If you are looking for the best Catan expansion, you have come to the right place. Catan is one of the most prolific and fun-filled board games out there. The game is educative, easy to learn, and quite addictive. The players’ mission is to establish trades, grow their resources, and fight off invasion – it has virtually innumerable variations on how you can grow your city.
Catan is one of the oldest board games on the market. However, over the years, there have been many expansions, spin-offs, scenarios, and variations of the game to keep it relevant. Some of these expansions have been more successful than others. So, which Catan expansion is the best? Read on to see our top picks for the best Catan expansion.
The 5-6 Extension is one of the first expansion parks Catan players should get. Settlers of the Catan is an amazing game that no one wants to be left out of the fun. With this expansion, every family member and friend would partake in the game. It comes with additional cards, extended sideboards, and two additional sets of wooden player pieces. The game comes with everything you need to expand your board.
This expansion does not change the game’s mechanics. It only allows for more resources and additional players at the table. Up to six players can enjoy this fun-filled and amazing board game.
If you are looking for the Settlers of Catan best expansion with a fascinating storyline, we highly recommend this expansion. Traders and Barbarians focuses on the game’s growth after its settlements and cities are built. This expansion comes with five new scenarios exploring Catan’s rivers, fishing market, caravans, re-establishment of trades, and attack by Barbarians.
If you are looking for the best Catan expansion with amazing adventures, Traders & Barbarians is a great option. The game has countless replay opportunities, making every round unique and fun. The expansion supports up to four players, and it provides many opportunities for player interactions. It is a great option for party and family game nights. It has an average playtime of 90 minutes, which is a lot of time to explore strategies and tactics.
Cities & Knights is one of the beefiest Catan expansions. You hunt for Catan best expansion game cannot go wrong when you pick this option. It adds game-changing mechanics to the original game, replacing most of its existing systems with new ones. The most notable change in this expansion is the introduction of commodities. The commodities are secondary resources produced by cities, adding a new layer of resource collection to the game.
City improvements are another notable addition to the expansion. You can now develop cities beyond mere tall settlements with additional structures. Players also get to advance along three enlightenment categories – politics, trade, and science. Every improvement has special abilities and bonuses. The knights in this game replace the obsolete soldiers in the base game. You can recruit them to kick out robbers or block your opponent’s roads. The game is a bit challenging, but that’s where the fun is.
Our list of the best Catan expansion will not be complete without Catan Explorers & Pirates. This game introduces five new scenarios, which introduce new, fun game mechanics. No more robbers in this version of the game: robbers are replaced by pirates. The pirates roam around ruining trade routes and blockading ships.
With five new sea-based scenarios on deck and playtime of almost two hours, you will have an amazing time on this board with your family and friends. Your mission is to discover new islands and build new outposts on them. However, you have to be watchful of pirates while flourishing and building new settlements on your island. The game has its own mechanism, which is different from the base game.
With an average playtime of 120 minutes, Catan Seafarers is one of the best Catan expansions for parties and family game nights. This expansion comes with nine different scenarios. Some scenarios are similar to the base games, while others introduce new strategies and elements.
Your ultimate mission in this game is to create new sea lines for trade, build new ships, and explore the islands around Catan. You can also add the 5-6 player extension to this expansion pack, making it suitable for bigger crowds. It has simple yet strategic gameplay. The game is for adults and kids 10 years and above.
Wrapping Up
There you go! Those are the best Catan expansions on the market today. These games introduce new scenarios, cities, characters, and gameplay experiences. They are great for small and large groups, so you can play with your family and friends. In addition to being fun and exciting, these games would help boost your logical and critical thinking skills.