Blog summary:
The best games to play if you are a Catan lover are:
Are you a Catan lover?
Catan has a lot to answer for. Since first appearing in Germany in 1995, Catan has become one of the biggest gateway games around, introducing millions of players to modern board gaming. Its mix of resource collecting, trading, building, and a little bit of dice-driven chaos makes it easy to learn while still giving everyone plenty to argue about! But what happens when you've played Catan so many times that you know exactly who is going to start hoarding wheat? Luckily, there are plenty of games that capture some of Catan's best ideas while bringing something new to the table. Whether you want more strategy, less luck, bigger battles, or simply a different way to build an empire, here are some games worth checking out!
Bohnanza
What if your favourite part of Catan isn't building roads or settlements? What if it's the trading
Enter Bohnanza!
This wonderfully weird card game puts negotiation right at the centre of the action. Players grow different types of beans, but there's a catch: you can't rearrange the cards in your hand. That forces you to make trades with other players as you try to avoid being stuck with beans you don't want. It doesn't look much like Catan on the surface, but the constant bargaining captures one of the most memorable parts of playing it. If your favourite Catan moments involve shouting across the table about how many sheep a piece of wheat is worth, give this one a go.
Ticket to Ride
If you enjoy the map-building side of Catan, Ticket to Ride is an excellent place to start. Instead of collecting resources to build settlements and roads, players collect coloured train cards and use them to claim railway routes between cities. Completing your Destination Tickets earns extra points, while longer routes can give you a serious boost. It is considerably easier to teach than Catan, making it a great choice for family game nights or groups who don't want to spend half an hour reading rules. There's still plenty of competition, too. Claim a route someone else desperately needs, and you could completely derail their plans. Literally!
Concordia
Want the Catan experience with a little less luck? Concordia could be the game for you. Instead of rolling dice to determine which resources are produced, you're building a trading empire across the Roman world. Players expand their networks, establish cities, and manage resources while carefully planning how they will score points. The big difference is that Concordia replaces much of Catan's randomness with hand management and long-term planning. It is a step up in complexity, but it rewards players who enjoy thinking several turns ahead. The trading and negotiation of Catan are gone, but the feeling of gradually building an economic engine remains.
7 Wonders
Playing Catan with a big group can get a little crowded. If you've got a table full of people, 7 Wonders is worth a look. The game supports up to seven players and uses simultaneous card drafting, meaning everyone is making decisions at roughly the same time. You build your civilisation across three ages, collecting resources, constructing buildings and developing military and scientific strength. There are some familiar ideas here for Catan fans. Resources matter, your neighbours matter and you're constantly deciding how best to develop your civilisation. The major difference is speed. Games can be finished in around 30 to 45 minutes, so there's much less waiting around for your next turn.
Splendor
If you like collecting resources and turning them into something more valuable, Splendor is another great option. Players take gem tokens and use them to purchase development cards. Those cards can then provide permanent discounts, allowing you to buy increasingly valuable cards and build an efficient engine. There is no board to expand across and no trading between players, so it is very different from Catan. However, the satisfying feeling of starting small and gradually building an engine that produces better and better results is very familiar. It's also quick to learn and relatively short, making it an easy game to get to the table.
Machi Koro
Machi Koro takes the resource-production side of Catan and gives it a colourful city-building twist. Players start with a tiny town and gradually purchase establishments that generate income when particular numbers are rolled. As your city grows, more opportunities become available, creating an increasingly powerful engine. Like Catan, dice determine when certain parts of your engine activate, and players can benefit from rolls made during other turns. It is simpler than Catan, but that makes it a particularly approachable option for newer players.
Terraforming Mars
Ready to take things up a few levels? Terraforming Mars takes the satisfying progression of Catan and sends it to the Red Planet. Players represent corporations working to transform Mars by increasing oxygen, raising the temperature, and creating oceans. Along the way, you'll collect resources, play project cards, and build an engine that becomes increasingly powerful. It's considerably heavier than Catan, so this isn't necessarily the game to throw at someone after their first-ever board game. For experienced Catan players looking for more strategic depth, though, it can be a fantastic next step.
Find Your Next Favourite
There isn't one single replacement for Catan because different players love different parts of it. If you enjoy building across a shared map, try Ticket to Ride. If you want deeper strategy with less luck, Concordia is worth exploring. Love negotiating? Bohnanza puts trading front and centre. Want something fast and accessible? Splendor or Machi Koro could be the answer. And if you're ready for a much bigger strategic challenge, Terraforming Mars is waiting. Catan might have been your gateway into modern board gaming, but there's a whole world waiting beyond the island.
Just don't expect anyone to give you their wheat for free!
