A thinking man's game....., May 1, 2010

Simply one of the best game's ever made! Addictive, and the game is never the same thing twice, so its play value is way up there.

       Settlers is the best board game ever!!!, April 25, 2010

I love Settlers of Catan for several reasons: 1) It's a strategy game, and requires a lot of thought in order for you to be successful in the game, 2) You get to bargain and make deals, and you can be as creative as you want with this - like making loans to people, selling futures, selling real estate, mortgaging property - the possibilities are endless! This game is perfect for those with enterprising spirits or any kind of business savy. 3) This game presents capitalism at it's finest, and would be a great way to teach younger people about economic concepts such as supply and demand, the price system, and how through trade we can improve our lives financially while also benefiting those we trade with, even as we make all trades due to our own self-interest. The worst part of this game is that it's a little difficult to learn how to play at first, there is a lot to explain. This game is not for stupid people, and will be frustrating to people who don't take well to economic ideas. Overall though, it's a fun use-your-brain game that's great for families and young adults.

      Great game, iffy build quality, April 20, 2010

Explaining the greatness of Settlers would be a whole review unto itself- Amazon provides an excellent description, and it's easier to say that if you regularly play board games with about four people (more through expansions), this is one of the best games you can buy. Catan is one of the kings of "Eurogames"- games entirely about the social aspect and mechanics of gaming, instead of the game's flavor or setting. It appeals to an audience that spans ages and cultures and generations, and you need to own it today. The problem with this particular version is in the build quality, especially along the island borders. The borders are printed in too-light and too-easily-warped thin cardboard, or thick cardstock. They are supposed to interlock like jigsaw pieces, but due to the flimsy printing, they easily come apart. This quickly becomes an issue during setup, when you lay the hexes inside the border and it takes some help from everyone at the table to get things to line up decently. And if your table or tablecloth is anything less than perfectly flat, it's impossible to get things to fit exactly, and tiles may slip under the border if anyone jostles the setup. So it's still an extremely fun game, and well worth playing. Much like playing chess on a cardboard dollar-store board versus playing it on a real board, there's quite a difference in the quality of play when you aim for higher-quality materials. I'd still recommend this version if it's the only one you can afford, or the only one you can get your hands on, but if you're already a fan and you want a board you can really put some miles on, I'd look elsewhere.

       Super Fun Game, April 14, 2010

Super fun game! I bought Settlers of Catan and the Cities & Knights expansion, along with the 5-6 player extensions for both games. A super fun way to spend an evening with family & friends! I hear it's kind of like Risk (which I've never played) - but better, because everyone is playing until the end, no one is kicked off, or eliminated, during the game. Always something to learn with the game, always a different twist, always a different way to win. So Fun!