: Stay at 7 or fewer cards when a 7 might be rolled

Dice Probabilities

  • 2, 12 — 2.8% (1 dot on token)
  • 3, 11 — 5.6% (2 dots)
  • 4, 10 — 8.3% (3 dots)
  • 5, 9 — 11.1% (4 dots)
  • 6, 8 — 13.9% (5 dots)
  • 7 — 16.7% (robber)

Tips for Beginners

  1. Prioritize resource diversity over quantity
  2. Don’t forget to trade - it’s essential for progress
  3. Build toward harbors to improve trading
  4. Watch for 7s - keep 7 cards or fewer when possible
  5. Don’t ignore development cards - knights and secret points are valuable

History and Fun Facts

  • Created by Klaus Teuber in 1995 in Germany
  • Originally called “Die Siedler von Catan”
  • Has sold over 32 million copies worldwide
  • Translated into more than 40 languages
  • Considered the game that popularized modern board gaming
  • Winner of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres in 1995