The Settlers of Catan series is a line of games spanning multiple media designed principally by Klaus Teuber

Klaus Teuber

Klaus Teuber is a German designer of board games. He won the Spiel des Jahres award four times, for The Settlers of Catan, Barbarossa, Drunter und Drüber and Adel Verpflichtet. He retired from his profession as a dental technician to become a full-time game designer in 1999. , he lives in ...

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Expansions and extensions

Published by Kosmos in 1995, Settlers of Catan is the first of the Catan game series. The original game is expanded upon by expansions and extensions: the former adds new gameplay to Settlers, while the latter adds the ability to add two more players to the game, creating a game for six players. The 5-6 player extension of the base game itself was released in 1996. , there are three expansions to Settlers, adding new gameplay to the core game, and each expansion has a matching extension. Gameplay for 5-6 players with expansions require the extensions for both the base game and the expansion(s) involved.

Seafarers of Catan

Introduced in 1997, this expansion adds the element of sea travel and trade to the basic Settlers game. The 5-6 player extension was released in 1999.

Cities and Knights of Catan

Released in 1998, Cities & Knights vastly changes the original design of the Catan rule mechanics to expand the role of the cities. It adds barbarian attacks, metropolises, a merchant, commodity production, and physical knights to the primary rules. The 5-6 player extension was released in 2000.

Catan: Traders & Barbarians

Although elements of this expansion were available separately from 2004 to 2007, this pack was not released in English until 2008. It combines elements of fishing, events, expanded trading, barbarian attacks, camel trains, and much more to make a more well-rounded playing experience. It also includes rules for play with 2 people. The 5-6 player extension was also released in 2008.

Catan Historical Scenarios

The Catan Historical Scenarios series (not to be confused with the Catan Histories series) was a series of otherwise independent board games that required parts from Settlers to play. As with Settlers itself, 5-6 player play in these scenarios required the use of the 5-6 player extensions.

Historical Scenarios I: Alexander & Cheops

The first scenario pack ever created for Settlers, Historical Scenarios I

Catan Historical Scenarios I: Alexander and Cheops

Catan Historical Scenarios I: Alexander and Cheops is the first of two Historical Scenario expansions to the Settlers of Catan board game, distributed by Kosmos in Germany and redistributed with rules translations in various other territories. The Historical Scenarios put the players in...

, released in 1998, recreated the epic campaign of world conquest undertaken by Alexander the Great and also recreated the building of the Great Pyramids by Cheops. Scenarios such as this would later spawn the Catan Histories spin-off line of games.

Historical Scenarios II: Troy & the Great Wall

The second historical scenario pack

Catan Historical Scenarios II: Troy and Great Wall

Catan Historical Scenarios II: Troy and Great Wall was the second Historical Scenario expansion to the Settlers of Catan game, released in 2001 by Kosmos, though other distributors have redistributed this with a rules translation...

, released in 2001, allowed players to fight together against the city of Troy

Troy

Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...

, made famous by the Iliad

Iliad

The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...

. It also contained a scenario involving the construction of the Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...

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Scenario packs

Scenario packs for Settlers have been released on special occasions. Each of these requires the base game, and possibly extensions and expansions, to play.

The Settlers of Catan: The Game Book

Released in 2000 in Germany as Das Buch zum Spielen, this book provides around 20 different scenarios for use with the original game. An English translation of the scenarios was released in the United States as The Play Book and in the UK as The Game Book. Some of these scenarios were also re-released later in other scenario packs.

Atlantis: Scenarios & Variants

Following the success of the Game Book, Kosmos in Germany released this scenario pack in 2005 which included the event cards, an updated flood scenario named Atlantis, as well as other smaller scenarios.

The Settlers of Hesse

Released in 2008 as the first in a continuing series of scenarios demonstrating the founding of Germany's principal states. It follows the rules of the basic game closely but settlements are established on real-life locations of Hessian cities.

Catan-Austria & Vienna Meets Catan

Released in limited supply at the 2004 Austrian Gamefest as a 20th anniversary gift. Both scenarios are based on tourism in Austria. Catan-Austria focuses on the entire state of Austria while Vienna focuses on its capital.

Saggsen Gaden: The Settlers of Saxony & Offensive in Chemnitz

Released in 2005 at the Germany Game Museum in Chemnitz, Germany. Only 1000 copies of this scenario were created. Saggsen Gaden focuses on building the state of Saxony

Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....

 but includes bridges and a king to complicate and intensify the game. Chemnitz attempts to recreate the founding and development of Chemnitz through the construction of historic buildings.

The Building of Castle Chaffenberch & Renaissance in Styria

Released at the Essen

Essen

- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...

 2007 game fair. Chaffenberch focuses on knights' tournaments and castle building while Renaissance focuses on trade between Augsburg

Augsburg

Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...

, Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, Budapest

Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

, and Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

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The Gold of Ankh-Morpork & Rincewind and the Tourist

Scheduled for release at the Essen 2008 game fair, these scenarios are taken directly out of the universe of Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...

's Discworld

Discworld

Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....

. Ankh-Morpork focuses on guilds in the city of Ankh-Morpork and selectivity of trade. Rincewind introduces magic and dragons into a basic Settlers game.

The Settlers of the North Rhine-Westphalia

Released in December 2008 as the second in a continuing series of scenarios demonstrating the founding of Germany's principal states. It closely follows the rules of the basic game but settlements are established on real-life locations of cities in the North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

 region.

Licensed Adaptations

Besides the expansions and extensions, there were various licensed adaptations of Settlers, though none are compatible with any of the expansions or extensions.

The Water of Life

Das Wasser des Lebens (the Water of Life) was produced in 1997. The game is in German, despite being produced for—and distributed by—the Scottish distillery Glen Grant

Glen Grant (distillery)

Glen Grant is a Speyside distillery, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery was owned by Chivas Brothers Ltd, best known for their Chivas Regal blended scotch whisky. It is the world's second-biggest single malt whisky brand....

 as a promotional item.

It was the first variation or expansion of Catan published. It is set in the Scottish highlands with related thematic changes; including stills and distilleries replacing towns and cities, and the English replacing the Robber.

The Communication in Catan

Made in 2000 for the French telecommunication company Alcatel

Alcatel

Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....

. The game was published in English but only distributed in France.

Rockman.EXE Catan

Capcom

Capcom

is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...

 published a line of Rockman.EXE Catan games, based on their Rockman.EXE

Mega Man Battle Network

The Mega Man Battle Network series is one of Capcom's Mega Man series and debuted in 2001 on the Game Boy Advance. It is a spin-off series based on the original Mega Man. In Japan, as of the release of Rockman EXE Transmission in 2003, the series has been known as Rockman EXE; prior to this it was...

 franchise and including standard and portable versions.

The Settlers of Canaan

The Settlers of Canaan

The Settlers of Canaan

Settlers of Canaan is a licensed adaptation of Settlers of Catan that incorporates Hebrew Bible themes into its multiplayer board game play...

, a licensed version of Settlers of Catan with additions to fit themes from the Old Testament

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

, was released in 2002 by Cactus Game Design.

The Settlers of Zarahemla

The Settlers of Zarahemla

The Settlers of Zarahemla

The Settlers of Zarahemla is a licensed adaptation of the German board game The Settlers of Catan by Klaus Teuber, based on the Book of Mormon...

 by Inspiration Games, was released in 2003, with additions to fit themes from the Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...

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Geographic Discipline Model

Geographic Discipline Model, published by Buckland Games (2001/9/17), is a higher education themed adaptation, with competing universities seeking to build new campuses (settlements/cities), connected by research grants (roads), to obtain additional students (resources).

Simply Catan

SimplyFun, a company which produces simplified versions of board games, released Simply Catan in 2006. The game replaces individual hexes with "hex strips" for faster setup, and incorporates simplified rules for playing without development cards.

The Settlers of Catan: Travel Edition

This smaller version of Settlers was released in 2002 and is identical to the base game except for its size and static number chits. The pieces and parts are not compatible with the expansions or extensions.

Catan Board Game: Gallery Edition

Gallery Edition is an abbreviated version of Settlers released in 2008, suited for the general gaming crowd. The board hexes have been simplified somewhat, with individual hexes and number tokens being replaced by a less-modular (but still piecewise) system, and with plastic pieces replacing wooden pieces.

Starfarers of Catan series

Starfarers of Catan was a reimagining of Settlers to fit a space theme. Instead of being colonists on the island of Catan, players are set in the role of space colonists from Earth mingling among alien races from the Catan star system.

Starfarers of Catan

Starfarers of Catan, released in 1999, is a science fiction spin-off set in the distant future. Instead of building roads, players maneuver colony and trade ships to establish colonies on other planets and trade routes with alien races. Though not actually designed by Klaus Teuber it has been licensed into the Catan family. A 5-6 player extension was published in 2001.

Starship Catan

This game acted as a spin-off from some of the elements found in Starfarers of Catan. Two players compete as astronauts stranded in another galaxy. They have to trade and produce resources from planets, complete missions, and survive against pirates. Starship Catan produced three free printable mission packs.

Three free printable expansions are available at the Catan web site:

• Starship Catan 1st Mission: The Space Amoeba - A giant space amoeba threatens the galaxy and player compete to eradicate it.
• Starship Catan 2nd Mission: The Asteroid - A giant asteroid is threatening the planet Teldur. Help the Teldurians evacuate before it is too late.
• Starship Catan 3rd Mission: The Diplomatic Station - A new member to the Galactic Council prompts players to compete to contribute the most to the new Diplomatic Space Station.
• Starship Catan Light is a simpler, one-player variation that can be played online.

Catan Adventures

The Catan Adventures line of board games are thematically similar to that of Settlers, but uses different mechanics. Here, players take on the roles of individual colonists on the island of Catan.