How to Play Catan Dice Game Rules 

Our How to Play Catan Dice Game provides a summary of the key rules and instructions to get your dice started quickly.

Players: 1 to 4 | Game duration from: 15 mins | Game Complexity: EASY Catan Dice Game rules pdf / rulebook

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What is the goal?

Compete to build cities, settlements and roads and earn Victory Points. Earn the most victory points at the end of the game and win.

The Catan Dice Game™ offers two unique games, each with its own rules and scoring sheet. Start with the “Island One” game for your first play. 

Island One Game Setup

Each player receives a sheet with the game map, using the green “Island One” side. Each player also needs a pencil or pen. The youngest player becomes the “starting player” and is given the 6 dice.

Catan Dice Island Map

Catan Dice Game Building Basics

The Island game map has special symbols for settlements, cities, and roads. You will build roads, settlements, cities, and knights on the island.

Building: 
Mark each symbol when you build on it with a circle, ‘X’, or fill the symbol.

Resource costs:

There are 6 dice for rolling for resources, with each side showing a different resource. 

Catan Dice Resources

Catan Dice Game Island One Rules Gameplay in Simple Steps

 

The starting player starts the turn. On your turn, roll the dice up to 3 times and use the resources rolled to build. Write down the points earned for building and your turn ends. Turn play moves clockwise.

Rolling the dice on your turn

Roll the dice up to 3 times. 

1st Roll
Set any number of dice aside.

2nd Roll
Set aside more dice. You may also use the previous set-aside dice for the last roll.

 3rd and last roll
After the roll, you may change your result by using a Resource Joker or through Gold Trading  

Building

Refer to the Building Cost Overview card for the resources required to build a road, knight, settlement, or city.

You can build multiple times during your turn if you have rolled a sufficient number of resources.

Building Costs Overview in Catan Dice Game

Scoring your builds

Enter the points for all completed builds in the next empty box on the scoring track. (First entry goes to the upper left box)

Lose 2 points for no builds

If you do not build anything on your turn, enter and “X” an it counts as minus 2 points.

Catan Dice Scoring Track

Rules for Building in Catan Dice Game

  • Costs 1 brick + 1 lumber
  • Worth 1 point
  • Must be built in sequence next to a road you already built, city or settlements do not obstruct roads
  • Cost 1 lumber, 1 brick, 1 grain and 1 wool
  • Only can be built adjacent to a road you have built
  • Can only be built in ascending point value order (e.g. 3 point settlement, then 4 point and so on
  • Costs 3 ore and 2 grain
  • Can only build a city adjacent to a road you built
  • Cities can only be built in ascending point value order (7 point city has to be built before 12 point city)
  • Costs 1 grain + 1 wool + 1 ore
  • Must be built in ascending point value order
  • Each knight has a resource shown, you can use each resource once per game

Resource Joker

For every built knight, you may use (once during the game) show below the knight in place of another resource you choose.

Using a resource joker:

  • After rolling dice, turn one of the dice so that the resource corresponding to the Resource Joker is face up
  • Marker Resource Joker symbol on your game map to show that it has been used. 

Once the last knight is built, you may use any resource as the Resource Joker.

One or more resource jokers may be used on the same turn.

 

Gold Trade

If you have 2 Gold after a dice roll. you can substitute 2 gold for another resource of your choice. 

To trade 2 gold:

  • After the dice roll, turn 1 gold die to the resource of your choice
  • Place other gold die to the side as it is no longer available

Gold can only be traded.

How do you win?

The game ends when everyone has completed 15 turns. All scoring track boxes would have been filled. Total the points and player with the highest score wins.

Catan Dice Game Island Two Rules Gameplay in Simple Steps

 

Most of the Island One rules apply to the Island Two game.

Setup

Each player gets the game map and uses the red “Island Two” side.

Start of game
  • Starting player rolls 3 dice
  • Each following player adds 1 more die when rolling, up to the point where one player uses all 6 dice. From then on, everyone rolls all 6 dice.
Catan Dice Island Two Rules

Goal of the Game

  • Roll 6 dice up to 3 times
  • Use resources to build roads, settlements, knights and cities
  • Earn 10 victory points and win the game

Building

Island One game rules apply except:

  • If you have built roads next to settlement sites, you may build the settlement sites in any order. Rules apply to cities as well
  • Knights can be built in any order

Resource Jokers

Use Resource Jokers similar to Island One rules.

During your turn, use as many Resource Jokers as you wish. Mark them as used.

If you build both knights above a Resource Joker in a desert, use it to get a resource of your choice.

Basic Victory Points (VP)

Each settlement is 1 VP and each city is 2 VP.

When building a settlement, mark the settlement symbol on the game map and mark 1 of the 10 VP boxes in the upper right of the score sheet.

When building a city, mark the symbol on the game map and mark 2 out of 10 of the boxes in the upper right of the score sheet.

Special Victory Points

Receive special VP for the Longest Road or Largest Army.

Longest Road

You have the longest road if you are the first player to build a road on the building site shaded gray. 

Mark the Longest Road section on your score sheet and get 2 VP.

If another player builds a longer road, you lose the Longest Road and the other player gets 2 VP and you lose yours. Cross it out on your score sheet.

Largest Army

Be the first to build 3 knights and check the Longest Army section on your score sheet and score 2 VP. If another player gets more knights than you, you lose the Longest Army and they get the 2 VPs. You lose your 2 VPs. Cross out your Longest Army check.

 

How do you win?

1st to 10 Victory Points wins.


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