Gather resources, trade with your rivals, and build roads, settlements, and cities across the island of Catan. First player to 10 victory points wins. It’s the game that pulled most of us into the hobby, and the core loop is simple enough that you’ll be playing within about five minutes.
Our full review: Catan Review · Going deeper? Catan Strategies
Note: This is a condensed version of the rules to get you playing fast — nothing important is left out, but read the full rulebook for every edge case.
What’s In The Box
- 19 terrain hexes (the island)
- 6 sea frames + harbour pieces
- Number tokens (the circular chips)
- Resource cards: brick, lumber, wool, grain, ore
- Development cards
- Roads, settlements, and cities in 4 colours
- 2 dice and the robber
Setup (First-Game Beginner Layout)
For your very first game, use the fixed beginner layout printed in the rulebook instead of building a random island. It’s balanced, fast to set up, and lets you learn without arguing over placement.
The Building Costs (Keep This Visible)
Everything you build comes from this short list. Most groups keep the cost reference card on the table.
| Build | Cost |
|---|---|
| Road | 1 brick + 1 lumber |
| Settlement | 1 brick + 1 lumber + 1 wool + 1 grain |
| City (upgrades a settlement) | 3 ore + 2 grain |
| Development card | 1 ore + 1 wool + 1 grain |
How a Turn Works
Each turn happens in the same three phases, in order.
Rolling a 7: The Robber
A roll of 7 produces nothing. Instead:
STEP 1
Discard down
Any player holding more than 7 resource cards must discard half (rounded down).
STEP 2
Move the robber
The roller moves the robber onto any hex. That hex produces nothing until the robber leaves.
STEP 3
Steal
The roller steals 1 random card from a player who has a settlement or city on the robbed hex.
You can also move the robber by playing a Knight development card on your turn, even without rolling a 7.
Development Cards
Bought from the deck, played on a later turn (except Victory Point cards, which stay hidden):
- Knight — move the robber and steal. Play 3 and you claim Largest Army (2 VP).
- Victory Point — worth 1 VP each, kept secret until you win.
- Progress cards — Road Building, Year of Plenty, and Monopoly give one-time boosts.
How to Win
First player to reach 10 victory points on their turn wins immediately. Points come from:
- Settlement — 1 VP each
- City — 2 VP each
- Longest Road (5+ continuous roads, longest at the table) — 2 VP
- Largest Army (3+ Knights played, most at the table) — 2 VP
- Victory Point development cards — 1 VP each
Do I really collect resources on other players' turns?
Yes, and it's the part new players forget most. Whenever a number is rolled, everyone with a settlement or city on a matching hex produces, no matter whose turn it is. Stay alert so you don't miss your cards.
Can I trade with the bank if no one wants to deal with me?
Always. The bank trades 4 of one resource for 1 of any other. Build a settlement or city on a harbour to improve that rate to 3:1 or a specific 2:1.
How close together can settlements be?
Settlements must be at least two road-lengths apart — you can never build on an intersection adjacent to an existing settlement or city, including your own.
When should I switch from the beginner board to a random one?
Once everyone understands the turn flow and building costs — usually after one game. Random setup, with snake-draft placement, is where the real strategy begins.
Thumbnail image artificially generated for illustrative purposes.
