Reviews

This is a good game. I assume everyone knows a little about the game, so I'll just say this version is well-constructed with nice visuals. I would not recommend Seafarers, but Cities and Knights is a good expansion. The 5-6 Player extensions are worthwhile.

I have bought this game as a present to my husband. It came in, brand new, no problems from the outside. When his birthday came, we opened it. Three of the crucial parts of the board was missing. Amazon has refused to take the faulty item back, because more than 30 days has passed since the day of the purchase. BOTTOM LINE: the game itself is excellent and I love it. CAUTION: to avoid disappointment, open it and check it even if you are planning to give it as a present

It is a fun game, but I don't think it will last as long as other games I have purchased. For the price it should be better built. I would never pay the retail price for this item.

I love Settlers and I would also recommend the expansion pack as it is a must for any game with 4 players or more (the game is faster and more enjoyable as spots with good resources are less scarce). As for this edition, I have to say I am a little disappointed. The resource tiles feel flimsy compared to the older editions. The border of the board sets up like a puzzle and then the resource tiles should fit in snugly inside. In theory it should work, but unless you're playing on large flat table and are incredibly patient and careful the set up is frustrating. In Africa we had an edition that had the sea border made up of individual tiles and all the tiles could be thrown in a Zip Lock bag and could be set up on the floor of a tent if needed. Not possible with this edition! But really, once the game is set up it's amazing. Try to find a better older edition, but if you can't buy this one and get past the painful set up, because Settlers is one of the best board games ever!

Settlers of Catan is by far the king of the Spiel des Jahres winners. Every game can be different, as the "board" is made up of individual hexagonal pieces that you can place randomly. There are several strategies to win, and often your strategy can change one or more times during a single game based on how you are doing and how your opponents are doing. It really makes you think on your toes. Resource constraints, trading with your opponents, and deciding on the various avenues of growth all come into play to make this an engaging game. The beauty of the game is how the person in the lead can change frequently during the game. You have to be careful not to concentrate too much on one opponent while another sneaks up and wins. And this isn't Monopoly -- in most games, most if not all players have a chance at winning during the endgame. The game components are all of top-notch quality, with sturdy cardboard and wooden pieces. I would also highly recommend the expansions.

Reviews

This Extension Pack for The Settlers of Catan makes the game even more enjoyable by allowing 1-2 more players to join in. Great to play with family or friends, like taking all the fun parts from Risk and Monopoly and combining them.

This game is so fun but adding the expansion pack of cities and knights makes it even more enjoyable and challenging

I love Settlers and the expansion pack is a must for any game with 4 players or more (the game is faster and more enjoyable as spots with good resources are less scarce). As for this edition, I have to say I am a little disappointed. The resource tiles feel flimsy compared to the older editions. The border of the board sets up like a puzzle and then the resource tiles should fit in snugly inside. In theory it should work, but unless you're playing on large flat table and are incredibly patient and careful the set up is frustrating. In Africa we had an edition that had the sea border made up of individual tiles and all the tiles could be thrown in a Zip Lock bag and could be set up on the floor of a tent if needed. Not possible with this edition! But really, once the game is set up it's amazing. Try to find a better older edition, but if you can't buy this one and get past the painful set up, because Settlers is one of the best board games ever!

Settlers of Catan is a very "addictive" game. Once you have played a few games, the fun is very exciting. I would recommend it very highly!

Probably the best game of strategy I've ever played. Also, its random aspect makes it a different game every play. Totally recommend it :)

Reviews

A friend of mine brought this game over to play one night and we fell in love with it. My wife, who doesn't normally like board games even got into it. It only takes a round or two to get the hang of how to play. We liked it so much we ordered the game and expansion kit for when more friends come over. The nice thing about it is you can make it easy to play or you can add more of a challenges to it by increasing the victory points needed. I was a little concerned with the quality of the game board. I feared that the edges would warp and be hard to put together. Older games have the octagon pieces for the water surrounding the island, but this version has water pieces that fit together like a puzzle and keep the game together. Over all, this is a great, well designed game that I would highly recommend.

~ We (my family) will often find one game that we play over and over for months on end, only to get more and more intensely competitive each time we play. And, Settlers of Catan has been just that game ever since we purchased it for my husband's birthday in June. It is a great family game; however, it has spurred its fair share of feuds, outburst of frustration and anger, and allegations of illegal game activities. Basically the way the game is played is that each player represents settlers establishing colonies on the island of Catan. The island is set up differently each time the game is played, so your strategy must change each time you sit down to play. During the game each player is trying to collect and trade resources in order to purchase game winning points, also known as, settlements, cities, roads, and armies. It's not a fast paced game with timed game play, but the game moves along quickly. On the average, I'd say each game takes approximately an hour and a half to play. We have found that sometime the person who is the furthest behind at mid-point, has just as much chance of winning in the end as the person who is furthest ahead. So one must be careful when choosing who is friend and who is foe.

First off, if you think you'll have the chance of playing this game with 5-6 people, go for the 5-6 player expansion bundled. It'll save you the burden of leaving someone out. This game is great. It takes 30-90 minutes for a game depending on gameplay and it will consume a whole table to play it. Strategy, settlement and city placement, and an ever changing game board make this game tops. The cards are always being handled, and it would be better if they were more durable...but they're not. There are LOTS of TINY pieces, so this game is NOT for the youngsters who are too small and like to grab pieces (or knock game off table). Also, if you can find an older version of the game (one without the frame border), it makes things a lot easier (especially in humid areas - the border will curl up right away). Game pieces aside, you need to try this game. Fun til the very end. It takes some time to learn, but once you do, you'll really enjoy it.

Let's have fun with numbers! Settlers of Catan Bundle (Includes Settlers of Catan Board Game and the 5-6 Player Expansion Pack): $52.95 Settlers of Catan Board Game: $33.60 + 5-6 Player Expansion: $16.00 = $49.60! YAY!

...some complaints. 1) I can see how this game is very addictive. We have played several games, a group of three guys and myself, and each one has turned out very different. Politics start coming into play as each person gets closer and closer to ten points. But there is always the feeling that you don't know for sure what the dice have in store. 2) That being said, it isn't the most exciting and enthralling game. Yes, you are taking over territories; yes, there are knights involved; and yes, it is strategically satisfying to cut someone's road off just as they're trying to connect two ends. But this game doesn't make me yell, or scream, or get overly excited when I make a game changing play. Maybe it's just a personal thing. 3) Setting up the game does take a moment. Not nearly as long as some huge games, but for one that can be finished in 30-45 minutes the set-up lends itself to playing several games at a time. If you want a game to just set pieces down, and not worry about where you are putting stuff, play chess. 4) The game pieces are well made, and once you get everything down it pretty much stays in place, but there is just a slight warp to my set that gives the island, "playing field", distinct ridges that cause the pieces not to lie perfectly flat. Which really bothers me. I have tried flat-pressing them under weighted books for hours but it just seems they have a natural curvature. Again, not deal-breaking, but frustrating. *Overall this game is a lot of fun. I am not going to say it is my favorite board game, but each person has their own tastes. I will say that the game mechanics allow for just enough randomness that even the most well though out strategy can be foiled by a few unlucky rolls. Which means anyone can win just by luck, occasionally. This game is most fun with skilled players who think a turn or two ahead. Worth the purchase.