Shabbat is a jewish tradition that takes place every Friday night. In my family Shabbat is a way for friends and family to spend time together after a long week. Being from a very large family with 18 first cousins, not everyone can always make it to our weekly Shabbat dinners, but we almost always have enough cousins to rally up and play a board game. In fact that is how we like to bond after Shabbat dinners. The game of choice-- you guessed it, Settlers of Catan.
How the Game Works- The Basic Premise
In Monopoly you use money to buy properties and charge rents. In Catan you have 5 resources (your money) that you use to build settlements and cities. Settlements and cities are how you gain more resources and victory points, which you need 10 of to win. This is what a regular board of 3-4 players looks like but there are also expansions that allow you to play with up to 8 players. Typically games last about 80 minutes.
 |
| Settlers of Catan 3-4 player board |
Why is the game so great?!
It has an incredibly high replay value
One aspect of this game that sets it apart from most other board games like Monopoly of instance is that you can play the game thousands of times and no two boards will ever be the same. The way the board is set up is at complete random, and is completely different each time. This keeps the game fun and exciting even for those who have played many times in the past and is one of the top reasons its a winner at our Shabbats.
It is a very social game that requires a lot of interaction and negotiation
Another reason that we love to play this game at Shabbats is because in a large family of entrepreneurs, lawyers and businessmen it is extremely entertaining to watch the politician come out in all the cousins-- even the nice ones. Trading is one of the fundamental ways of winning this game which I will get into more in the next section, but for excitement purposes it really makes the game competitive and requires even the shy quite cousins break out of their shell. It's a great way to bond but can also be an easy way to make enemies. Either way it adds an aspect to the game that encourages interaction and communication, which makes people feel invested.
It is Monopoly on crack from a strategic standpoint
The third dimension of this game that I love and arguably the best is that is it extremely strategic. Every piece, rule and resource in this game are calculated to the T. There is no rule in this game that doesn't have a strategic purpose. It is also an extremely economical game. In the beginning of the game you choose what resources you are able to collect which sets the tone for the rest of the game. Catan is a game of shortage and surplus, players can often create monopolies on certain resources, which only add to the intensity of the game.
Overall Settlers of Catan is a great board game that I highly recommend to anyone who considers themselves a strategic mind. Although I only briefly discussed the rules and strategy involved in winning and there are many more rules that you should read about before starting your first game. If interested you can purchase the game on Amazon for $40.
As a first-generation immigrant to the United States, with barely any relatives in the States, I am jealous that you get to have such an warm, extended-family experience every week.
ReplyDeleteplayed the game of Life once two years back and was so bored by the end of the game that I never touched it again. Settlers of Catan seems very interesting and I'll definitely have to try it out for myself.
I have fond memories of playing Settler's and trying to trade with my brothers. Strategy is definitely the key component to winning.
ReplyDeleteWow! I remember seeing so many people play the game but I always thought it was too difficult for me. Looks interesting.
ReplyDelete