In this award-winning board game for three or four players, Catan is an imaginary unexplored island, and players are explorers and settlers. The playing surface is made of hexagonal tiles that, depending on their placement, create a different environment each time the game is played. Settlers must use their resources to develop their island home, building roads and houses to create new towns. But watch out! There's a robber on the island, and that renegade can show up at any time to steal your valuable resources.

The game includes a rules booklet, a game almanac (with examples and advanced rules), cardboard hexagonal tiles, a plastic game sheet, small wooden markers (for settlements, cities, and roads), playing cards, and wooden dice. Settlers of Catan takes only 15 minutes to learn, and the game can be played in a simple version for beginners or in a more complex version for experienced players. --Marcie Bovetz

Catan is an imaginary unexplored island, and players are explorers and settlers.

Settlers of Catan incorporates many different board game elements, to deliver a rich experience of creating, trading, and developing territories in a new land.