Catan

Catan, first released as "Settlers of Catan" and sometimes simply called "Settlers", is a classic board game that kicked off a renewed interest in board gaming as a hobby. Upon its release, The Settlers of Catan became one of the first Eurogames to achieve popularity outside Europe. As of 2020, more than 32 million boxed sets in 40 languages had been sold.

Catan was a popular game among my friend group with [redacted]. I started playing it before 2006, when I logged a play of the card game variant, probably with [redacted].

Star Trek Catan is a popular variation in my current household with [redacted].

Details

In Catan, players compete to settle an uncharted island by gathering and trading resources (brick, wood, wheat, sheep, and ore), and using those resources to build roads, settlements, and cities — all while striving for dominance through strategic expansion.

The game's theme revolves around exploration and colonization, with a dynamic Modular Board that changes each play. Core mechanics include Resource Management, as players collect and spend resources to build, and Bartering, where negotiation with other players is key to acquiring needed materials. Network Building and road placement add layers of strategy, making each game a unique contest of planning, adaptability, and diplomacy.

There have been multiple expansions for the game.

Star Trek Catan

Besides the Star Trek theming such as Tritanium, Food, Oxygen, Dilithium, and Water for resources, Star Trek Catan includes a themed version of the "Helpers of Catan" expansion, in this case TOS characters who have 1-2 time use special abilities.

For example, Spock (shown) gives you a resource of your choice when you would ordinarily not get one from a resource roll. On its first use, you can either turn the card over or select a different helper. On the back side, the only choice is to select a different helper.