Catan

Catan is a board game for 2-6 players where the goal is to build a civilization.

Game rules Catan

Building the game board

Split the land and sea fields. Place 5 land squares in the center in one row. To the left and right of it one row of 4 fields and next to it another 3 fields. The sea fields are split into port cities and sea. Alternately place a harbor and a sea square starting from the row of 4 squares on the right.

Then the number discs - which are first placed in alphabetical order - are placed on the game board with the letters upwards and this in a clockwise direction, starting from a corner space of your choice. When all checkers are on the board, they are turned over so that the numbers are clearly visible. The numbers (2 to 12) are always in play twice (except the 2 and 12 themselves: only once). They represent the probability of the sum of two dice. The larger the font size of the number, the higher the chance that this sum will be rolled. The highest common combinations (6 and 8) are also very clearly printed in red. No disc is placed on the desert space.

After the game board has been built, each player chooses a color and receives 5 settlements (houses), 4 cities (churches), 15 streets (bars) and an overview map of the construction costs. The resource cards are placed in 5 piles face up next to the game board (forest = wood, meadow = wool, field = grain, hill = stones, mountains = ore).
The development cards (darker back) are placed face down in a pile. Place the robber (black pawn) in the desert. The 2 special cards and the dice are ready next to the game board.

Foundation phase

This phase is spread over two rounds. Each player has the opportunity to build two settlements and two streets before the game itself starts.

First round
Whoever rolls the highest dice starts. He places 1 settlement on an intersection of his choice and connects 1 street to it in any direction. Then it is the turn of the other players clockwise. However, the distance rule must be taken into account when setting!

distance rule
A settlement may only be placed on a free intersection if the three nearest ones are not built on by a settlement or city. It doesn't matter who is standing, the intersection must be clear.

Second round
Then the player who was the last to place a settlement during the first round places a second settlement and a street. The other players follow in a counterclockwise direction. The second settlement and street may be placed anywhere, taking into account the distance rule. Immediately after placing the second settlement and street, each player receives their first resources. For each land space adjacent to that second settlement, he receives 1 corresponding resource card from the supply. These resource cards keep the players hidden from each other. The player who placed his second settlement last starts the game.

Game flow

Each player goes through the following three phases per turn:

• yield of the land (a)
• act (b)
• build (c)
• some special events (d)

a) yield of the land
It is the turn player's turn to roll both dice. The sum of the two dice determines the country code that yields resources. Each player who has a settlement or city on this dice piece of land receives a resource card (two if a city). If there are no more resource cards available at any given time, no player receives that card on that turn.

b) act
Then the player whose turn it is may trade with the other players in order to obtain the raw material cards he is missing. We distinguish between the won domestic trade and maritime trade.

domestic trade
The player may trade resource cards with all players. He shares e.g. what he needs and what he is willing to give in return. It is important that you can only trade with the player whose turn it is, so not among the other players themselves.

sea ​​trade
Here, the player can exchange resource cards at the table without the help of his fellow players. In the simplest exchange, the player can exchange 4 equal resource cards of 1 kind for 1 resource card of his choice. Owning a port is not necessary for this. However, if a player has established a settlement or a city by the sea, he can make much more interesting deals. At a simple harbor (with ?) the player may always exchange 3 equal resource cards for 1 other of his choice. At a special port, the player must exchange only 2 equal cards of the depicted resource for 1 new one of his choice.

c) build
The player whose turn it is can also build to increase his victory points. In exchange for certain combinations of resource cards (see overview card), . can he arbitrarily build many streets, settlements or cities.

1. street: wood + stones
A new street must be built on its own streets, settlements or cities. Of course, only 1 road can be built on each road. As soon as a player has a straight straight from 5 straight pieces, he receives the special card "Longest trading street" which gives him 2 extra victory points. A trading street can be interrupted or another player can build a longer street. At that point, that special card goes to the player with the longest straight. As soon as 2 or more players have an equal straight, the card is returned to the stock.

2. settlement: wood + stones + grain + wool
Take into account the distance rule. The settlement must be adjacent to at least 1 street of its own. Each settlement on the game board also yields 1 victory point and can yield 1 resource card if the dice so dictate.

3. city: 2 x grain + 3 x ore
The player converts his settlement into a city. He exchanges the house for a church. Each city yields 2 victory points and can yield 2 resource cards. How to Play Settlers of Catan | www.kolonistenvancatanmaterialen.nl 3

4. development map: grain + wool + ore
If a player wants to buy a development card, he takes the top one from the deck in exchange for the 3 required resource cards. It is best to keep the obtained card(s) a secret from the others. A correctly purchased card may not be used immediately. There are 14 knights, 6 progress and 5 victory points in the game.

d) special events + cards
1. robber
If a player rolls a 7 at the start of his turn, no player receives a resource card. All players who have more than 7 resource cards in their possession must return half of them to the stock (luckily they are free to choose which one...). Then the player whose turn it is takes the robber and places it on any other land space. Then he may steal a resource card from another player of his choice who has a settlement or city on this affected piece of land, and add it to his own supply. If more than one player is available, he chooses 1 victim. The robbery itself is done secretly: you are not allowed to see what kind of card you are stealing. As long as a rover is in a certain area, no player receives any resources for that area.

2. play development card
A player in turn may play 1 development card at any time during his turn (other than the card he may have just bought).

3. knight
When a player plays this card, he must move the robber onto another land space. He also steals 1 resource card from any player who has a settlement or city there. Played knight cards remain face up in front of the player on the table. A player with 3 knight cards played receives the special card "Greatest Knighthood". This gives him an extra 2 victory points. This card goes back to the stock if someone else comes to play as many knight cards, or goes to the player who has the largest knight power in front of him at that moment.

4. progress
The person who plays such a card must immediately carry out the command stated on the card. The card then disappears back under the pile.

• street building: the player may immediately build 2 new streets (for free)
• discovery: the player may immediately take 2 resource cards of his choice
• monopoly: all players must give all their resource cards of a certain suit - to be determined by the player using the card - to that player

5. victory points
These cards provide extra victory points and are best shown only at the end of the game.

The winner

The winner is the one who gets 10 or more victory points first. The victory points of all participants of each game played can be tracked and shared on Game Results.

The Official Rules

Keep score for Catan

On this site you can keep track of your played games of catan. Also you can view the statistics of all your played games. You can share the results with your fellow players, family and friends via mail and other social media.