Customer Reviews

Kids of Catan

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have never written a negative review before, but tonight, after trying to play this game again I'm driven to write this.

I purchased this game based on a game seller's high recommendation and great description, the quality of the wooden pieces and the reputation of the Catan games, but we have been totally disappointed.

The game itself has a sweet concept, but it's boring - truly a Candyland level game just with a more eco/green bent (and easier to win) so my kids basically ignore it unless I get it out and insist they play.

My main complaint (besides the HIGH price) is that you can not play the game with small kids without knocking over the pieces (several to many many times a game). The pieces are placed around the outside and on top of a cardboard "spinner". It can be hard for adults or big kids to get their hand in to spin without knocking them over, much less an enthusiastic 3-5 year old. The pieces' "seats" (the indented area where you place the pieces) are not very deep, so even the slightest touch of a finger or slight knee on the box topples them. It's like you're involved in some kind of bad ergonomics experiment...

Save your $ and buy Hiss or Trouble and have lots more fun.

I am a big fan of Settlers of Catan, and so I got very excited when I discovered a version that I could play with my four-year-old. Unfortunately, this game is actually quite boring.

Kids of Catan (KoC) has a lot more in common with Candy Land than it does with Settlers of Catan (SoC). Like Candy Land, there is no strategy or decision making in KoC. No player has any real choices to make during his turn - just roll the dice and rotate the wheel. This means that the outcome of the game is completely random.

Some people will say that four-year-olds can't handle strategy games, and there's truth to that, but that doesn't mean that a four-year-old can't handle choices. I was hoping that KoC would, like SoC, provide choices for players, even if the choices don't affect the outcome of the game that much.

One other problem with this game is that my four-year-old has a hard time understanding how much to turn the wheel when she rolls the dice. You're supposed to turn the wheel the number of "positions" on the die roll (e.g. roll a 3, and rotate the wheel by three positions). For some reason, my daughter can't seem to keep track of the positions as she's rotating the wheel, so she's usually off by one.

I rarely play this game at home any more. I guess I'll have to wait until my kid is old enough to play SoC.

One of the newest games in the Settlers of Catan line, this one is designed for younger players but is fun for adults as well. This edition concentrates on a single town instead of the entire island.

Each player has a wagon that circles the town, and a collection of building to help build. As players travel around the board, they collect the resources for building,; wood, straw and bricks. Once a wagon is full with one of each type, they are traded in to build a building. But beware of the robber. If you land next to him he will grab the last thing on your wagon. Once a player builds all of their own buildings, they collect one more set to build the town hall (more that one player can build it at the same time). The first to build the town hall is the winner.

The game is made up of solid wooden pieces of various colors. the resources are arranged around the outside while the center rotates to simulate the wagons moving.

This is a fun game that I have played with kids and adults. Kids seem to like the big wooden pieces. The game teaches a little counting and a little set theory but kids don't seem to realize they might be learning something. If your kids liked Hi Ho Cherry Oh but want more of a challenge, this might be the game for them.

We have two young children and our 3-year-old has been interested in our Settlers game since the first time he saw it. He loved putting the tiles together, and we would talk about the different resources and what you can do with them (wheat is for bread, wool is for clothes, trees are for houses, etc.).

When we learned that there is a children's version, we put it #1 on the birthday wish list (thanks Grandma!). And it was a big hit. It's a little different from adult Settlers, as would be expected. Instead of tiles, the board is a little round-about with carts that collect the resources as the rolls of the dice turn it around. As each person's cart is filled, they can build a new building in town. The big chunky wooden buidlings are very satisfying to hold and to place on the board. Each is distinctive, with markings to show its use (the baker, etc.) My son and our 18-month-old daughter also like to play with the buildings when not playing the game.

For reference, we also recently got an old Candyland game. Kids of Catan is a little more complicated than Candyland, but our [...] still had a lot of fun playing it (with a few reminders and hints from an adult). And Kids of Catan definitely held his interest more and was more engaging in general. He asks to play Kids of Catan all the time. I definitely think this game with have lasting power, too, holding his attention at least until age 6 or more. And it'll probably be fun for him to play it with his younger sister when he's past the target age.

I decided to write this review when today, my 5 year old son and his 6 year old best friend pulled out this game and started playing it independently. They have been playing it for a half an hour, at least, without ANY adult direction or help with set up or play. That's amazing.

I am a huge board game fan and have played several of the regular versions of Settlers of Cataan. I got this game for my son when he turned 4. He really enjoyed this game and still enjoys it at 5. What I like about this game is that it is a game that you can play with a child when you just want to have fun. Most games for kids 3-6 have a focus on learning something, which is generally a good thing, but it's also nice to have a game that mostly just aims to be fun. As far as teaching is concerned, this game is good at showing a child how to take turns, working towards a goal, and learning how to deal with just random good or bad luck. I'd highly recommend this game for parents of kids 3 1/2 to 6 who want a game that the child can understand and enjoy.

A bit disappointed in the game.
It's all luck. There is absolutely no strategy or skill involved at all.
I was hoping this would help my daughter learn a little of the regular Settlers game, making the transition to that game smoother/easier.
Ha - no such luck. The only similarities are in the names and what the pieces are called.
My 3 yr old can play this, and my 6 yr old gets bored after a while.
Definitely in the "pre-kinder" category

I was a little disappointed in the game because it has no strategy. My 7 and 5 year old can play it by themselves which is nice but I was hoping for a game that we could enjoy as a family.

For me The Kids of Catan is by no means as fun as Settlers of Catan, but for my five year old, she absolutely loves it. I do find it much more entertaining than some of the other children games we have bought for her.
The small buildings and the gathering of the resources has kept her interest and imagination going. We will see what happens after a few months with this interest, but she wants to play this game everyday.
It does have some limitations to the levels of the game that can be played, but it seems to be a good buy for now.
Very worth getting for your younger children

My younger brother introduced me to the "Settlers of Catan" a few years ago. It has become a family tradition for us during our Christmas holidays together. I am so thrilled to be able to share the strategty and fun of this game with my own children!