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Can You Play Settlers Of Catan With 2 Players?

How To Play Catan With 2 Players

CatanGameplay2As a single Dad gamer with daughter, over the years it’s been important for us to track down the very best 2 player board game options.

 

Out of the box, Settlers of Catan is intended for 3-6 players.

 

But, there’s a few options available if you’re looking to play Catan with just 2 players.

 

Among the several more obscure variations, my research pulled up these 3 as the most popular:

 

Option 1: House Rules for 2 player Settlers Of Catan

CatanGameplay1Nick Borko came up with a 2 player variant rule set that many report success with:

– One of each tile type is removed from the game
– Remaining lettered hexes are then laid out in a specific sequence and order
– 6 harbour tiles are used as a maximum
– Certain starting tiles are discarded and the robber does not enter play until a 7 is rolled
– Specific resources and cards are removed from play before beginning
– Play up to 10 victory points as normal

 

Whilst it can seem a bit finnicky to set up, this version actually works surprisingly well,

 

Here’s Nick’s original pdf to refer to: http://nick.borko.org/games/Catan2Players.pdf (Opens in New Window)

 

 

Option 2: Official 2 Player Variant Settlers Of Catan Rules:

CatanGameplay3This version adds extra (not included) chips into the game to help retain the trading element – crucial to the base game’s variety.

 

Crucially, on each turn, a player uses 2 separate rolls of 2 dice, instead of one roll.

 

Neutral building means that each time you build out a road or settlement, one of the 2 dummy players receives that same building also.

 

The additional chips can be used in various functions and extends the trading capacity of the game.

 

The official version can be found here and there’s a nice explanation of this version of the rules here if you prefer video format:

 

 

 

Option 3: Play The Separate 2 Player Catan Game: Rivals For Catan


A whole different game in it’s own right, it retains a few (and I mean…not a lot) of the mechanisms from the original game, but essentially this is a different beast.

 

Allocating resources, dice rolling etc are all there in the normal way, but there is no board, and only cards instead.

 

The cards of your province will be laid on the table as the game progresses, and cards are rotated anti-clockwise to increase resources with favourable dice rolls, and clockwise to reduce resources when spending/trading.

 

The play area expands outwards as you lay more and more cards out, to form your ‘Province’.

 

 

RivalsForCatan_2players
image credit

Roads and settlements are laid left to right and resources or new locations are laid top and bottom, above and below the roads and settlements.

Event cards can upset the gameplay or break the stride of your opponent if played at the right moment.

 

It’s clear to see what aspects of the original game they’re trying to port over to a 2 player version, but it’s not clear what the aim was, by turning it into 100% cards based – more portable? Not sure.

 

The base games plays fine, especially if your already familiar with Catan style of play, and some games we played of the base version can reach conclusion really fast if your partner is playing aggressively for Settlements > Cities right out the gate.

 

 

My Recommendation – Can you play settlers of catan with two players?


I’ve tried all the above variants and for us, to be honest, the main Catan game, with the 2 player official Catan Wiki variant played out best.

 

It retains much of the trading elements of the game which for me is central to the enjoyment of the game – but that’s a personal thing of course.

 

In playing out this version, it allows you to have a copy of the main game, an effective 2 player version, and still have the option to play 3-6 players for family occasions or bigger gaming group. You also have the option to switch out to another 2 player variant if you don’t like one.

 

For us, Rivals is an interesting slant on the original, but doesn’t hold us for the same amount of time and has lower replay value. Somehow it feels more like the designers were going for a portable version of the base game instead of a 2 player variant.

 

So going with the standard base game gets the GTNS seal of approval for this one ?

 

Compare Settlers Of Catan 2 Player Options

 

Version Rules Complexity # Players Play Time Age Range More
Catan Borko Med 3-4 60-120min 10+ More Info
Catan Official 2 player Med 3-4 60-90min 10+ More Info
Rivals For Catan – Med 2 45-120min 10+ More Info

Settlers Of Catan Age Recommendation

Catan Junior


Yep, I know what you’re thinking,

 

– Game ports from adult to kids’ versions almost never work
– How can a game designed specifically for kids’ level of play, actually be any good?

 

Welp, they did an *amazing* job on Catan Junior, converting the main game to a kid-friendly version.

 

There are several islands in the game which each generate resources depending on dice rolls. Those resources can then be traded with the market place to build ships, hideouts, and Coco cards (more on this later).

 

Sometimes I feel like I actually have more fun trading goats and cutlasses, than roads and settlements to be honest ?

 

I guess the inherent appeal of all the Catan games is the influence that your trading ability has on the game.

 

Even with this younger version, there’s always a sense that, as the game progresses and differing resources are available at different times, your ability to make the best trades in each situation, has a huge influence on the ultimate outcome.

 

Personally, we enjoy this strategy style of play over dice-rolls or just plain random chance in other games, as your little one can quickly get a sense of how their actions impact on the direction of the game, and importantly, in Catan Junior, the rewards come quickly, so that young minds are kept engaged throughout the game.

 

Catan Junior Age Recommendation

CatanJuniorGameplay2Catan Junior is recommended for ages 6+, although honestly, we were playing easily from age 4+, with a little help from Dad.

 

On the box the game should take around 30mins, a bit longer than that in our experience, and plays 2-4, although it works great with just 2 from our experience – the game comes with a dedicated map specifically designed for use with 2 players – a refreshing find for games designed for audiences this young.

 

To capture young ones’ imaginations this version admittedly has a more piratey feel to it, but the artwork is fun and cutesy, as opposed to dark or threatening.

 

Kids can learn risk reward relationships by obtaining Coco the parrot cards (my daughter *always* went for these at the first opportunity in our games lol).

 

These cards, the only ones which require gold coins in the game to obtain, can pay off handsomely if Coco bestows a cache of resources at once.

 

Or, he may simply allow you to move the robber around the board, which inevitably draws a groan from all involved lol.

 

A Catan adventure for fledgling swashbucklers. We love it.

 

 

Settlers of Catan aka Catan

Rules are more complex here than in younger versions of the game, and allow for more complex trading scenarios, development cards, and bonuses to be earned for e.g. the longest army etc.

 

Setups can be random or players can use the suggested layout to begin with.

 

The roll of the dice still determines resources gathered each turn, but there are more conditions on building, such as ensuring 2 roads minimum between settlements, etc.

 

Trading at ports and with other players still forms a central part of the classic Catan experience, and the genius from the designer Klaus Teuber is in keeping the game active between players, whilst still maintaining the competitive element.

 

This tends to lead to some cunning trades for optimal resources, and you’ll need some guile to convince opponents to trade in your favour. It’s a great mechanic.

 

It’s a race to 10 victory points by accumulating settlements and cities and as the game continues, to turn settlements into cities requires different resources than you were trying to gather initially – another ingenious twist.

 

 

Settlers Of Catan Age Range

The main Settlers of Catan game is aimed at ages 10+, although can work easily 8+ with some help from parents I would say.

 

The design is a little more muted than it’s younger counterpart, the colour scheme is the familiar Catan yellows, reds and browns, but with fewer of the brighter primary colour pallettes involved than the younger edition, to keep youngsters attention.

 

In geeky board game circles this original Catan is considered widely to be the “new monopoly” – and deservedly so.

 

Catan is now a staple and has huge replay value. If you have friends or family you’re trying to get into gaming, this is an effective gateway game for them. I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

 

Kids Of Catan

The simplest version of Catan available, that aims to gently introduce the principles of resource collection and basic strategy.

 

In a plan of the village with wooden blocks suitable for free play, players take turns rolling dice and rotating the village itself to secure resources over time.

 

These resources are then used to construct further buildings within the village. When all of a players’ buildings are complete, they may build the town hall, to win the game.

 

 

Kids Of Catan Age Range

The manufacturer stated age for this is 4+, which is about right. Again I feel even younger is possible with this, with some help, so 3-6 feels about right here.

 

We liked that the physical movement of the board determines resources obtained, it’s a neat mechanism that keeps the attention of young eyes throughout the game, with an element of guessing “where will it stop?”, similar to fairground game experiences.

 

KidsOfCatan_Layout
image credit

 

Primary colours everywhere in Kids Of Catan, as you would expect. Components are chunky, and can also be used for play outside the game, a useful addition.

 

Kids of Catan takes about 20 mins to play, and it’s a great place to start the young ones.

 

 

 

 

 

Compare Settlers Of Catan Age Ranges

Complexity # Players Play Time Age Range More Info
Catan Junior Light 2-4 30min 6+ More Info
Catan Med 3-4 60-120min 10+ More Info
Kids Of Catan Light 2-4 20min 4+ More Info

 

 

Cooperative Board Games Like Pandemic

Pandemic1Pandemic was a gateway game for me and I fell in love after my first play (even though we lost, erm, yeah….badly).

 

I adored every element of it:

– The tension…..I never realised a simple board game could have such a uniting effect on everyone round the table…what else is there like this???

– The joint decision making the game requires, means collaborative conversations will help to balance all the needs to survive in that moment of play

– The theme of battling an illness, is perfect to unite everyone around the table against a common enemy – and gives a sense of contribution, that few competitive PVP games can deliver.

 

So…my brain was alive. There must be more out there like this? What else was I missing???!! Lol And how quickly could I get my friends round a table to start playing?

 

Here’s my pick, and I make no apologies for targeting the lighter-gamer/family end of the spectrum:

 

Board Games Similar To Pandemic

Forbidden Island

*The* game that started me into the tabletop hobby initially, after seeing Wil Wheaton’s show.

By the same designer as Pandemic, Matt Leacock, this is maybe even lighter than Pandemic but with a similar mechanism to rank up the tension, in that when cards are discarded they are shuffled in to the top of the deck.

To me the mechanism actually fits more naturally with the theme of Forbidden Island.

 

 

Forbidden Island .v. Pandemic

Instead of eliminating disease cubes, in Forbidden Island you draw Flood cards which eliminate parts of the island you need to escape from.

 

As the game continues the island is beginning to disappear under you, and your escape routes reduce.

 

it gives a very real feel to the tension element involved, an ingenious mechanic.

 

Similar to Pandemic, each player has a specialist role and character card, which enable e.g. greater movement than normal, or the ability to ‘shore up’ more tiles, directional movement advantages, etc.

 

You and your fellow travellers must work together, using action points wisely, to share resources, gather 4 unique treasures, and escape in time before you’re swept in to the murky depths.

 

The artwork of the island landmarks is just gorgeous, they’ve done a great job here.

 

I played this with my daughter starting at 5 yrs old (!) and we managed to beat it on the easiest setting, so this is great for families. We preferred Forbidden Island’s simpler mechanism and dramatic theme, which for us has greater impact than the slightly more cumbersome mechanics in Forbidden Desert.

 

The difficulty level can be ramped up by adjusting the rate at which flood cards are drawn. The default setting starts at 2 for the novice player.

 

 

As a bonus, it’s pretty cheap (as far as this hobby goes), and it gets a ton of good reviews, so there’s not much not to like here.

 

My takeaway – This is the one to go for if you want a similar mechanism to Pandemic that you can dive into quickly, something cheap with good value, or even an effective gateway game for the non-gamers in your life.

 

 

Although the instructions state Forbidden Island plays 2-4 players from age 10+, I’ve had some pretty good solo game logs too, so don’t discount it if your gaming group is not around.

 

 

Flashpoint Fire Rescue .v. Pandemic

Flash_Point1Flashpoint rides along with a similar mechanic to Pandemic, but is themed around firefighters getting a fire under control before it destroys the entire building!

 

Again you decide how best to allocate your action points, between movement, damping down fie, etc.

 

If the building collapses, or 4 victims are killed in the blaze, you lose. Otherwise, the players win when they rescue the 7th citizen.

 

Expect to face tough decisions like, “Should I reduce this small fire now, to avoid the risk of explosion soon, or should I move toward this bigger fire now, which threatens to be much more destructive more quickly?”

 

The action points replace the need for dice and as you might expect by this point each member of your firefighting team have special roles to help with specific scenarios.

 

For me Flashpoint felt a bit claustrophobic and the movement mechanisms were more frustrating at times, as a clear passageway can become blocked when you’re already half way down it.

 

For the normal difficulty setting there’s a fixed set up to use from the start. The components are good quality and if the theme fits with you, you’ll enjoy it just as much as Pandemic.

 

 

 

 

Castle Panic .v. Pandemic

CastlePanic1Another lighter co-operative game that sees you drawing new monsters each round, to add to the mob attacking your tower and castle. You draw cards and spend actions by playing the weapon cards in your hand, to take out the bad guys.

 

As the game progresses, the monsters move ever closer and inevitably some will begin to destroy your defences.

 

What I love about Castle Panic is the planning and decision making to maximise best use of resource cards amongst the team.

 

There are some surprise monsters along the way, which have multiplicative effects, (like draw another 4 monsters!) but on the whole, your planning skills definitely have enough of an impact to help you feel like the strategy elements *can* be used to overcome any bad luck the draw pile throws at you.

 

Just watch out for the Mage Lords lol.

 

Castle Panic does a good job of keeping victory close, but not quite certain enough, that everyone feels engaged in the game, and like the decisions matter.

 

It’s a similar mechanism (but not quite the same) as Pandemic etc, and for me it’s different enough for it to feel like a different game, that’s not simply a rehash of another theme.

 

At most conventions they now do a hilarious real-life version of this with people around the circle representing monsters attacking the defenders at the castle centre – so if you get a chance to do this, don’t hesitate.

 

Rules are easy to get into, I would say anything from 8 upwards will happily be able to play with some parental assistance and Castle Panic plays anything from 1-6. Expansions are also available.

 

 

 

Pandemic Legacy .v. Pandemic

PandemicLegacyWhat could be better than Pandemic….except more Pandemic?

 

Pandemic Legacy sees the traditional mechanics of the game turned into a strategic campaign mode – a move that looks terrible on paper, but executes incredibly well.

Currently with 2 seasons, the same gameplay takes place with a longer term story to follow, around the game.

 

Later in the game, new rules and components coming into play, and the original board changes, in ways that cannot be undone! New character skills become available and can benefit or hinder gameplay and progress toward the next objective and the next month in the game.

 

I’ve heard of many groups completing this one in real-time, when their gaming groups meets once a month, and it does add a certain extra layer to the gameplay.

 

The Legacy version is probably best with 4 players (although plays 2-4) and extends your Pandemic addiction if you just can’t get enough.

 

 

 

Complexity # Players Play Time Age Price

Forbidden Island Light, 2-4, 30mins+, 10+,
Flash Point Fire Rescue, Med, 2-6, 45mins+, 10+
Castle Panic, Light, 1-6, 60mins+, 10+
Pandemic Legacy Med 2-4 60mins+ 12+

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  • Can You Play Settlers Of Catan With 2 Players?
  • Settlers Of Catan Age Recommendation
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