Observations about Catan

If I had to sum it up in a few words, I'd say it's a board game about resource management.

I've always heard the game called "Settlers of Catan." Apparently it was called that when it first came out, but everyone just called it "Catan" or "Settlers", so they officially changed the name to just Catan. Sort of like Oprah, I guess.

The guy who designed the game, Klaus Teuber, was a dental technician who retired while in his 40's to become a full time game designer. That's an inspiration for me!

So far, I think the best way to start the game is by placing settlements next to as many different numbers as possible. That way, whatever number is rolled, you'd be likely to get at least one resource.

Getting access to the 2:1 port for your highest-producing resource is awesome.

Getting lots of brick and timber at the beginning of the game is crucial for building out roads and new settlements quickly. It snowballs into allowing you to get more resources than your opponents.

Getting the "Longest Road" bonus is a huge boost to your chances of winning, because you get +2 Victory Points, plus a long road where you can build many settlements.

It seems to me like a good idea to shut down trading with other players towards the end of the game. When everyone is pushing for the win, any trade you make likely pushes someone else closer to winning.

You don't really need it at the beginning of the game, but it becomes crucial to winning towards the end.

Klaus Teuber is really milking the franchise, and it's a good thing! With all the expansions, I don't think the game will ever get old.