If you like to play the "take over the world" games and enjoy playing strategy type games, Settlers of Catan is the perfect game for you. This is a unique board game where the actual game board changes every time you play and no two games are the same. Players are on the hunt for the best places to build roads, settlements, and cities and strategically place them in order to get more resources (sheep, wood, wheat, brick and ore) to build even more.Players start with settlements and roads and roll dice to determine the production of resources. Resources can be used to build more settlements, cities, and roads, or to trade with other players. The game ends when one player has 10 victory points, which are gained by building settlements, cities, and certain development cards. Players also receive points for longest road and largest army, determined by the number of knights played. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.
Settlers of Catan is a somewhat complex board game up front to learn how to play but once rules are understood, game play is fun and easy and always a challenge to out think your opponents. Strategy is a huge factor, but half the game is determined by the roll of the dice and the probability of certain numbers being rolled. Addition cards, incentives, and awards are available giving you more points to help make this board game even more fun. Purchase your copy today.- Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) Award, Germany 1995
- Origins Award for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Boardgame, USA 1995
- Games Magazine Game of the Year Award, USA 1997
- Mensa Select Award, USA 1999
- As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année, France 2000
- 19 Terrain Hexes (tiles)
- 6 Sea Frame Pieces
- 9 Harbor Pieces
- 18 Circular Number Tokens (chits)
- 95 Resource Cards (19 Of Each Resource: Ore, Grain, Lumber, Wool, Brick)
- 25 Development Cards (14 Knight/soldier Cards, 6 Progress Cards, 5 Victory Point Cards)
- 4 "building Costs" Cards
- 2 Special Cards: "Longest Road" & "Largest Army"
- 16 Cities (4 Of Each Color)
- 20 Settlements (5 Of Each Color)
- 60 Roads (15 Of Each Color)
- 2 Dice
- 1 Robber
- Official Settlers Of Catan Rules And Instructions
To become the winner, you must reach 10 points before any of your opponents by effectively using your resources to build villages, cities, and possibly roads and armies.
Perparation: Shuffle land hexes. Deal one row of five. Deal two rows of four, one on each side of the row of five. Deal two rows of three, one on each side of the rows of four. Shuffle harbor hexes. Deal them alternately with ocean hexes. Choose one coastal hex. Deal the markers clockwise, alphabetically, starting with that hex. Each player places one village and one road. In reverse order, each player places another village and road. After placing the second village,
each player takes one resource card for each hex adjacent to the village. Play commences, in turns as described below, until one player has ten points.
Game Play: Hexes: clay (produces bricks), forest (lumber), mine (ore), farm (wheat), pasture (wool)
Rules for building roads and villages:
Roads: are built on the edges between two hexes.
Villages: are built on the intersections of three hexes. A village cannot be placed on an intersection adjacent to another village. Corollary: the three intersections adjacent to each village will always be empty.
Cities: replace existing villages.
Turn Sequence:
(1) Player rolls the dice. Each hex marked with the number rolled produces one resource card for each adjacent village and two resource cards for each adjacent city. If a 7 is rolled, the robber is moved.
(2) Player may trade resources (or other things) with any other player, a harbor or the “bankâ€. Trades: with a 3:1 harbor, a player may trade three of any one resource for one of her choice. With a 2:1 harbor, a player may trade any two of the required resource for one of her choice. At any time, a player may trade four of one resource for one of her choice.
(3) Player may build as many times as desired, at the following costs:
Road: 1 bricks, 1 lumber
Village: 1 bricks, 1 lumber, 1 wheat, 1 wool
City: 3 ore, 2 wheat
Development card: 1 ore, 1 wheat, 1 wool
The Robber:
If a player rolls a seven, the following three actions are taken:
(1) Any player with more than seven cards must discard half of their cards, rounding down.
(2) The player moves the robber to any hex other than the wasteland. While the robber is on a hex, that hex does NOT produce resources, even if its number is rolled.
(3) The player steals one resource card from a player with a village adjacent to the robber hex.
Development Cards:
There are 25 development cards:
14 Soldiers, which allow the player to move the robber and steal a card (see The Robber)
6 Resource Cards (2 Road Building, 2 Monopoly, 2 Year of Plenty)
5 Victory Point Cards
Development cards should be kept secret until played.
Longest Trade Route, Largest Armed Force:
A player gets these cards (which are placed face up) upon building a road of five segments (not counting branches) or playing three Soldier cards, respectively. Each card is worth two victory points. Each card may be taken by another player upon building a longer road or playing more soldier cards (ties go to existing holder).
Winning:
A player wins upon having ten points. Instantly. Points are scored as follows:
Each Village - 1 point
Each city - 2 points
Each Victory Point development card - 1 point
Longest Trade Route or Largest Armed Force - 2 points (each)
Please keep in mind that the official Settlers Of Catan PDF rules listed below could be different depending on the game version you have. These instructions are some of the exact directions that came in the original packaging and will teach you how to play. Download them to view now or print them for later use. No need to worry if you've lost your copy or if you need a quick refresher course.
Game Play: Hexes: clay (produces bricks), forest (lumber), mine (ore), farm (wheat), pasture (wool)
Rules for building roads and villages:
Roads: are built on the edges between two hexes.
Villages: are built on the intersections of three hexes. A village cannot be placed on an intersection adjacent to another village. Corollary: the three intersections adjacent to each village will always be empty.
Cities: replace existing villages.
Turn Sequence:
(1) Player rolls the dice. Each hex marked with the number rolled produces one resource card for each adjacent village and two resource cards for each adjacent city. If a 7 is rolled, the robber is moved.
(2) Player may trade resources (or other things) with any other player, a harbor or the “bankâ€. Trades: with a 3:1 harbor, a player may trade three of any one resource for one of her choice. With a 2:1 harbor, a player may trade any two of the required resource for one of her choice. At any time, a player may trade four of one resource for one of her choice.
(3) Player may build as many times as desired, at the following costs:
Road: 1 bricks, 1 lumber
Village: 1 bricks, 1 lumber, 1 wheat, 1 wool
City: 3 ore, 2 wheat
Development card: 1 ore, 1 wheat, 1 wool
The Robber:
If a player rolls a seven, the following three actions are taken:
(1) Any player with more than seven cards must discard half of their cards, rounding down.
(2) The player moves the robber to any hex other than the wasteland. While the robber is on a hex, that hex does NOT produce resources, even if its number is rolled.
(3) The player steals one resource card from a player with a village adjacent to the robber hex.
Development Cards:
There are 25 development cards:
14 Soldiers, which allow the player to move the robber and steal a card (see The Robber)
6 Resource Cards (2 Road Building, 2 Monopoly, 2 Year of Plenty)
5 Victory Point Cards
Development cards should be kept secret until played.
Longest Trade Route, Largest Armed Force:
A player gets these cards (which are placed face up) upon building a road of five segments (not counting branches) or playing three Soldier cards, respectively. Each card is worth two victory points. Each card may be taken by another player upon building a longer road or playing more soldier cards (ties go to existing holder).
Winning:
A player wins upon having ten points. Instantly. Points are scored as follows:
Each Village - 1 point
Each city - 2 points
Each Victory Point development card - 1 point
Longest Trade Route or Largest Armed Force - 2 points (each)
Please keep in mind that the official Settlers Of Catan PDF rules listed below could be different depending on the game version you have. These instructions are some of the exact directions that came in the original packaging and will teach you how to play. Download them to view now or print them for later use. No need to worry if you've lost your copy or if you need a quick refresher course.
- Official Settlers of Catan Board (short) Game Rules
- Official Settlers of Catan Board Full Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Cities And Knights Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Explorers And Pirates Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Seafarers Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Traders And Barbarians Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Dice Game Rules
- Official Settlers Of Catan Junior Game Rules
Share with us your comments, funny stories, tips, advice, strategies, creative ways to play, questions about playing, problems with the directions or anything you want about Settlers Of Catan. All submissions will be reviewed within 24 hours.
Larry says:
There are so many different version of Catan and I needed to learn how to play. These game rules were the exact same rules that came in my game box when I bought them. Thanks so much for providing these so I could print them out and put them back in my box. Now I know how to play Settlers of Catan again.
08-15-2022
There are so many different version of Catan and I needed to learn how to play. These game rules were the exact same rules that came in my game box when I bought them. Thanks so much for providing these so I could print them out and put them back in my box. Now I know how to play Settlers of Catan again.
Lonnie says:
I still remember the first time I played this. Watching others was so much easier to learn how to play. Still one of my favorites.
03-25-2020
I still remember the first time I played this. Watching others was so much easier to learn how to play. Still one of my favorites.
Allen says:
I always thought this game was a little weird and too hard to learn how to play. I just had a friend explain it to me and we played a game and wow, this is an awesome game. Don't let the game rules deter you. Look through the "long" version of the Settlers of Catan rules listed above so you can get all the pictures.
08-14-2017
I always thought this game was a little weird and too hard to learn how to play. I just had a friend explain it to me and we played a game and wow, this is an awesome game. Don't let the game rules deter you. Look through the "long" version of the Settlers of Catan rules listed above so you can get all the pictures.
Gina says:
Love it, love it, love it. This is my new all time favorite board game. The rules are a little tricky up front to learn how to play but once you are showed how to by another person it is so addicting. There is so much strategy that you can put into this and the game changes every time. Love the idea of an expansion pack!
08-11-2015
Love it, love it, love it. This is my new all time favorite board game. The rules are a little tricky up front to learn how to play but once you are showed how to by another person it is so addicting. There is so much strategy that you can put into this and the game changes every time. Love the idea of an expansion pack!
Sheeplover says:
I keep on getting sheep🐑- it is a really fun game!!!
12-20-2013
I keep on getting sheep🐑- it is a really fun game!!!
Stephen says:
This is one of the best games of all time. Just remember to diversify your portfolio of resources and build of high frequency numbers (6 and 8). P.S. sheep are the most useless resource, but I still love u sheep
03-12-2010
This is one of the best games of all time. Just remember to diversify your portfolio of resources and build of high frequency numbers (6 and 8). P.S. sheep are the most useless resource, but I still love u sheep
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