Welcome to Settlers of Catan.
A game of strategy, negotiation, and surprise sheep trades.
At Ligare, we believe the best connections happen when you're trading brick for wheat with someone you just met. Whether you're new to board games or just need a refresher, here's everything you need to know to play Settlers of Catan with confidence—and maybe win some friends along the way.
Objective: Be the first to earn 10 victory points by building settlements, cities, and roads—and by getting a little help from development cards
🎲 What the Game Is:
Catan is a strategic board game about trading, building, and claiming space. You gather resources, negotiate with your neighbors, and race to shape the island before someone else gets there first.
🪄 Why We Chose It for Ligare:
Catan gives structure without pressure. It breaks the ice without forcing it. It creates just enough shared goal and collaboration—and just enough friendly tension—to make conversation easier and more human. You’ll talk. You’ll laugh. You might negotiate for some wood. At some point, you will have far too many sheep and no one who wants them. This is normal. It builds character.
🤔 FAQ:
“I’ve never played before.”
Perfect. Most people haven’t. You’ll pick it up in the first 10 minutes.
“Is this the one with sheep?”
Yes. And roads. And wood. And exactly the kind of energy we’re going for.
How it works: Roll the dice, draw cards, get excited. Convince others you definitely aren’t winning and they definitely want to trade with you. Build.
🗺️ The Board
Catan is a modular hexagonal island made of resource tiles:
🌲 Forest (Lumber)
🌾 Fields (Wheat)
🪨 Mountains (Ore)
🧱 Hills (Brick)
🐑 Pasture (Sheep)
🏝️ Desert (No resource—just a home for the robber)
Each hex has a number (2–12) that determines when it produces resources.
⛺️ How to Win (Victory Points)
Earn points by:
Building settlements (1 point each)
Upgrading to cities (2 points each)
Holding the longest road (2 points)
Having the largest army (2 points)
Playing development cards that grant victory points (1 each)
🔁 Game Flow
Each turn, a player:
Rolls the dice: All hexes with that number produce resources.
Collects resources: If you have a settlement or city next to a producing hex, you get the matching resources. Cities produce double.
Trades: With other players or at ports (optional).
Builds: Spend resources to build roads, settlements, upgrade to cities, or buy development cards.
🕵️♂️ The Robber
Roll a 7? No one gets resources. Instead:
Move the robber to any tile to block production.
Steal 1 card from a player with a settlement or city next to that hex.
Any player with more than 7 cards must discard half.
🃏 Development Cards
Buy these with wheat + sheep + ore. They stay hidden until played and may grant:
Knight cards (move the robber)
Victory points
Special powers like building roads or monopolizing a resource
🚧 Building Rules
Roads connect settlements and help you expand.
You must build settlements at least two spaces apart.
You can only build where your roads reach.
You can build between turns if you have all the resources ready to go—no trading allowed.
💡 Pro Tips
Don’t hoard resources—you might lose them to a robber.
Balance is key: don’t rely on just one resource type.
Think socially: Catan is won (and enjoyed) through collaboration and competition.
💬 The Art of the Trade
Negotiation is half the fun. You’ll be surprised what someone will give up for a sheep when they’re desperate. Be persuasive, be fair, be strategic—but above all, stay friendly.