Objective of the Game
The New Settlers of Catan is a board game where players discover new territories, build settlements, and collect points. The aim is to reach a certain number of victory points to win the game.
Game Components
- A game board with modular board pieces
- Landscape tiles
- Ships and settlement figures
- Resource cards (wood, clay, grain, ore, wool)
- Event cards
- A set of dice
Setup
- The game board is randomly assembled from the modular pieces.
- The landscape tiles are placed face down on the designated spaces.
- Each player receives a certain number of resource cards and settlement ships (depending on the number of players).
- Shuffle and place the event cards face down.
- Determine a starting player.
Gameplay
The game proceeds in rounds, each consisting of several phases:
1. Exploration Phase
In this phase, players may explore and reveal landscape tiles. It's important to do this strategically in order to gather the most useful resources.
2. Building Phase
With the collected resources, players can build settlements and ships to improve their position on the board. - Settlements provide victory points and additional resources. - Ships allow exploration of new territories and expansion of influence.
3. Trading Phase
Players can trade resources to improve their chances of constructing desired buildings.
4. Scoring Phase
At the end of a round, the current scores are checked to see if a player has reached the game's objective.
End of the Game
The game ends when a player reaches the required number of victory points. Points are checked in the scoring phase. The player with the most victory points wins.
Strategy Tips
- Focus on gathering various resources to have more flexibility in building.
- Balancing expansion with consolidation of position is crucial.
- Trading can be key to quickly acquiring the right resources.
Nuances
- Event cards can significantly influence the game and should be used wisely.
- Players can collaborate, but alliances are unstable as the main goal is individual victory.
