The Best Games Like CATAN That You and Yours Will Love

CATAN, formerly known as the Settlers of CATAN, is an award-winning game that’s endured for many, many reasons. The Catan card game offers a different gameplay experience compared to the traditional board game, with unique resource management and player interaction elements. It has become an introductory game to people who think all board games are like Monopoly. For those who are interested in adding a new board game to their game night that is similar to but different from CATAN, we’ve found the ten best games like Catan that you and your friends will love. Grab copies of a few of them for the most variety on game night, and introduce your friends to the awesome world of board gaming. They’ll be hooked for life.

The 10 Best Games Like CATAN

Carcassonne

Age: 7+ (Community 8+) Players: 2-5 Time: 30-45 minutes

Carcassonne is a tile-placement game that captures the magic of southern France, and for some technically started the genre of tile-placement games, even ahead of CATAN. In this game like CATAN, each player draws and places titles that feature a variety of things such as roads, cloisters, grassland, or a city. Each new tile has to be placed right next to a similar, previous title. After the title is placed, the same player gets to put a meeple onto that area. Players can choose in-game characters such as robbers, monks, farmers, or knights. Each placed meeple generates points for its owner that can be used for projects and eventually winning the game.

As the game progresses, strategic placement of tiles and meeples becomes more important. Carcassonne can be seen as a worker placement game where players frequently need to choose between helping themselves or hindering other players by using these meeples to disrupt the projects of other players and block their progress toward possible victory. Even with each turn presenting a lot of options, the game moves quickly and can last between 30 to 45 minutes. With such a quick play time, it’s easy to play several games in one evening. This also makes it an excellent game for introducing folks to board games if they’re less “committed” to the hobby. Let them play a few games of Carcassonne and that’ll change.

Pyramido

Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 45 minutes

Are you interested in Egyptology? Have you ever wanted a game that gave you a chance to experience working for a pharaoh in the ancient world? Then you are going to love Pyramido!

The game and story begin with the death of Pharaoh Mino. His son, Pharoah Mido is unhappy with how his father’s pyramid looks. This disturbs him enough to demand his legacy be better represented. The game begins with Pharaoh Mido choosing several architects to build him the best possible pyramid. Whichever architect creates the best pyramid will be appointed to the position of Vizier which will grant them immense wealth and power.

This tile-placement game revolves around building a pyramid that serves to give your pharaoh a legacy to last thousands of years – and prove your worth and earn that coveted title. Each turn offers you and your friends the chance to lay tiles that will eventually determine the points your pyramid will earn. Each laid tile must fit into the overall map as each tile can only be matched with certain tiles. This allows for intense gameplay where you and your friends have to think ahead so your pyramid will be the best, as well as some friendly competition. The game only lasts about 45 minutes, too, so this option is a great one for introducing unfamiliar friends to the world of games like CATAN.

Kingdom Builder

Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 45 minutes

Kingdom Builder is a tile-placement game that has you and your friends competing to see who can build the best settlements and generate the most gold by the end of the game. This game like CATAN includes nine different types of terrain that you can use during gameplay. You’ll find a variety of locations including those coveted castles. Each turn consists of a player laying down a terrain card and building three new settlements. Building new settlements can also net you an extra action tile that can be used on another turn so that you can jump ahead of your friends.

Similar to a deck building game like Dominion or Clank, Kingdom Builder involves strategic gameplay where players must carefully plan their moves to maximize their gold and settlements.

The goal of the game is to get as much gold as possible and that’s normally accomplished by building up around your castle. However, this goal can be changed depending on which Kingdom Builder cards are in play. Three of ten possible cards will add additional conditions that modify what conditions will net you the most possible gold. Good luck!

Agricola: Resource Management

Age: 12+ Players: 1-5 Time: 30-150 minutes

Another tile-based game like CATAN, Agricola takes players into an agriculture-based world in which you take on the role of a farmer who lives in a shack with their spouse. Early turns of the game center around taking only two actions per turn, one for you and your spouse. The actions you can take are what you would expect for a farm: plowing new fields, planting new crops, gathering crops, and expanding your farm.

Each round of the game includes an action card that allows you to pick a possible action. These actions, for example, could include having children to have more hands to work the farm. However, having more children means having to be home for them and having resources to make sure they eat… So choose your actions carefully and strategically!

Like other recent CATAN-like games, Agricola supports a variety of play complexities. The base game allows for a certain level of play that, once mastered, opens the way to adding more variations and variables. This makes the base game a great start because you may find it is the perfect game or needs just a little more complexity. Add expansions as your group grows in skills and learns to love this fantastically fun pastoral game, where the outcome of a dice roll can influence your strategy and resource management.

Century: Eastern Wonders

Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 30-45 minutes

Century: Eastern Wonders is a tile game like CATAN that centers around the spice trade, with a player count of 2-4. You and your friends play merchants focused on financial gain while exploring the Indonesian islands during this age of exploration. You must make attempts to find alternate routes to the precious spices, and those who are best able to exploit these avenues and the Spice Islands will find wealth and ultimately win the game.

While Century: Eastern Wonders is a sequel game to Century: Spice Road, either game can be played on its own or may be combined for a more complex game experience. The flexibility of being able to add or subtract the other game’s rulesets helps to add greater replayability and makes the games more approachable to new players. For some, this makes it an even greater entry point into the world of board games.

Concordia

Age: 13+ (Community 12+) Players: 2-5 Time: 100 minutes

Another tile-placement game, Concordia is set during the height of the Roman Empire. Taking place during a time of peace, stability, law, and common currency, Concordia has you and your friends each take on the role of a Roman dynasty with the goal of economic prosperity. Establishing an economic dynasty involves sending colonists to the furthest parts of the empire, developing a successful trade network among cities, and making sure the gods show their favor to your trade empire.

While Concordia is not a cooperative game, it involves collaborative elements where players must strategically interact and trade to achieve their goals, similar to the teamwork found in cooperative games.

This game is designed to be peaceful with the only conflicts occurring in trying to make sure your dynasty outperforms your friends – that is, it’s not a conquering game, despite its setting. And instead of gameplay being determined by random dice rolls or card draws, you have to depend on your best strategy for success. Every player starts on equal footing and winning the game means planning out your strategy and long-term goals. It’s also important to pay attention to your friends to see what their economic focus is so that they do not get ahead of you and leave you behind in the dust of history.

Lords of Vegas

Age: 15+ Players: 2-6 Time: 60-90 minutes

A classic board game like CATAN, The Lords of Vegas offers the perfect game night fun for you and your friends and family. This upgraded version of the board game now allows for 2-6 players, includes new graphics, and adds the inclusion of all the components from previous expansions — so you’ve no need to purchase a base and expansions.

While this board game is similar to others, it takes inspiration from other genres and builds on them to make a unique game. You and your friends all start with empty lots that require you to build upon. Each of you starts with a small casino which expands as you gain more money. As you grow your empire, you can build near your friend’s casinos and potentially take over their businesses. Player interaction is encouraged as you can buy, sell, trade, and even gamble as you try to create the most profitable casino. A unique twist with the gameplay is that you are allowed to build your casino in three dimensions, adding ever-growing towers on top of your casinos. Players have enjoyed playing this game as it provides an engaging and enjoyable experience.

The Quest for El Dorado

Age: 10+ (Community 8+) Players: 2-4 Time: 30-60 minutes

The Quest for El Dorado invites players into a grand adventure as you and yours take on the roles of expedition leaders on the hunt for El Dorado. Your adventures take you into the depths of the dense South American jungles, and as you are the expedition leader for your team, you’re responsible for not only making the right hires of guides and helpers, but you’ve also got to make sure they have the equipment needed for your expedition to be a success. Your ultimate goal is to put together the best team so you can beat your friends in being the first to reach El Dorado.

For those who enjoy the competitive and strategic gameplay when they play Catan, The Quest for El Dorado offers a similar experience with its resource management and player interaction.

The newer version of the game has new art, and larger cards, and includes a small expansion for extra playability. The unique layout of the board offers over 100,000 possible layouts and with the game including a deck-building component, it results in a wide variety of experience from game to game.

Ticket to Ride

Age: 8+ Players: 2-5 Time: 30-60 minutes

One of the most beloved games like CATAN of all time, Ticket to Ride is famous for its simplicity that still requires strategy and careful planning to win. This game has won many industry awards and has been printed numerous times with a large number of editions or variants.

For those who are new to the game, the goal is for you and your friends to collect cards of various trains and claim railway routes across North America. The longer the route, the more points you earn. You also can complete bonus goals from goal cards. While not a cooperative game, Ticket to Ride involves collaborative elements as players often need to strategize and communicate to optimize their routes.

A typical game of Ticket to Ride runs anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. You and up to four friends can play, with just a minimum of two needed for great fun. It’s also a great pick for kids and beginners to the board game hobby. The simple rules and fast-paced play keeps folks attentive and challenged throughout.

Takenoko

Age: 8+ Players: 2-4 Time: 45 minutes

Our final pick of the best games like CATAN is known as Takenoko, the Japanese word for “bamboo shoots.” In this game, players must act as trusted court members to the Emperor of Japan. The Emperor has been gifted a giant panda by the Chinese Emperor and needs people to take over the difficult task of caring for this treasured animal. You and your friends will take over tending the bamboo garden so that the precious panda can stay healthy, happy, and well-fed.

As the game unfolds, players must cultivate the land, irrigate the plots, and then grow one of three kinds of bamboo. The winning player must develop and maintain the best lands to grow the ideal kind of bamboo the panda wants to eat. This cute worker placement game for two to four players takes about 45 minutes to play and works beautifully for players as young as 8.

Conclusion

With this list of ten of the best games like CATAN, you’re sure to find at least a few games that not only grab your attention but help you and yours look forward to your next game night. Be sure to mix up the themes to keep the play interesting, and grab at least one that will work for a great entry point into board gaming for your friends new to the hobby.

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