Best Custom (Settlers of) Catan Game Boards

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Best Custom Catan Boards

Catan or Settlers of Catan as many still know it, is one of the more popular strategy board games on the market. It is great for beginners (it made it on to our top board games for beginners list), but also stand the test of time.

Some people love the game so much that they decided to create their own custom boards for playing Catan. We thought this was such an awesome idea that we wanted to shine a light on some of our favorite custom boards.

We have tried our best to give the recognition to the original creator of these amazing boards. Link to their site/store in the name.

Some of these ​custom Settler's of Catan game boards are created for the purpose of resale, while others are simple done because of the love of the game. The latter are simply for show, and possibly inspiration. Also, a lot of these boards come with instructions on how to make them on sites like Instructables.

They are more expensive than the traditional Catan board, but are the perfect gift for an avid Catan lover!

Best Custom Catan Game Boards​

Quick Note: You can click the thumbnails to enlarge each board AND/OR click the name to see where they came from.

This is one of our favorite custom Catan boards for obvious reasons. The design is relatively simple but the effect is amazing. The 3d aspect of it makes you feel like you are really finding the best space in a wide variety of landscapes to build your settlement. We love that the number tiles are simple and have a perfect spot to sit on each hex tile, and also that the hex tiles are all interlocking to make a more stable game board.

2. Portable Catan Board

The next item on our list is a bit of an exception. It uses the same tiles as the original Catan board, but they made a carrying case with the middle cut out so that the pieces fit perfectly inside and will stay in one place. They also made this board folding with storage on the inside to keep all your pieces safe when not in use.

3. 3D Catan Resource Tiles

This next Catan custom board option is truly unique! You can order the pieces beautifully painted, or you can order them unpainted and add the details yourself. The hexes themselves have great details, are 3d, and super interactive.

4. Unpainted Catan Tiles

Darkstargames made an option in all black. They say that you can paint the tiles but we like how they look like this. Playing with this board would provide a different feel for the game because of the darkness of the tiles. Or paint them and add your own theme. Either way the details are great and and it works well with the original Catan pieces.

5. Realistic Resource Tiles

This next one is pretty cool. Their mission in creating it was to make the resources look as realistic as possible. In fact they even used real wood for the wood hexes. If you're feeling arts and crafty you could recreate this Catan board at home!

6. Breathtaking Wood Carvings

From one that we feel we could recreate with some time and materials to this amazing wooden beauty that would require an extremely talented craftsman. The details put into each hex are breathtaking. If you want a show stopper Catan board to play on then this is it!

7. Sleek Design Elements

If you love a more sleek style then you will love this next board. While minimalist in design, they added small details to really make the pieces pop. The wood number markers are a great addition to keep the design going, and we love that they added in the water pieces as well.

8. Crochet Game Board

Wow! This is the product of someone who is good at their craft and wanted to create a unique gift. You can tell that they put a lot of effort into every detail (the sheep are so cute!) Mechanics wise, it wouldn't be the easiest to play on since the number tokens don't have a spot to be placed, but fun wise, this board is awesome!

9. Settlers of the Globe

Speaking of creativity… When making the list of best custom Catan boards, this one made us speechless. The “Catanosphere” as they call it is one of a kind. Playing on a sphere would add a new level of difficulty to a very strategic game. The neat thing is, it uses magnets to hold the pieces of the original Catan game to the globe so you can play it either way and switch around the hexes.

10. Table Flipping Friendly Lego Tiles

If you happen to have some unused lego lying around (or just want to pay someone else to make it for you) then this lego board is worth a look! The board fits together perfectly and you can mix up the tiles as well. One extra bonus is if someone ever does the table flip move after a frustrating game you will be able to piece it back together like it never happened.

11. Adult Lego Board

Lego boards seem to be the most popular for creating a custom board at home. When you look at them, you get the feeling of “I could make that” and that's a big part of what makes them so inviting to play. Its has a much more interactive feel than some of the other boards on our list. Kids would also love playing a game where you can play with the pieces after.

12. Colorful Plywood Board

This board made it onto our list of the top custom Catan boards partly because it's made from plywood! Such a simple material to use yet the board is so colorful and special. We love how the ports are perfectly cut to fit the original tokens.

13. Ultimate Minimalist Tiles

Look here minimalists! If you have experience with Catan and like super simple designs, this is your board. We love how basic they made this one. The different resources have a different colored tile, but there are no images to tell you which one it is. It wouldn't take long to get used to playing with these tiles, but it might not be a good fit for beginners.

14. Harry Potter Board

Fans of Harry Potter are sure to love this next board. The creator of this board made it for her sister who really loves Harry Potter. We aren't quite sure how the original game play of Catan would transfer over to this board since she added an extra resource tile, but it would be fun to try! The other neat thing is that this board doesn't require any elements from the original game, she created all new pieces for everything!

15. Stained Glass Tiles

When we came across this stained glass version of a Catan board, we were WOWED. The tiles themselves are made from glass and the pictures are painted on. After realizing that the tiles look a lot better with light shining through them, they even made an led base to put them on. I don't think we will ever see another board quite like this!

16. Laser Cut Birch Wood

Our next favorite Catan board is made of birch wood that is laser cut and etched. It works with the pieces from Catan and is beautifully made. We love that the roads, cities, and settlements have spots to fit into on the board. The number markers fit in seamlessly with the design but are still interchangeable. They also make a version that uses different kinds of wood to make the tiles colored like that resource.

17. Full Game Plywood Set

The creator of our next board got frustrated when her much loved original started to warp from so much use and decided to create one out of plywood. She made every piece including the cities and resource tiles out of plywood and drew the images on them by hand. Well done!

Giant Catan! This looks like such a fun thing to have for a barbeque or outdoor event! Storing and transporting all of the pieces would take a bit of work but it would be worth it. We love that they made every piece. They even provided beach bags to store your resources in since they decided to have 3d pieces such as stuffed animal sheep instead of cards.

19. Simplistic Design Tiles

Another more minimal design, this time using aspen wood. We love how the hexagons have an image of that resource on them. The simple design gives it a very clean look. The high quality materials used will help this board to stand the test of time.

20. Baltic Birch Plywood Board

We love the wood carved boards and this one is no exception. It is made from Baltic Birch Plywood and is very detailed. Our favorite hexes are the Sheep ones and we appreciate the details on the trading ports. This seller also included letters on the number chits for easy distribution on this amazing Catan custom board.

21. Design Your Own Custom Board Starter Kit

If you are looking to create your own custom Catan board, but would like to make the process a little bit simpler then this is a great place to start. With this package you receive the pieces showing and could top the hexes with materials or drawings of your choosing. The cost on these are low and it would eliminate the fuss work of making sure all your hexes are the same size and will fit perfectly into the border.

22. Hand Sewn Catan Tiles

Arguably the cutest board on our best custom Catan boards list is this hand sewn beauty. We love that there is no fancy machinery used to make this one. A thick cardstock center is used for stability and the cover on the tiles is made using fleece and felt. Let the board flipping begin, these tiles can handle it!

23. Natural Hard Wood Tiles

We love the colors used in this hardwood board. Each type of resource hex is made using a different type of hardwood for a natural color and finished with tung oil to keep the natural wood feel. One of our favorite features is the hole in the center of each tile to hold the number chits. This gives the board a flat playing surface that gives it a very sleek look.

24. Interlocking Hex Tiles

If you have played the original Catan then you know how frustrating the sliding tiles can be. Enter interlocking hexes! We love this idea and also the slight change in shape the interlocking provides. While there isn't a border included, it doesn't really need it since the pieces will stay together. As an added plus this board can be customized to the colors of your choice.

25. Perler Beads Board

If you have ever tried to use Perler beads before then you will understand how finicky this would be to make which is why it made our list. While it would be time consuming we feel this is a board we could make ourselves with just the purchase of perler beads and the use of an iron. We are happy to see someone thought of this simple but fun way to make their own board!

26. Routed Edge Tiles

Another unique style used to create this board. The edging technique would make it interlock nicely.The harbor pieces are very nicely made as well. They have been made to be a featured element in this design. We also love the design used for the resource hexes, they are unlike other boards we have seen!

27. Textured 3D Board

Here is another example of a board featuring the harbor pieces. The texture on the hexes captures your attention. There are 3d elements used on the resource hexes without making it over the top. It has a clean playable feel the is very inviting.

28. 3D Printer Board

A 3D Printed board! This is so clean and beautiful! We can't stop staring at these images and finding new details that we love. As a plus the creator included the files they used to print this. So if you happen to have a 3D printer lying around you could make your own.

29. Polymer Clay Tiles

We couldn’t forget to add this board that’s custom made with Polymer Clay to our best Catan boards list. Each tile is made by hand through a range of steps to make. After being carefully sculpted and baked to hold their shape, they are hand painted to add even more detail and wow factor.

30. Aerial View Board

The final board on our Best Custom Catan Boards list gives us the feeling of being in an airplane looking down at the land below. We love the detailing in the houses, roads and bridges to add an extra wow factor to this board. We would love to play a game of Catan with this intricately detailed hexes.

That's it...for now

If you have made it this far, congratulations! You have now viewed all of the Best Custom Catan Boards we could find. We searched deep into the internet to find these but we are sure there are some amazing boards we missed. Let us know down below if you find some other ones that should be receiving recognition on our list! Plus, let us know which one is your favorite in the comment section.

Also if you make your own board send us some pictures, we would love to see them.

Finally if you purchase or view any of the boards on our list let them know that Hexagamer.com sent you. We would love for them to know where the well deserved attention is coming from!

About the author

HexaGamers

We are the HexaGamers. Six good friends that love all things game related that gets us together to enjoy each other's company.

4comments
Stewart Losee - October 6, 2019

Hello, You’re featuring one of my images as number 6. Breath Taking Wood Carvings. I’m picking up this project again after a 5 year hiatus. I’m older, smarter, and better at what I do now. Check out my new site Kabinet-Materia.com…where this board has doubled in size and is accompanied by many accessories. Thank you for reading.

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Ned - February 6, 2020

Think you guys should check out this minimalist version from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/ezjtef/i_redesigned_and_built_catan_from_scratch/
Creator left their website in a comment.

Reply
Tyler - August 24, 2020

Here’s one you missed that’s breathtaking.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/536137058/custom-game-board-for-settlers-of-catan

Reply
Fran - August 12, 2021

Hey! Nice work! Check our custom Catan board at ararewoodpecker.com
Thanks!

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