The Settlers of Catan
by Mayfair Games
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Toys and Games Reviews of The Settlers of Catan
Customer Review: one of the most well-balanced game of strategy, luck, and player vs. player gameplay. very addicting
Summary: 5 Stars
a fantastic game. it blends strategy, luck, and player vs. player gameplay really well. it's very well-designed. you may have perfect strategy, but the factor of luck the dice provides may slow your plans. or you may have a poor strategy, but the dice can be on your side. the randomization makes the game different everytime.
you win by getting 10 points from building different structures and/or getting bonus victory points. building requires resources which are gained by the lucky roll of the 2 dice. for any of your buildings that are touching the number that was rolled, you get those resource cards to add to your hand. 6s and 8s are statistically the most common numbers rolled, besides 7s. 2s and 12s, on the other hand, are the hardest to roll, so setting up around good numbers at the beginning is important. when a 7 is rolled, the roller can move the robber onto a number on the board which will make that part of the board not produce resources until the robber is moved elsewhere. it also means the roller can steal a resource card from 1 of the other players that has buildings touching that part of the board. and if anybody has 8 or more cards must lose half of their resource cards too. and of course 7 is statistically the most common # rolled, so the game can be a rollercoaster. and finally, during your turn, you can trade your resource cards 4 to 1 of the same type, or 3 to 1 or 2 to 1 depending on what trading port you have access too. better yet, you can trade with other players on your turn too. what's cool about that is the players get to name the terms. for example, you can say "i'll give you 1 card for 2 of your cards." the strategy is simple but greatly variable.
when you get used to the game, try the Catan: Cities & Knights Expansion, which adds many more dimensions that make it even more fun. the way the game is designed leaves it open to virtually unlimited expansion, even your own.
Customer Review: A game with endless varations - most variables of any game!
Summary: 5 Stars
Settlers of Catan is a very unique game. It is very easy to learn but hard to master the subtleties of the game. It has several things that make this game unique. The main thing that makes this game unique is that the board can be different each time you play the game. The five land types that each produce a different resource are shuffled each time you play the game. So the board ends up being different each time the game is played.
Another variable is the numbers that you lay down on the land types. The numbers are also shuffled each time. When you roll the dice, what ever number comes up, the land or lands with that number on it produce their resource - regardless of who's turn it is. So you opponents can actually help you on their turn.
A third variable is ports. If you have a settlement on a port you can trade two of one type of resource you have for one you need with the bank. Normally you have to trade four of one resource, to get the one resource you want if none of the other players are willing to make a trade with you.
The fourth variable is the thief. Anytime someone rolls a seven on the dice, they get to move the thief off off the property that he is on, and move it to any other piece of property and to take away one card at random from the hand of any players that have a settlement on that property. The thief automaticly steals what ever is produced on that piece of land for as long as he is there. This denies your opponents precious resources that they need to build roads,settlements, cities, and buy development cards.
Development cards are soldier cards that you can buy to chase off the thief off your property and on to one of your opponents properties. Another type of development card is a victory point card that gives you one point toward the ten point total that you need to win.
Settlers of Catan is designed for 3 to 4 players but you can have up to 8 players with the expansion pack.
Customer Review: Missing resource and development cards
Summary: 1 Stars
[[ UPDATE ]] FIVE STARS FOR THIS GAME!
I received a replacement box from Amazon very promptly and can finally write an accurate review. The bottom line is that my wife and I absolutely love this game! Not only that, I have actually turned my brother into a fan.
My brother and I usually play FIFA 09 on the PS3 on weekends, which usually leads to our wives complaining about us playing too much. So I decided to look for a board game that we could all play. My brother made comments like, "I'm not gonna sit around the table and play some stupid game". So finally this past weekend I convinced him to at least give it a try. After the first game, his comments were, "Wow, this is actually a really fun game", and "This is very well designed and intelligent". Then we proceeded to play the game ALL DAY! We're happy, and the wives are happy!
[[ ORIGINAL REVIEW ]]
I do have to add that we played the game with the Seafarers expansion. I haven't tried any of the other expansions yet, but the Seafarers is really an excellent addition. The fact that you can create different scenarios makes the game even more customizable. Also, with a little creativity and experimentation, you can come up with your own scenarios and add your own twists to the game.
I waited for this game for over a week and a half only to receive a box missing all 95 resource cards and all 25 development cards. Suffice it to say, I'm quite angry. What kind of quality control are they doing with these? Apparently this game is so popular that they just rush the boxes out of the factory without bothering to check twice. By the way, the Robber was also missing. Ironic?
This is obviously not a fair review of the game because I haven't played it yet, but since quality control IS part of the game and has already ruined my experience of it, I believe it's fair to write an early review. I will update as soon as I get an actual complete game.
Customer Review: Another Excellent German-Based Game
Summary: 5 Stars
FUN: This game has provided us endless hours of family fun as we've played this with our three sons ages 12, 9, and 7. We are a TV-free family, so we look for games that have high-repeatability. We also purchased the expansion pack so we can play with up to 4 players.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE: Unlike American-based games that seems to be based on the "obliterate everyone on the board and make them suffer to the bitter end", this game keeps you engaged to the very end. What I like is that fact that there is no one tried-and-true strategy to winning. You have to adapt as the game progresses, which is a great lesson for life. With the trading aspect of the game, one has to look out for their own interest - but as you work to reach your goal you work with others to receive the resources you need while helping them obtain the resources they need. While the goal is to ultimately win at the end, when the end does arrive it's not so much a matter of "I won and you are all losers" vs "While I happened to win, it was fun to play along with you in the process".
DURABLE: I've had problems with the edge pieces slightly cupping, which makes it difficult to keep all the hexagons tightly in place, as they slip underneath. I've been able to mostly overcome this by ensuring the side pieces lay flat in the box during storage, and place two packs of the wooden game pieces on top for a little weight to keep them flat. Also have similar problems with the hexagons, but now store them tightly with a rubber band and no longer have a problem. For the price, it would be desirable if the pieces were made of thicker cardboard/backing board - the kind they used to make the puzzles out of when we were children.
SUMMARY: This game has a high rate of "replayability" since each game has a new random generated playing board, and I believe is equally suited for children to easily learn as it is for adults. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Probably the Best Board Game I've Ever Played
Summary: 5 Stars
I grew up playing Monopoly, Risk, Chinese Checkers, whatever I could get my hands on (I realize Chinese Checkers seems a bit odd in that list, but I did play it sometimes...). I even would play Monopoly by myself when I couldn't find anyone else to play with (I know... I know...).
Now in my 30s, I try and have people over whenever possible (once every 2 or 3 months) to have a "Game Night" where we play whatever games the number of people over will accommodate. When my wife and I are on vacation, we play Rook or other games.
So, basically, I love games.
When I read a Wired article about this game (the title "Monopoly Killer" is why I bought the magazine), I had to rush out and get it (on Amazon... I figure saving money is better than playing the next day).
I was not dissapointed... I loved it. My wife loved it. Three different couples we had over loved it. Everyone loves it. The first time I've ever had a game that not a single person said "I'll sit the next one out". When we had to get up at 4am for a flight the next day, we played until 1am.
The only downside (which isn't really a downside) is that it's only 3 or 4 players. Not 2, not 5. However, there is a 5-6 player extension (which is being delivered to my house in 2 days). There are also a gazillion extensions for other game play.
I cannot rave enough about this game. I absolutely believe in 5-10 years (maybe sooner) it will become a household name (game) like Monopoly. If you like games that involve more than just rolling the dice (like Yatzee, which I will also gladly play), pick it up.
Not only is every game different, but there are many different strategies to try and get to the goal. Each of which will not work in every game (depending on the board layout).
To quote another favorite game of mine, it takes a few minutes to learn, and a lifetime to master.