4 ms·

Settlers of Catan is the perfect "bridge game" - accessible enough to people who are used to playing Monopoly, but complicated and fun enough that it gets peopl

Settlers of Catan is the perfect "bridge game" - accessible enough to people who are used to playing Monopoly, but complicated and fun enough that it gets people interested in more involved German-style board games. Most board game aficionados end up not playing Catan very much, but it's hard to think of a game that has introduced more people to the genre successfully.

philwelch 3y ago
More’s the pity, IMO. I really like Catan, but I’m not really interested in becoming a board game hipster and learning a new board game every time I play.
- cooperadymas 3y ago
  I'm what most would probably consider a hardcore gamer or a "board game hipster", sitting here with 70 or so board games on my shelf. (IMO I'm not really that hardcore or hipstery about it for many reasons. It's all relative in the end.) I like long complex games that make Catan look like Go Fish. I have played regularly with a group of friends for years now both in person and online. They're slightly less hardcore. Catan is one of the games we constantly have running turn based. It never gets old. It's the perfect balance of strategy, luck, complexity, and fun.
  - lmm 3y ago
    It got old for me after a lot of playing with family. But not quickly.
  - anitil 3y ago
    How old do you think kids would need to be to play Catan? (I've never played, but would like to give it a go if I can play with small kids)
    - cooperadymas 3y ago
      You're probably looking at the 8-10 year old range to truly understand the rules and begin to pick up strategy enough to play on their own. There is not much that is truly _secret_ in Catan, so it's an easy one where Dad/Mom can help guide the decision making. You could also very easily simplify the game - take out resource cards, take out bonuses for longest road / largest army, and reduce the winning VP to 5, then it's only about building settlements/cities and roads, and friendly trading. There is even a junior version that says it is for ages 6+. I admittedly have never played it but have heard that it can work for some smart 4 year olds with a little guidance.
  - WanderPanda 3y ago
    @anitil I remember that we were obsessed with it in 2nd/3rd grade of elementary school so thats one datapoint :D
  - opo 3y ago
    >...I like long complex games that make Catan look like Go Fish. What are some good games you would recommend?
Semaphor 3y ago
Took the words out of my mouth. I love complex boardgames taking hours (twilight imperium is probably my favorite), but I can play settlers. My parents like games with few rules (not necessarily simple ones), but they also can do settlers, so that is where the family meets.
- vlunkr 3y ago
  One thing I love about Catan is how short the games are. Losing isn't so devastating because you aren't as deeply invested.
nicoburns 3y ago
I'd consider myself pretty into board games. My family played them (and card games) regularly when I growing up. And it's now something I do with friends regularly (and still with family). But I have a strong preference for games in this "bridge" category. Games that are interesting and have an element of strategy but - take 30-90 minutes on average, not hours or days - have a relatively simple set of rules without too many special cases I'd suggest that the super complicated/involved are just one niche that some people are into. And much like books or movies, different people are different things.
- vintermann 3y ago
  I quit BGG years ago over how dysfunctional it was as a forum (acting like a non-profit with fundraisers but actually being for profit, aggravating gamification, hiding "negativity" while promoting praise of themselves to the front page). But looking at their list, it seems it has veered even more away from elegant German style games of the type Catan kicked off, and towards things only a comic book shop nerd could like.

philwelch 3y ago

More’s the pity, IMO. I really like Catan, but I’m not really interested in becoming a board game hipster and learning a new board game every time I play.

cooperadymas 3y ago
I'm what most would probably consider a hardcore gamer or a "board game hipster", sitting here with 70 or so board games on my shelf. (IMO I'm not really that hardcore or hipstery about it for many reasons. It's all relative in the end.) I like long complex games that make Catan look like Go Fish. I have played regularly with a group of friends for years now both in person and online. They're slightly less hardcore. Catan is one of the games we constantly have running turn based. It never gets old. It's the perfect balance of strategy, luck, complexity, and fun.
- lmm 3y ago
  It got old for me after a lot of playing with family. But not quickly.
- anitil 3y ago
  How old do you think kids would need to be to play Catan? (I've never played, but would like to give it a go if I can play with small kids)
  - cooperadymas 3y ago
    You're probably looking at the 8-10 year old range to truly understand the rules and begin to pick up strategy enough to play on their own. There is not much that is truly _secret_ in Catan, so it's an easy one where Dad/Mom can help guide the decision making. You could also very easily simplify the game - take out resource cards, take out bonuses for longest road / largest army, and reduce the winning VP to 5, then it's only about building settlements/cities and roads, and friendly trading. There is even a junior version that says it is for ages 6+. I admittedly have never played it but have heard that it can work for some smart 4 year olds with a little guidance.
- WanderPanda 3y ago
  @anitil I remember that we were obsessed with it in 2nd/3rd grade of elementary school so thats one datapoint :D
- opo 3y ago
  >...I like long complex games that make Catan look like Go Fish. What are some good games you would recommend?

Semaphor 3y ago

Took the words out of my mouth. I love complex boardgames taking hours (twilight imperium is probably my favorite), but I can play settlers. My parents like games with few rules (not necessarily simple ones), but they also can do settlers, so that is where the family meets.

vlunkr 3y ago
One thing I love about Catan is how short the games are. Losing isn't so devastating because you aren't as deeply invested.

nicoburns 3y ago

I'd consider myself pretty into board games. My family played them (and card games) regularly when I growing up. And it's now something I do with friends regularly (and still with family). But I have a strong preference for games in this "bridge" category. Games that are interesting and have an element of strategy but - take 30-90 minutes on average, not hours or days - have a relatively simple set of rules without too many special cases I'd suggest that the super complicated/involved are just one niche that some people are into. And much like books or movies, different people are different things.

vintermann 3y ago
I quit BGG years ago over how dysfunctional it was as a forum (acting like a non-profit with fundraisers but actually being for profit, aggravating gamification, hiding "negativity" while promoting praise of themselves to the front page). But looking at their list, it seems it has veered even more away from elegant German style games of the type Catan kicked off, and towards things only a comic book shop nerd could like.