There’s always an appetite for classic gateway games to get a next level update, but this Kickstarter is making a whole new league table for itself. This isn’t simply another edition of Catan, it’s a wide array of upgrade options which you can choose from to make your ideal version of a modern legend.
To backpedal a tad, the fine folks at FanRoll Dice, set out on this collaboration with the aim of creating a premium set of official dice for Catan. But this idea rapidly expanded when the team realised that they could reimagine every single element of the classic Catan board, breathing new life into each component in a way that would captivate and excite players. They haven’t just stuck to making a single range of updated plastic pieces either. Each element has been reimagined with a range of materials including wood, metal, resin, and gemstone to provide an unforgettable gaming experience. Dice, robbers, hexes, number discs, ports, and frames, it’s all been glammed up.
There’s a mix and match nature to the pledges available. Think of it like visiting a Catan-themed pick n’ mix. And if none of them are the exact combo you’re looking for? Make your own. Put together what you’d like best from a playing piece buffet. There’s over 50 different options to choose from. That’s right, fifty plus.
Here’s an example of the choices awaiting you. The Catan Sharp Edge resin dice are hand-poured and hand-polished to get a sharp edge point, and are about 10% larger than standard dice. Or how about some painted wood dice instead? These dice are made with dyed bamboo wood for the naturalist who wants to upgrade their game with class (don’t know about you dudettes, but I’m feeling classy). They even have Catan hexes instead of boring old pips. I’d have these dice even without the game, to be honest.
How about the hexes themselves? You get three options of material here (analysis paralysis impending). The handpainted wood hexes are lightweight and natural. For those who like a bit more flash, the sparkle hexes will dazzle you. The Gemstone hexes feature a variety of hand-picked stones that have been color-matched for the Catan board. And here’s the really cool bit: Each set comes with 19 tiles, and each hex has a six-sided slot in the middle to hold custom-made, easy-to-load/unload number discs. You should see these things. In fact you will, soon, when you go and check out the crowdfunding campaign.
Most of you have played Catan. I’m one of those who hasn’t, and this campaign has actually put Catan high up on my list of Need-To-Plays. This release will be for two sets of fans, then. Those whose copy of the game is perhaps looking a tad well-loved and could do with a refreshed edition, and those who are finally willing to be tempted into the game. Fancy a copy of a classic that will make people gasp? Check out the Kickstarter campaign here.
Steve is currently a freelance board game blogger, but often dreams of life as a pirate, or as a ghost herder in the Lake District, or as an evil estate agent who sells haunted houses for his own dark pleasure. Instead of figuring out how to do these jobs in real life like a normal lunatic, he tries to write about them instead, and releases the resultant books upon the unsuspecting world via famous digital bookstores. More books are bound to follow. Find this peculiar entity here.
If you are a fan of Catan, make sure to check out our Catan games here.
