The Settlers of Catan - Wired Article and Pre-Review

Ok, I admit it - pre-reviewing a game one has bought, but not played, sounds really stupid. It may, in fact, be stupid. But I don’t care (not much, anyway); I’m plowing ahead with my pre-review of The Settlers of Catan, as fate (or the most recent issue of Wired) has forced my hand.

You see, I had been planning to write a personal review of Ticket to Ride for some time, my first soiree into gaming in a long, long time, and my first “German style” game ever. I’ve always loved games, but hadn’t really played much except computer games since my teens, and not even much of that since my 20s. Job, house, marriage, and kids tend to get in the way. Now that the kids are getting a bit older, I’ve become more interested in potential games to play with them. First, I started listening to a couple of podcasts, just to get my feet wet. In addition, I read some reviews of various games on BoardGameGeek, a fantastic site on boardgames, just chock-full of information.  Then, I decided to buy a game I figured would have an appeal beyond just someone who’s into intricate games, something that my wife, family, and friends would enjoy, and I settled on Ticket to Ride. I’ll save a review of that game for later, but suffice to say, Ticket to Ride does hold a mass appeal that is often noted regarding the German-style games.

Given this, I then decided to buy a game with a more selective appeal( I.e. it appealed to me): Arkham Horror. Lots of rules, variations, etc. the game does appeal to me, but not as much to others. However, the bonus is that, as a system game (i.e. the players play against the system, rather than against each other, also known as a "cooperative game"), it has the perfect feature - solo play! A review of this game will eventually be written as well.

So, with these recent experiences in mind, I decided to go get the game that always comes up in the conversations regarding the “new games:” The Settlers of Catan. I’d been mulling its purchase for awhile, and I was ultimately pushed into the decision to go get it when another couple brought it up, said they played it at another couple’s house, and they enjoyed it very much.

So, I went and bought it. I come home later that day, placed it on the table, and answered the phone. Coincidence alert! Another friend who overheard the conversation about Settlers called me to ask if I’d bought it yet, and if so, did I have an opinion? He noted he was at Barnes and Noble, and was considering buying it as well.

“Barnes and Noble?” I thought, not realizing they were carrying a game like Settlers. Irony Alert! My friend told me he had read in Wired magazine about Settlers, and that it was available there. I looked in the mail, and lo and behold! The new issue of Wired was in the pile. I had purchased Settlers of Catan in a nick of time; a few more hours, and I’d have been a poseur…

So, that leads to my current status, which is that I bought Settlers, and have read the directions, but have yet to play. Looking forward to it, and hoping it holds a broader appeal, similar to Ticket to Ride.

Incidentally, the Wired article is great. Here are a few highlights:

* Germans are game fanatics, and spend more on games than any other country, per capita. In addition, games as a hobby are afforded more respect than in other countries, such as America (for example, games are reviewed in newspapers in the same fashion as books, movies, etc.)

* The creator of The Settlers of Catan, Klaus Teuber (is that a German name?) ’ is a legend in Germany, and in the gaming world in general. He played the game with his family in order to assess which parts were working, and which weren’t. In fact, he initially became involved in games to entertain himself and his wife; he then began authoring his own games.

* Settlers of Catan has been translated into 30 languages, and has sold 15 million copies. Not bad for a game you won’t find in Toys R Us.

* A ludologist is a game expert - pretty cool.

* German-style games are a description for the new style of gaming that avoids long, tedious play and grinding your opponents down, a la Monopoly. I like Monopoly, but good luck finding a group of people with kids and jobs who have three hours to spend on one game, where if you are eliminated, you’ve got nothing to do for the next 90 minutes. These new games are tighter, quicker (30-60 minutes), have more for people to do during the game (not make a move, then wait ten minutes), and rely less on battering people down. In short, they offer much to appeal to many.

* Chess has 10 to the 120 power number of possible moves, or far more than the number of atoms in the universe - again, pretty cool.

I recommend you read the Wired article, and in the meantime, I will review the game once I’ve had a chance to play it!