Catan, originally known as The Settlers of Catan, is a popular board game where players gather resources and build settlements. Here’s a breakdown of how to play Catan:
How Many Players Can Play Catan?
Catan is designed for 3-4 players.
How Long Does Catan Take?
Usually about an hour, but it can vary.
Setting Up the Board in Catan
The game board is modular, meaning it can be set up in different ways. For beginners, follow the rules in the rulebook. Here’s a basic setup:
– Connect the blue edges of the board to form the frame.
– Place land hex tiles according to the beginner setup or shuffle and place them randomly.
– Put numbered circle markers in the beginner setup or in alphabetical order.
– Start the robber pawn in the desert.
Player Setup in Catan
– Each player picks a color and gets settlements, cities, and road pieces in that color.
– Place two settlements and two roads on the board.
Catan Rules
A turn in Catan has three phases:
1. Resource Production
– Roll the dice to determine resources based on where your settlements are.
– If you roll a 7, activate the robber.
2. Trading
– Trade with other players or use maritime trading rules.
3. Building
– Spend resources to build roads, settlements, cities, or buy development cards.
How to Win Catan
Be the first to reach 10 victory points.
Playing Catan with Two Players
Though originally for 3-4 players, Catan can be adapted for two players using an official two-player ruleset.
Two-Player Setup
Set up the game as normal for four players. Each human player gets five trade tokens.
Two-Player Rules
– Roll the dice twice, making sure the results are different.
– Gain resources according to the dice rolls.
– Neutral players don’t gain resources.
That’s the basic rundown of Catan. Whether you’re a beginner or need a refresher, these rules should help you get started!
