Settlers of Catan

Settlers of Catan is a game where each player has just landed on a new island called Catan and each is looking to expand to become the largest “nation” of Catan. This is achieved by collecting resources by dice rolls and trading with other players to get the resources needed to build a settlement, a city, a road, or a development card (which can be useful in the later game). Settlers of Catan involves skill in both expansion and negotiation. Each player starts by placing two settlements on the map and when a number is rolled on a resource that is adjacent to one of their settlements that player collects the appropriate resource. The point of the game is to achieve 10 Victory Points by expanding your “nation” (Settlement = 1VP, City = 2VP, Longest Road = 2VP, and Largest Army = 2VP). The first player to do so wins!

I want to play this game over and over! It's addictive, fun, and just a good time with friends!

Just a warning to those reading this review that a few people I have talked to think Settlers is overwhelming and too much thinking, but their preference is more into party games, quicker with less thinking required. This game is kind of like Monopoly. It takes a few hours, requires thinking, but overall a lot more fun, challenging and addictive. The competition for space and the ability to trade with players gives it a more cutthroat edge. It is overwhelming at first, but people I've played with learn it after the first try and love it!

I love this game. I have played it numerous times at the homres of my friends. However, when I went to purchase it I was shocked at the price of the game. Although I enjoy playing this game a price tag ranging from $42-$59 (range of prices I have found) is excessive. I realize this is what the game goes for, but considering the accessories that come with the box, it is unrealistic. I will continue to play the game at others homes but will refrain from purchasing the game myself. I find this disappointing.

Much like pianos, Settlers of Catan is ubiquitous. You can find it in many homes, and it's not always commented upon. When it is not present however, people get disgruntled. This game is far more popular amongst every circle I have spoken with than Monopoly, Clue or other well known games. This is one of the three board games that regularily gets played with my friends, and should not be missed by anyone.

You say the name and people comment, what? Never heard of it. Play it once and fall in love. My brother introduced the game to my husband and I a couple of years back. It is a rival to the best video games on the market. This board game never gets boring. You can play it for hours and hours. The expansion packs are okay, but not necessary. If you liked this game you might also like Carcassonne. We bought the big box edition (all the expansions.) When friends come over for board games and look through our 30+ collection. It always comes down to Catan or Carcassonne.

This game is a staple of my household and friends - the general idea is to place settlements on the intersections of up to three of five types of terrains, and dice rolls cause those terrains to produce resources that you use to build more roads, settlements and cities. The first to reach a certain amount of development wins the game.

What's great about this game is the re-play value: every game plays differently, you can randomize the board, the numbers that the terrains produce on, and, obviously, where you place your starting settlements. No one strategy always wins, and there are expansion sets you can use to build the game's complexity further.

This is a great game for the board game lover. It has the perfect balence of stategy and luck. Unlike Risk (which the game loosely resembles) inexperienced players can do well and have fun playing against experienced ones. Every time you play is different and one playing style or strategy won't win every time. Always fun, always a challenge. Beautifully designed board, cards and high quality makes this game worth every penny. This is one game I wouldn't hesitate spending $40+ on.

I have had this game for a few years myself, but I first played it at university back in 1999, where someone had the game and brought it to a club on campus. We tried playing it, and it ended up having people playing it almost 24 hours a day for 3 months, which of course meant the cards were starting to look rather worn. Everyone just loved it. The seafarers expansion is great, while the cities and knights is just good.

Best described as a cross between Monopoly and Risk. But way better than either one. The best part is that the game board is different every time you play. High on strategy, but just enough of a luck factor to keep you guessing.
And what game would be complete without being able to mess with your opponents. But be careful retaliation definitely comes into play.

The only down-side would be that this is another one of those games that has a lot of expansion packs. And how can you not buy those too?