Catan (6th Edition)

Still the game most people mean when they say they play board games.

An island laid out fresh every time from hexagonal tiles — hills, forests, mountains, fields, pastures and one entirely useless desert — arranged in a honeycomb and ringed by water. You settle it, building roads outward and settlements at the junctions, and hope the numbers fall your way. Klaus Teuber's design for KOSMOS, and the game that carried the modern hobby to everybody else.

Every turn opens with a dice roll deciding which terrain produces, so everyone collects on everyone's turn and nobody gets to switch off. Brick and wood build roads, sheep and wheat and ore handle the rest, and whatever you cannot produce you trade — at a port, or more often with the person across the table who needs you slightly less than you need them. Roll a seven and the robber moves onto a tile, shuts it down and takes a card off somebody. Settlements upgrade into cities, and it runs an hour to two.

Perfect for: Anyone who wants to find out what their family is really like.

3–4 players | 60–120 minutes | Age 10+

—

📖 New to the style? What Is a Euro Game? Everything You Need to Know — what defines a euro, and where to begin.