Catan Rules

How to Play Catan Board Game

With simple rules but deep tactical choices, Catan is one of the most influential modern board games and perfect for fans of strategy and negotiation.

Here is how you master Catan rules and learn how to play:

Preparations

• Players: 3–4 players (expandable to 5–6 with the Catan Extension Pack)
• Game Components:
  • 19 terrain hex tiles (produce resources)
  • Number tokens (values 2–12)
  • 18 circular tokens (number distribution markers)
  • 95 resource cards: Wood, Brick, Sheep, Wheat, Ore
  • Development cards
  • 4 player sets: roads, settlements, cities
  • Robber token
  • Longest Road & Largest Army bonus cards

Setup

1. Arrange the hex tiles into the island of Catan (standard layout or randomized).
2. Distribute number tokens to each tile, skipping the desert.
3. Each player places 2 settlements and 2 roads in snake draft order (1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1).
4. Players receive starting resources based on the second settlement’s adjacent tiles.

Gameplay Overview

Catan is played in clockwise turns.
Each turn consists of three main steps:

1. Roll the Dice

• Roll 2 dice to determine which tiles produce resources.
• Any player with a settlement adjacent to that tile gets 1 resource; cities produce 2 resources.

2. Trade

• Player-to-player trades: Negotiate with other players.
• Bank trades: Exchange 4 identical resources for 1 of any kind (improved to 3:1 or 2:1 with harbor access).

3. Build

Spend resources to:

• You may play one development card per turn (except newly drawn cards).

The Robber

Rolling a 7 activates the Robber:

• No resources are produced this turn.
• Players holding more than 7 cards must discard half.
• Move the Robber to any hex - that tile stops producing while the Robber is there.
• Steal 1 resource card from an opponent with a settlement or city adjacent to that tile.

Winning the Game

The first player to reach 10 victory points wins.

How to Earn Victory Points:

Catan Strategies and Tips

Catan success relies on resource balance, smart placement, and trading tactics.

Basic Strategies

• Place initial settlements near high-frequency numbers (6s & 8s).
• Cover all five resources if possible, especially Wood and Brick for early expansion.
• Trade actively but avoid giving too much advantage to others.

Advanced Tactics

• Use roads to block opponents from expanding into valuable areas.
• Avoid upgrading all settlements too quickly — you may need spaces open for future settlements.
• Buy development cards strategically — they can hide victory points or secure Largest Army.

Catan Expansions & Variants

There are lots of expansions and different rulers and versions of Catan. Below we coverf a few of them:

Catan Seafarers

• Introduces ships, sea exploration, and new islands.
• Gain victory points by discovering and settling new areas.

Catan Cities & Knights

• Adds city upgrades, knight units, and barbarian attacks.
• More complex strategy and defensive play.

Catan Traders & Barbarians

• A modular expansion with multiple mini-scenarios:
  • Caravan routes
  • Fishing
  • Additional alternative scoring systems

Catan Explorers & Pirates

• Adds missions, sea travel, and multiple islands.
• Introduces unique objectives beyond standard settlement growth.

Catan Family Edition / Catan Junior

• Simplified rules for younger players or beginners.

Catan 3D & Star Trek Catan

• Same rules, but with immersive visual themes and unique art styles.

Overview of the Game Rules