Buying guideBoard Games section

Catan board game review: is it worth buying?

Catan (formerly Settlers of Catan) is a resource collection and trading strategy game for 3 to 4 players. Hex tile board, trading mechanics, longest road and largest army scoring, and 60 to 90 minute play time make it the most widely sold modern board game in the world.

By Pickspry EditorialUpdated September 28, 20264 picks

The short answer

Catan base game at $45 is worth buying for groups of 3 to 4 players aged 10 and up who want a strategy game with medium complexity, trading interaction and a 60 to 90 minute play time that works for family game nights and adult game groups equally well.

Product buttons open Amazon search results. As an Amazon Associate, Pickspry earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Quick picks

01
Best for most households
Catan Base Game
Households with 3 to 4 players aged 10 and up who want the classic Catan experience with the standard hex board, trading system and VP scoring for a recommended retail price that is competitive with other strategy games of comparable depth.
02
Best for larger groups
Catan 5-6 Player Extension
Groups of 5 or 6 players who want to play Catan simultaneously without splitting into two groups, where the extension adds board tiles, resource cards, building pieces and a special building phase mechanic to accommodate the larger player count.
03
Best Catan for children
Catan Junior
Families with children aged 6 to 9 who want to introduce Catan-style resource collection and building without the full complexity of the base game, where Catan Junior uses a simplified pirate-theme version of the mechanics with shorter play time.
04
Best Catan expansion for experienced players
Catan Cities and Knights Expansion
Experienced Catan players who find the base game too predictable and want additional strategic depth from the city improvements, knight pieces and barbarian attack mechanics that Cities and Knights adds to the base game.

How we chose

Board games are evaluated by player count, recommended age, average play time, complexity rating, core mechanics, expansion availability, component quality and price. Game details from publisher (Catan Studio) product specifications. We did not test these products.

The picks, in detail

4 picks reviewed

Best for most households

Catan Base Game

Brand: Catan Studio

Best for

Households with 3 to 4 players aged 10 and up who want the classic Catan experience with the standard hex board, trading system and VP scoring for a recommended retail price that is competitive with other strategy games of comparable depth.

Skip if

Groups of 5 or 6 players who all want to play simultaneously. The base game supports only 3 to 4 players. The 5 to 6 player extension ($20) is required for larger groups, and adding it changes the game dynamics significantly with more board crowding and longer play times.

Check price on Amazon

Catan uses a modular hex tile board that creates a different map each game, ensuring no two playthroughs are identical. Players collect 5 resource types (ore, grain, lumber, wool, brick) through dice rolls and trade with each other and the bank to build roads, settlements and cities.

Victory points (10 to win) come from settlements (1 VP each), cities (2 VP each), the Longest Road bonus (2 VP) and Largest Army bonus (2 VP). The trading mechanic creates the player interaction that distinguishes Catan from pure resource-collection games.

At $45, the Catan base game is the entry point for the world's best-selling modern strategy game.

Specifications

Specifications for Catan Base Game
Players	3 to 4
Age	10 and up
Play time	60 to 120 minutes
Price	$45

Specs from Catan, base game Amazon search

Best for larger groups

Catan 5-6 Player Extension

Brand: Catan Studio

Best for

Groups of 5 or 6 players who want to play Catan simultaneously without splitting into two groups, where the extension adds board tiles, resource cards, building pieces and a special building phase mechanic to accommodate the larger player count.

Skip if

The group consistently plays with 3 to 4 players. The 5 to 6 player extension requires the base game and adds complexity and play time. With 5 or 6 players, games can run 2 hours or more. For groups that rarely exceed 4 players, the extension adds cost without regular use.

Check price on Amazon

The Catan 5 to 6 Player Extension includes additional hex tiles, resource cards, building pieces and a special building phase that activates between each player's turn to prevent the longer wait times that would otherwise frustrate players 5 and 6.

The extension does not work as a standalone game and requires the Catan base game to play. The combined setup takes approximately 5 minutes more than the standard 4-player setup.

At $20 for the extension, the total cost to play Catan with 5 or 6 players is $65 including the base game.

Specifications

Specifications for Catan 5-6 Player Extension
Players (with base game)	5 to 6
Requires base game	Yes
Adds	Additional tiles, pieces and cards
Price	$20

Specs from Catan, 5-6 player extension Amazon search

Best Catan for children

Catan Junior

Brand: Catan Studio

Best for

Families with children aged 6 to 9 who want to introduce Catan-style resource collection and building without the full complexity of the base game, where Catan Junior uses a simplified pirate-theme version of the mechanics with shorter play time.

Skip if

Adults or older children aged 10 and up are the primary players. Catan Junior is designed for 6 to 9 year olds and will be too simple for adults or experienced game players. The full base game at $45 provides the depth that older players expect from Catan.

Check price on Amazon

Catan Junior replaces the standard Catan resources with pirate-themed equivalents (wood, goats, molasses, swords, gold) and uses a fixed board layout rather than the modular hex system, reducing setup complexity for younger players.

The game introduces children to resource collection, trading and strategic placement without the card counting and probability assessment that makes the full game complex. The Catan-shaped parrot tokens function as the victory point tracker.

At $30, Catan Junior is the family introduction to Catan mechanics for children aged 6 to 9.

Specifications

Specifications for Catan Junior
Players	2 to 4
Age	6 and up
Play time	30 to 45 minutes
Price	$30

Specs from Catan Junior, board game Amazon search

Best Catan expansion for experienced players

Catan Cities and Knights Expansion

Brand: Catan Studio

Best for

Experienced Catan players who find the base game too predictable and want additional strategic depth from the city improvements, knight pieces and barbarian attack mechanics that Cities and Knights adds to the base game.

Skip if

New Catan players or casual game groups are involved. Cities and Knights significantly increases complexity and play time (90 to 180 minutes). The expansion is designed for players who have already played the base game multiple times and want more strategic layers, not as an introduction to Catan.

Check price on Amazon

Catan Cities and Knights adds three city improvement tracks (politics, science, trade) that use a second development card deck, plus active knight pieces that defend cities from barbarian attacks. The barbarian track advances each turn, creating a cooperative pressure alongside competitive play.

The expansion adds commodity cards (paper, cloth, coin) derived from upgraded city improvements. Players can achieve up to 13 victory points from city improvements alone. Setup time increases by approximately 10 minutes.

At $45, Cities and Knights is the full-depth Catan expansion for experienced players who have mastered the base game.

Specifications

Specifications for Catan Cities and Knights Expansion
Players (with base game)	3 to 4
Requires base game	Yes
Adds	City improvements, knights, barbarian track
Price	$45

Specs from Catan Cities and Knights, expansion Amazon search

Catan product comparison

Product	Players	Age	Play time	Price
Catan Base Game	3 to 4	10+	60-120 min	$45
5-6 Player Extension	5 to 6	10+	90-150 min	$20
Catan Junior	2 to 4	6+	30-45 min	$30
Cities and Knights	3 to 4	12+	90-180 min	$45

Compare the picks

Side by side comparison of every pick
Specification	Catan Base Game	Catan 5-6 Player Extension	Catan Junior	Catan Cities and Knights Expansion
Our verdict	Best for most households	Best for larger groups	Best Catan for children	Best Catan expansion for experienced players
Players	3 to 4	Not listed	2 to 4	Not listed
Age	10 and up	Not listed	6 and up	Not listed
Play time	60 to 120 minutes	Not listed	30 to 45 minutes	Not listed
Price	$45	$20	$30	$45
Players (with base game)	Not listed	5 to 6	Not listed	3 to 4
Requires base game	Not listed	Yes	Not listed	Yes
Adds	Not listed	Additional tiles, pieces and cards	Not listed	City improvements, knights, barbarian track
Buy	Check price	Check price	Check price	Check price

Questions people ask

How long does a game of Catan take?

The Catan base game takes 60 to 120 minutes for a 3 to 4 player game, with most games finishing in 75 to 90 minutes once players are familiar with the rules. The first game for new players, including rules explanation, typically takes 90 to 120 minutes. A 4-player game takes longer than a 3-player game because more players means more turns before the end condition is reached, and trading negotiations extend with more participants. The 5 to 6 player extension adds approximately 30 to 45 minutes to the standard play time. Cities and Knights games run 90 to 180 minutes. Players who want a faster experience can set the victory point target lower (8 VP instead of 10 VP) to shorten games by 20 to 30 minutes.

Is Catan good for 2 players?

The Catan base game is not designed for 2 players. The trading mechanic that drives player interaction requires at least 3 players to function, as trades between exactly 2 players are too easily used as blocking moves rather than genuine exchanges. The base game supports 3 to 4 players. For 2 players who want a Catan experience, Rivals for Catan is a 2-player card game version of Catan designed specifically for that player count. The 2-player experience in Rivals is fundamentally different from the multiplayer board game, using a card-based system rather than tiles and dice.

Catan vs Ticket to Ride: which should I buy first?

Catan and Ticket to Ride are the two most commonly recommended entry-point strategy games, but they reward different play styles. Catan is more interactive, with trading and blocking central to the strategy. Ticket to Ride is more independent, with players primarily managing their own routes with indirect blocking. Catan has more variability per game from the modular board and dice randomness. Ticket to Ride is more consistent in game length and easier to teach. For groups that enjoy negotiation and player interaction, Catan is the better fit. For groups that prefer individual strategy with less direct conflict, Ticket to Ride suits them better.

Buying guide
Ticket to Ride board game review: is it worth buying?
Ticket to Ride is a route-building strategy game where players collect train cards to claim railway routes across a map. Card collection, strategic route blocking and destination ticket scoring make it one of the most accessible strategy games for mixed-experience groups.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026
Buying guide
Pandemic board game review: is it worth buying?
Pandemic is a cooperative board game where 2 to 4 players work together to cure four diseases before they spread across the global map. Role cards, infection rate escalation, outbreak chains and the shared loss condition create a collaborative tension absent in competitive games.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026
Buying guide
Codenames board game review: is it worth buying?
Codenames is a word-association party game for 4 to 8 players split into two teams. Spymasters give one-word clues linking multiple code words on a grid while teammates guess which cards belong to their team without accidentally revealing the assassin word.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026
Buying guide
Azul board game review: is it worth buying?
Azul is a tile-drafting and pattern-completion strategy game for 2 to 4 players. Players select colored tiles from factory circles to fill rows on a personal board, scoring points for completing rows and losing points for leftover tiles, all within a 45 to 60 minute play time.
4 picks · 5 sourcesUpdated September 28, 2026

Catan board game review: is it worth buying?