LET'S PLAY
CATAN
Catan is a game of resource management, strategy, and negotiation. Your goal? Be the first player to reach 10 Victory Points by building settlements, cities, roads, and obtaining special achievements like Longest Road or Largest Army.
Object
Be the first player to score 10 Victory Points by building settlements, cities, roads, and earning special achievements like Longest Road or Largest Army.
What You Need
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Catan is played with 3 to 4 players in the base game.
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Game Board: 19 hexagonal terrain tiles, surrounded by water tiles
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Resource Card: Grain, Lumber, Wool, Brick, and Ore
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Number Tokens: Determines resource production
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Development Cards: Can provide bonuses like Knights, Victory Points, and Progress cards
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Special Cards: Longest Road and Largest Army
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Dice: Two six-sided dice
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Player Pieces: Each player gets 5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads
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Robber Token: Moves around to block resources and steal from opponents
Set Up
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Build the Board: Use the suggested setup in the rulebook for balance or randomize the tiles for variety.
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Place Number Tokens: Assign numbers to the hexagons (except for the desert).
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Place the Robber: Starts on the desert tile.
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Distribute Settlements and Roads:
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Players roll dice to determine the first player.
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In turn order, each player places one settlement and one road.
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Once everyone has placed their first, the last player places their second settlement and road, and play proceeds back in reverse order.
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Settlements must be at least two intersections apart from each other.
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Starting Resources: Players receive resources from the hexes adjacent to their second settlement.
Game Play
Each turn follows three phases:
1. Roll for Resources (Mandatory)
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The active player rolls two dice.
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Any hex with a matching number token produces resources.
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All players with settlements adjacent to that hex collect resources (1 per settlement, 2 per city).
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If a 7 is rolled, no resources are produced. Instead:
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Players with more than 7 resource cards must discard half (rounded down).
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The active player moves the Robber to a hex, blocking its production.
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The active player steals 1 resource from a player with a settlement/city on that hex.​​
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2. Trade (Optional)
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Player-to-Player: The active player can negotiate trades with others.
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Bank Trading: The player may trade 4 of any one resource for 1 of their choice.
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Ports can offer better rates if a player has a settlement on a port (e.g., 3:1 generic trade, 2:1 specific trade).
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3. Build or Buy (Optional)
Players may spend resources to:
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Build a Road (1 Brick, 1 Wood)
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Build a Settlement (1 Brick, 1 Wood, 1 Grain, 1 Wool)
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Must be at least two intersections away from another settlement.
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Upgrade a Settlement to a City (2 Grain, 3 Ore)
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Cities generate double resources.
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Buy a Development Card (1 Wool, 1 Grain, 1 Ore)
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Development cards grant bonuses but cannot be played on the same turn they are bought.
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Special Achievements
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Longest Road (2 Points): Awarded to the player with the longest continuous road of at least 5 segments.
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Largest Army (2 Points): Awarded to the player who has played at least 3 Knight cards.
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Victory Points from Development Cards: Some development cards are hidden Victory Points, revealed at the end of the game.
Winning the Game
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The game ends immediately when a player reaches 10 points on their turn.
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Victory Points come from:
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Settlements (1 point each)
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Cities (2 points each)
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Longest Road (2 points)
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Largest Army (2 points)
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Victory Point Development Cards (1 point each, kept secret until the end)
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Commonly Confused Rules
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Robber Placement: If placed on the desert tile, it still allows the active player to steal a resource.
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Trading with the Bank: Requires 4:1 unless a player has access to a port.
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Playing Development Cards: Only one per turn (except for Victory Points, which can be revealed anytime).
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Moving the Robber with a Knight Card: Functions the same as rolling a 7, except players do not discard cards.
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Distance Rule: Settlements must be at least two roads apart.
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Limited Pieces: Each player only has 5 settlements, 4 cities, and 15 roads.
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Tiebreaker for Longest Road or Largest Army: The player who had it first retains it until another surpasses their total.
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Interrupting the Longest Road: If an opponent builds a settlement in the middle of a long road, it breaks the chain.
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Running Out of Resources: If the bank runs out of a specific resource, players must wait for trades or returns.
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Empty Development Card Pile: If no cards remain, you cannot purchase more.
Final Thoughts
Catan is a game of strategy, negotiation, and resource management. Early settlement placement is crucial, as it determines the resources you’ll have access to for the rest of the game. Trading is key—hoarders rarely win! And, of course, watch out for the Robber—because someone will definitely put it on your best tile.
Watch the step by step guide here!
What You Need.
