Weight: Light
Players: 3-4
Playing Time: 90 Minutes

Settlers of Catan, the game which has for years secured it’s place on the quintessential board gaming throne. Ever since its release, Settlers of Catan has been referred to as being one of the best “gateway” games available. So, what exactly is a gateway game? Well I went to Webster’s online dictionary tool for that answer. After combing the online database for hours, I came to the realization that the term “Gateway Game” has not yet been accepted as a word, so I was forced to come up with my own definition. (Patent Pending)

• Gate·way Game

  function: adjective

  1. A Game that is simple enough to explain to non-gamers, yet fun enough to get said non-gamers interested in more games.

Amazing, I know. Can you believe I was turned down for that writing job at Webster?

Moving right along, yes, Settlers of Catan is a great gateway game. It introduces several concepts and mechanics that many of today’s most popular board games use. The game as a whole is fun to play, and unlike some games, you don’t run the risk of having a brain aneurysm when determining your next move (There is a time and place for these types of games, but not now, and not in this review).

The back of the box has a brief description of the game: “In Settlers of Catan, players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads.”

The nice thing about settlers, and introducing it to non-gamers, is that there is no “direct-confrontation” of any sort. You don’t feel as though you are trying to obliterate the player next to you by ripping them apart limb by limb, and burning their pathetic village to the ground. This is due to the game’s peaceful approach to “dominating” the island. There are no warring factions, mortars, tanks, or dismemberment of any kind. All players have to do is build their own roads, settlements, and cities, while occasionally trading resources with another fellow player.

The way the game is played is simple to learn, but takes quite a few plays to get a solid strategy down. The board is split up into individual tiles, each tile depicting a particular type of resource. On top of each tile, there is a small round counter with a number on it. Each player starts with two settlements, with a road attached to each one. Players receive resources from hexes where they have an adjacent settlement, when that hex’s number is rolled with two dice. So, if I roll a 5, and my fellow player has a settlement that is adjacent to the number 5 hex, he would receive whatever resource the number 5 hex produces.

In order to build roads and settlements, players need certain resources, depending on what they want to build. Each of your own settlements must have two roads between them, and you cannot build a settlement that is closer then two intersections away. Settlers is all about planning ahead and anticipating your opponent’s moves. Once a settlement is placed, it can never be removed, no matter how badly you wish to bomb the hell out of it, so each move is important.

The object of the game is simple: Victory Points (VP).VP is gained by building more settlements, or upgrading your settlements to cities. For each settlement a player has on the board, they receive 1 VP, and for each City, 2 VP. The player that reaches 10 VP first is the winner. There are a few other rules and concepts that I didn’t cover here, for the sake of time, but this should give you an idea of how the game is played.

Finally, we get to the meat and potatoes, and perhaps the only reason you decided to read this. The review! I’m going to break down my ratings into several categories, and then give my overall review score.

Components: 7/10

Settlers comes with durable, cardboard hexes, which make up the game board. The game comes with pretty standard, high-quality cards, and wooden pieces that make up the roads, settlements, and cities. The rule book is full color, although the design was a bit odd. Overall I think they did a nice job on the components. My only gripes are with the wooden pieces, I think they could be a bit more inspiring, rather then dull, unassuming blocks of wood. They do their job, but having nice, detailed pieces always adds to the atmosphere when playing a game.

Gameplay: 8/10

Gameplay is quick, light, and most importantly, fun. There isn’t too much downtime, as players can plan their moves during other player’s turns, and each turn (not just your own) can potentially earn you a resource card or two. There are not a lot of rules to remember, so thumbing back and forth through the manual is kept to a minimum.

Lasting Appeal: 7/10

Once players have a good strategy down, making decisions in the game becomes quite a bit easier. However, the luck factor the dice, coupled with the unpredictability of your opponents, can quickly derail any plans you might have had for the next few turns. These keep the game fresh and fun each play.

Overall: 8/10

So do I recommend settlers? Well, unless you skipped down to this portion of the review without reading the rest, you would know, now wouldn’t you? Now, to all of those who actually took the time to read the review, obviously this game gets a big thumbs-up. It is ideal for gamers and non-gamers alike, since it can be taught quickly, and does not get bogged down in rules and special exceptions. If you want to get into board gaming, this is an excellent place to start.

Note: The Overall Score is how I feel about the game as a whole, and is not an average of the above scores.