Catan Cities & Knights (for 3-4 players requires Base Catan game to play)

Catan  Traders & Barbarians  (for 3-4 players requires Base Catan game to play)

Players 3-4 (Best with 4)

Playing Time 60-120 Mins

Age 8+

Complexity 2.25/5

Type  Trading/Dice Rolling

Adds several new aspects to Settlers of Catan but the two major ones are creating knights to protect the land from invading barbarians and building city improvements that confer benefits upon that city's owner. Adds tactical complexity to the game and game length.

Belongs to the Catan Series.

The game changes the base game in three main ways:

First, there are 3 new commodities in the game, distinct from resources - paper, cloth, and coins, which can be acquired from Forest, Meadow, and Mountain spaces, respectively. Cities that would normally produce two of one of those resources instead produce 1 resource and 1 of the corresponding commodity. (To make commodities easier to obtain, each player starts the game with 1 city and 1 settlement on the board.) These commodities allow players to build city improvements that confer various advantages and eventually points.

Second, the deck of development cards is replaced by three different decks, each corresponding to one of the commodities. Building city improvements gives players a chance to draw these cards with every roll of the dice. Building more improvements will increase these chances, but cards cannot be bought directly in any way. These cards are similar to the development cards in the base game, but with a wider range of effects. (Some cards are balanced better as well - the new Resource Monopoly card, for example, can take no more than 2 of the named resource from any one player.)

Finally, players can also build knights on the island along their network of roads. These knights can be used to claim certain intersections and move the Robber (taking the place of Soldier cards), but are also used to defend the island from periodic barbarian attacks. If the island is successfully defended, the player(s) with the most knights are rewarded. If not, the player(s) with the fewest knights each have a city downgraded to a settlement.

Catan has won multiple awards and is one of the most popular games in recent history due to its amazing ability to appeal to experienced gamers as well as those new to the hobby.

All About Catan

AWARDS & HONORS
2012 JoTa Best Game Released in Brazil Nominee
2012 JoTa Best Game Released in Brazil Critic Award
2011 Ludo Award Best Board Game Editor's Choice Winner
2005 Gra Roku Game of the Year
2004 Hra roku Winner
2004 Hra roku Nominee
2002 Japan Boardgame Prize Best Japanese Game Nominee
2001 Origins Awards Hall of Fame Inductee
1996 Origins Awards Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Board Game Winner
1995 Spiel des Jahres Winner
1995 Meeples' Choice Award
1995 Essener Feder Best Written Rules Winner
1995 Deutscher Spiele Preis Best Family/Adult Game Winner

- $69.92