Catan
Board Games · 11 specs
Direct Answer
Catan (The Settlers of Catan) is an economic resource management board game designed by Klaus Teuber. Players roll two dice to harvest resources across 19 terrain hexes, building roads, settlements, and cities to reach 10 Victory Points. Rolling a 7 activates the Robber, forcing any player holding more than 7 resource cards to discard half (rounded down).
Source: Catan Studio Official 5th Edition Rulebook · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Governing Publisher | Catan Studio / KOSMOS |
| Base Game Player Count | 3 to 4 players |
| Victory Target | 10 Victory Points (VP) |
| Total Terrain Hexes | 19 hexes (4 Forest, 4 Pasture, 4 Field, 3 Hill, 3 Mountain, 1 Desert) |
| Settlements Per Player | 5 wooden settlements (1 VP each) |
| Cities Per Player | 4 wooden cities (2 VP each) |
| Roads Per Player | 15 wooden roads |
| Robber Discard Threshold | More than 7 cards (8+) lose half, rounded down |
| Longest Road Threshold | 5 continuous roads minimum awards 2 VP |
| Largest Army Threshold | 3 Knight cards minimum awards 2 VP |
| Base Bank Trade Ratio | 4:1 four identical resources for any one |
Rolling a 7 & The Robber Penalty
When a 7 is rolled, no resource hexes produce. Two mandatory events occur:
- Discard Half: Every player holding MORE THAN 7 cards (8 or more resource cards) must immediately choose and discard half their hand to the supply, rounding down (e.g., 9 cards -> discard 4).
- Move the Robber: The active player moves the Robber to any terrain hex or desert, blocking that hex from producing resources, and steals 1 random resource card from any player with a settlement/city adjacent to that hex.
The Distance Rule & Building Costs
- The Distance Rule: A settlement may only be built at an intersection if all three adjacent intersections are completely unoccupied by any settlement or city (friend or foe).
- Costs: –Road: 1 Brick + 1 Lumber –Settlement: 1 Brick + 1 Lumber + 1 Wool + 1 Grain –City (Upgrade): 3 Ore + 2 Grain (produces 2 resources) –Development Card: 1 Ore + 1 Wool + 1 Grain
Longest Road & Largest Army Standards
- Longest Road (2 VP): Awarded to the first player to build a continuous branch-free line of at least 5 roads. If an opponent builds a settlement on an open intersection along your road, your road is severed into two shorter segments.
- Largest Army (2 VP): Awarded to the first player to play 3 Knight cards face-up. Another player must exceed (not just tie) the leader's count to claim the card.