Catan is a classic board game with the goal of the game being to be the first to accumulate 10 victory points by building settlements, roads and cities. The game is played on a board consisting of 19 hexagonal tiles which represent different terrain types such as pastures, forests, fields, mountains and hills. Players collect resources such as brick, wood, wheat, sheep, and ore from these tiles and use them to build settlements, roads and cities. Players can also purchase Development Cards, which allow them to build more quickly or gain additional resources. The game is won when one player accumulates 10 victory points.
Catan is a game of strategy, negotiation, and luck. The mechanics of the game create a dynamic that makes for a lot of fun. Players must use their resources to build settlements and roads, with the ultimate goal of creating the longest road and accumulating the most victory points. As you build, you race against other players to get to the best settlement areas and can cut off other players as well. In order to get scarce resources or ones that you need during your turn, you have the option to trade with the other players in the game which leads to negotiation and team formation against the leading player. The game is constantly changing as players build, trade, and negotiate their way to the top. Every turn is a chance to gain an advantage, and the game keeps players engaged every round.
Catan especially uses the aesthetics of challenge and competition with the identified mechanics and dynamics to create an enjoyable game experience. It’s a game that is easy to learn but hard to master, and has provided endless hours of fun for me as I’ve played with friends and family.
