Catan
Officially Catan (formerly The Settlers of Catan)
Modern German-style strategy board game for 3-4 players, in which players collect resources by rolling dice on their hex-tile settlements, then trade and build to reach 10 victory points first.
What is Catan?
Catan (originally 'Die Siedler von Catan' / 'The Settlers of Catan') is a multiplayer German-style strategy board game designed by Klaus Teuber and first published in 1995 by Kosmos in Germany. It's credited with launching the modern hobby-game revolution and popularising the 'German-style board game' genre worldwide. 3-4 players (5-6 with expansion) collect five resources (brick, wood, sheep, wheat, ore) by rolling 2d6 each turn, with resources produced by hexes matching the rolled number. Players trade resources and build settlements (1 VP), cities (2 VP), and roads to expand their territory, plus buy development cards. The first player to reach 10 victory points wins. Iconic features: hexagonal modular board (each game unique), robber mechanic (7 = block a hex + steal), and constant player interaction through trading. Since 1995 Catan has sold 45+ million copies in 40+ languages, spawned 15+ expansions (Seafarers, Cities & Knights, Traders & Barbarians, Explorers & Pirates, etc.) and been named 'game of the millennium' by many publications.
Quick facts
Category
Board Games
Type
Individual
Players
3–4
Duration
~75 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
hexagonal modular board
Country of origin
🇩🇪 Germany
Estimated origin
1995 designed by Klaus Teuber, published by Kosmos
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Be the first player to reach 10 victory points by building settlements (1 VP), cities (2 VP), Longest Road (2 VP), Largest Army (2 VP), and hidden Victory Point development cards.
Match structure
Setup: players place 2 settlements + 2 roads in snake-draft order. Turn: roll 2d6; all players with settlements on matching hexes collect resources; active player trades + builds. First to 10 VP on their turn wins immediately.
Rules
Basic rules
Turn order
Roll dice → all players collect resources for rolled number → active player trades + builds.
Resource production
Each hex has a number (2-12 except 7); when that number rolls, adjacent settlements/cities produce 1 (settlement) or 2 (city) resources of the hex's type.
Building costs
Road = brick + wood. Settlement = brick + wood + wheat + sheep. City = 2 wheat + 3 ore (upgrade). Development card = ore + wheat + sheep.
Robber (roll 7)
When 7 rolled: discard half of hand if 8+ cards; move robber to any hex blocking production; steal 1 random card from adjacent player.
Trading
Players may trade resources any turn; 4:1 bank trade or 3:1 / 2:1 via harbor.
Victory points
First to 10 VP on their turn wins: 1 per settlement, 2 per city, 2 for Longest Road (5+), 2 for Largest Army (3+ soldiers), 1 per hidden VP card.
Advanced rules
Development cards
Soldier (move robber), Road Building (2 free roads), Year of Plenty (2 free resources), Monopoly (all players give you 1 resource type), Victory Point (hidden 1 VP).
Longest Road / Largest Army
Special 2-VP bonuses: player with unbroken road of 5+ segments; player with 3+ soldier cards played.
Ports / Harbors
Coastal settlements on ports let you trade 3:1 or 2:1 (specific resource) with bank instead of 4:1.
Snake draft setup
Players place settlements in order 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 (adjust for player count) — second placement gets starting resources.
Development card played order
Only one dev card per turn; can't play card bought same turn (except VP cards).
Scoring
Victory Points from buildings + bonuses + development cards; first to 10 VP wins.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Settlement | 1 VP each (max 5 built) |
| City | 2 VP each (max 4 built) |
| Longest Road (5+) | 2 VP (can be stolen) |
| Largest Army (3+) | 2 VP (can be stolen) |
| Victory Point card | 1 VP each (hidden until winning turn) |
Win condition · First player to reach 10 victory points on their own turn wins.
Playing area
Called
hexagonal modular board
Dimensions
19 hexagonal terrain tiles arranged in a large hexagon; ~50 × 60 cm.
19 hexagons: 4 wood forests, 4 wheat fields, 4 sheep pastures, 3 brick hills, 3 ore mountains, 1 desert (no resource). Numbers 2-12 (except 7) placed on hexes.
Equipment
Hexagonal terrain tiles (19)
Forest, fields, pasture, hills, mountains, desert.
Number tokens 2-12
Placed on hexes; matches dice roll for resource production.
Resource cards
Brick, wood, sheep, wheat, ore.
Development cards
Soldier, Progress, Victory Point cards.
Settlements (5 per player)
Small wooden houses; 1 VP each.
Cities (4 per player)
Larger wooden buildings; 2 VP each (upgrade from settlement).
Roads (15 per player)
Wooden road pieces connecting settlements.
2 dice (d6)
Rolled each turn to determine resource production.
Robber pawn
Blocks hex production when rolled 7 or via Soldier card.
Officiating
Self-refereed; tournament play uses referees for rule interpretation.
- Tournament Judge (competitive)
- Self-refereed (casual)
Strategies
Settle on high-probability hexes
Numbers 6 and 8 (5/36 chance each) are best; 2 and 12 (1/36) are worst.
Diverse resources early
Access to all 5 resources by turn 5-6 avoids trading dependency.
Ports for lopsided resources
Trade at 2:1 rate at specific-resource ports (settlement on port).
Robber diplomacy
Move robber to leader's hex; steal from leader if possible.
Longest Road vs Cities
Roads are cheap early bonus (2 VP); cities double per-hex production.
Dev card burst
Buy dev cards mid-late game; play soldiers for Largest Army (2 VP).
Terminology
- Settlement
- Base building; 1 VP; produces 1 resource per adjacent hex when number rolled.
- City
- Upgrade of settlement (via 2 wheat + 3 ore); 2 VP; produces 2 resources.
- Road
- Connects settlements; used for Longest Road bonus (2 VP for 5+).
- Robber
- Blocks hex production; moved when 7 rolled or Soldier card played.
- Longest Road / Largest Army
- 2-VP bonuses; can be stolen by opponent surpassing you.
- Development card
- Soldier, VP, Road Building, Year of Plenty, Monopoly — bought for 1 ore+1 wheat+1 sheep.
- Snake draft
- Initial placement order 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 ensures balance.
- Harbor / Port
- Coastal trade advantage: 3:1 (any) or 2:1 (specific resource).
- Rolling probabilities
- 2/12 (1/36), 3/11 (2/36), 4/10 (3/36), 5/9 (4/36), 6/8 (5/36), 7 (6/36).
Major competitions
Catan World Championship
biennial · worldwide · since 2002
Catan National Championships
annual (50+ countries) · worldwide
US National Championship
annual · USA
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Catan Studio
Founded 1995 · Roseville, USA
Official site ↗Catan GmbH
Rösrath, Germany
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Klaus Teuber (Germany) — Catan designer (1995); Spiel des Jahres 1995 winner
- Peter Schäfer — Multiple German National Champion
- Michael Reineck — 2018 World Champion
- Ross Arnold (USA) — 2010 World Champion
- Alex Rockwell (USA) — 2016 & 2018 US National Champion
- Andrew Cui (USA) — 2022 US National Champion
Records
Most copies sold (base game)
Catan — 45+ million (2024) (2024)
Fastest recorded win (competitive)
Various — ~35-45 min for competitive tournament game (2023)
Number of translations
Catan — 40+ languages (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play with 3-4 friends
Learn rules through play; first game takes 2-3 hours.
- 2
Focus on placement
First 2 settlements are crucial — access to multiple resources + high numbers.
- 3
Learn probability
6 and 8 are best numbers; 2 and 12 worst.
intermediate
- 1
Try expansions
Seafarers adds islands; Cities & Knights adds combat + more strategy.
- 2
Local Catan league
Many game shops host weekly Catan nights.
- 3
Online play (Colonist.io)
Free web version — good for practice.
advanced
- 1
National championships
Catan Studio hosts 50+ national championships worldwide.
- 2
World Championship qualifier
Top National Champions qualify for biennial World Championship.
Frequently asked
How long does a Catan game take?+
60-120 minutes typical for a full game (10 VP). First game with new players takes 2-3 hours. Competitive tournament games ~60-90 min.
How many players can play?+
Base game: 3-4 players. 5-6 Player Expansion adds tiles + pieces for larger games (but pace slower). Ideal balance: 4 players.
What are the best starting positions?+
Numbers 6 and 8 (probability 5/36 each) are best; 5 and 9 (4/36) second best. Access to all 5 resources ideal; wheat and ore especially valuable for cities and dev cards.
Why is Catan so popular?+
Klaus Teuber invented the modern German-style board game genre with Catan (1995). Balance of luck (dice) + strategy (placement, trading, timing) + interaction (trades, robber) — approachable but deep.
What are the best Catan expansions?+
Cities & Knights (most complex, adds combat + development), Seafarers (adds islands + ships), Traders & Barbarians (5 mini-scenarios). Purists prefer base game.
Who designed Catan?+
Klaus Teuber (Germany, 1952-2023) designed Catan in 1995; his son Benjamin has taken over Catan Studio. Klaus won the German Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) 1995 for Catan.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Catan— Wikipedia
- Catan Studio Official— Catan Studio
- BoardGameGeek — Catan— BoardGameGeek