How to Play Catan Rules

Learn how to play Catan (aka Settlers of Catan) with our fast and easy to reference Catan Rules and Setup guide.

Players: 1 to 8 | Game duration from: 20 mins | Game Complexity: EASY How to play Mexican Train rules in simple steps

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What is the goal of Catan?

Catan is a 3-4 player game set on an island made up of areas that produce different types of resources. Players compete to collect and trade resources. Resources are used to build settlements/cities to expand resource production and earn victory points.

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Step by Step How to Play Catan Rules

Step by step guide on how to play Catan. Each player takes turns to roll the dice. Each turn comprises 3 phases: Resource Production, Trade and Build.

Total Time: 60 minutes

Resource Production

On your turn, roll the dice. Identify the hex terrain tile whose numbered token corresponds to the dice roll. Everyone receives resource cards based on the terrain’s type.
Receive 1 resource card for each settlement or 2 resource cards for each city bordering the identified terrain tile.
In the event, there are not enough resource cards for every player, no one receives any of that resource for that turn.
Trade

Next, you engage in domestic and maritime trade.
Domestic trade
You trade with other players (do your own deals)
Maritime Trade
You trade with the bank Trade 4 identical resource cards with 1 of your choice from the bank If your settlement/city lies on a harbour intersection, you can trade at more favourable terms, at 3 to 1 or 2 to 1 for special harbours (highlighted by the harbour pieces).
Build

On final phase of your turn, use resource cards to build. See Building Costs Card for the specific number of cards. You can build roads and settlements, upgrade settlements to cities and buy development cards.

Build roads – these need to connect to existing roads, settlements or cities
1st player to build a continuous road of at least 5 road segments, gets Special “Longest Road Card” (worth 2 victory points). Players who build longer roads later on in the game will take control of the “Longest Road Card” and its victory points

Build settlements/upgrade to cities
Build settlements on intersections where all 3 adjacent intersections are vacant
Settlements must connect to the player’s roads

Upgrade settlements to cities
Settlement and cities give players access to resources that a terrain tile produces. They are also worth Victory Points (Settlements 1 point, Cities 2 points)

Buy development cards
Discard required resource cards, and take the top card of the development card stack. Keep card hidden
There are 3 types of cards: Knights, Progress and Victory Points
You cannot play the card on the turn that you purchase but you can play it any time after that
End of Game and Winning

When you have 10 or more victory points during your turn, you can declare victory and end the game.

Other Key Catan Rules

Roll a 7

When ‘7’ is rolled, no one receives resources. Anyone with more than 7 resource cards, has to choose half of them (round down) to return to the bank.
Move the robber to number token of any other terrain or desert tile.
Active turn player steals 1 resource card from the opponent who has settlement/cities adjacent to the robbed terrain if there are 2 or more opponents adjacent, choose one of them.
During resource production of any turn, players with adjacent settlements do not receive resource cards if the robber piece is on the selected terrain tile

Playing Development Cards

Playing Knight Cards
- Once played, move the robber to number token of any other terrain or desert tile
- active turn player steals 1 resource card from the opponent who has settlement/cities adjacent to the robbed terrain
- if there are 2 or more opponents adjacent, choose one of them
- Place Knight cards face up in front
- The player with 3 Knight Cards in front gets the special card \’Largest Army\’ (worth 2 Victory Points).
- Subsequent players with a higher number of Knight Cards, take control of this special card and its victory points
Playing Progress Cards
- Follow the instructions on the card. The card is removed from the game when used.
- Victory Point Cards
- Players keep cards hidden and reveal when they have accumulated 10 VPs

How to Play Catan Rules FAQs

Is Catan easy to learn?

Catan is very easy to learn and the age recommendation is 10+. Rules are not complex and each players turn involves 3 simple phases: Resource production where players get needed resources to build settlements, Trade phase where players trade with one another or the bank and the build phase where players build roads and settlements to gain victory points to win.

How long does a game of Catan take?

A game of Catan takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes. During the game, you will be waiting to get the right resources to build, trading resources with others so that you can build roads and settlements to win.