How Settlers of Catan changed board games forever

Tabletop GamingHow Settlers of Catan changed board games foreverWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Tabletop GamingHow Settlers of Catan changed board games foreverWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Benjamin Abbott)

Catan 25th Anniversary Edition stacked on top of HeroQuest, with 221b Baker Street sat on top of it

If you’re looking for a brief history of The Settlers of Catan, this overview should give you an idea of just how expansive the game has become, and how much care and attention went into its design.

Overcoming the Mickey Mouse hurdle

(Image credit: Benjamin Abbott)

Catan box, board, cards, and pieces on a wooden table

Trendsett(l)er(Image credit: Catan Studios)You could say that modern board gaming found its origin in Catan; it kickstarted the ‘Eurogame’ genre, which introduced multiple ways to win, less reliance on randomness, and less player conflict overall. This is one of the most enduring and populartypes of board gamestoday, so Klaus Teuber’s classic irrevocably changed the industry.

Trendsett(l)er

(Image credit: Catan Studios)You could say that modern board gaming found its origin in Catan; it kickstarted the ‘Eurogame’ genre, which introduced multiple ways to win, less reliance on randomness, and less player conflict overall. This is one of the most enduring and populartypes of board gamestoday, so Klaus Teuber’s classic irrevocably changed the industry.

(Image credit: Catan Studios)

Someone rolls dice at the table while playing Catan

You could say that modern board gaming found its origin in Catan; it kickstarted the ‘Eurogame’ genre, which introduced multiple ways to win, less reliance on randomness, and less player conflict overall. This is one of the most enduring and populartypes of board gamestoday, so Klaus Teuber’s classic irrevocably changed the industry.

At the time, the game was considered a little more grounded than other big games in the space. With less sword and sorcery, more historical accuracy, it was able to enchant a wider, more mainstream audience. Today, countless players consider it their ‘gateway’ board game – The one that got them into tabletop gaming – for just this reason. Thanks to this mass appeal, The Settlers of Catan quickly became a household name in Germany.

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An expansive gameworld

(Image credit: Benjamin Abbott)

Catan 25th Anniversary Edition box on a wooden table, with cards and the board beside it

Over the years Catan has seen more than 30 expansions, including a two player version (against the usual 4–6 players) and one that expanded the maximum number of players to six, so players could squeeze more of their pals around the table at once. It didn’t stop there, though. Thelargest game of Catan, which took place in the Netherlands in 2017, involved 1,096 players and broke the Guiness World Record for the number of people playing Catan at once. I imagine it took a good while to get a round in, though.

Catan’s expansions have brought a boatload of new themes to the game, too. Everything from Arthurian Knights, to Pirates, and even Barbarians now roamed the fabled shores of Catan, with scenarios that propelled its legacy through the ages. Players now had the opportunity to build the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, and even the legendary city of Atlantis. There are bothStar Trek, and Game of Thrones spin-offs in its repertoire, alongside more than 50 localized game versions, and countless digital döpplegangers (some official, somenot so official). There was even a series of Catan plushies released, based around the game’s resources, known asCatanimals.Referred to colloquially asCatanfor a good deal of its lifespan, it wasn’t until the game’s 20th anniversary in 2015 that it would finally be rebranded as such. Today, the game continues to be heralded for its simple elegance, and for ushering us into the age of the Eurogame. So here’s to Catan’s huge contributions to a board gameeconomythat’s still thriving, despite our increasingly digital world.

For another jaunt down memory lane, why not check outhow the first edition of D&D conjured magic from a mess, and changed gaming forever. As for something new to play, don’t miss theseboard games for adultsor thebest classic board games.

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

1

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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

1

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

3

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

5

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

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1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

1

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2

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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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