Mayfair The Settlers Of Catan Board Game, Seafarers, Cities, Knights

Posts Tagged ‘Starfarers of Catan’

I’m addicted to the Original settlers of Catan board game and I’m looking at either the expansion (Cities and Knights), Seafarers of Catan, or Starfarers of Catan to be my next addition to the series…Which should I get, based on your own personal experience?

When settling obscure islands on Terra is no longer enough, where do you look for adventure?  In the stars, of course!  From the makers of the Settlers of Catan board game comes Starfarers of Catan.

The basic idea of settling and trading better than your opponents is the same, but the only other resemblance between Settlers and Starfarers is the inclusion of ore among the resources.  Rather than the wheat and wood we know so well, starfarers are looking to produce and trade ore, food, carbon, fuel and trade goods.  Instead of plots of land there are planets. Roads become spaceships, and beyond trading with other players, a starfarer seeks to trade with alien races.

Also new to those familiar with Settlers is the addition of encounter cards. These add random events to the game that require decisions. In Settlers the resources tied to a plot of land are establish from the beginning. Starfarers do not know what resources a planet holds until they’ve landed on it. For all they know, a pirate could be lurking.  Then they can only hope that their star fleet has the strength or speed to get away. If their spaceship is not strong enough to withstand attack, their only option is to trade with the pirate and risk being swindled or worse—losing honor, another new component to winning.  In addition to colonizing and trade, Starfarers must also protect their good name.