Settlers of Catan is a spectacular game that is simple enough to be played by children, yet rich enough to keep adults entertained for hours on end. It is interactive and every player is active on every turn, so nobody gets bored waiting for their own turn to come around. The game board is flexible, made up of colorful tiles that are laid out at random so that the game has a different dynamic every time it is played. There are multiple winning strategies, so it's difficult to predict who will win, right up until the very end. Also, it's a very social game. Alliances are tacitly formed and broken among the players during play, and there are a variety of negotiations that can be made at each turn, introducing a significant psychological aspect to the play. One of my favorite aspects is that the game can be played in a reasonable amount of time, when we play with our kids, it takes between an hour and an hour and a half, which is a nice span for family night. For those who appreciate a longer more complex game, with more people, there is an expansion set which I hear is excellent.

The basic idea is that each player is developing a colony on an island. The location of the colony on the board determines which resources the player has. The resources are traded among the players at each turn. Using resources the colony can be expanded. There are many ways to gain points, for example building cities, building an army, or building the longest road. Also there is a robber who is moved to a different part of the board every time the number 7 is rolled, and this robber shuts down production of those resources. This can create tension and "enmities" among the players, as they vie to construct the best colonies.

All in all, I recommend this nicely paced interactive game. It will be one of the nicest evenings you've spent in a long time.

Learn more about this author, Alexia Schulz.
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