The Most Popular Catan Expansion, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the expansion you think is the most popular!
Updated on May 11, 2024 06:33
Many avid board gamers find themselves at a crossroads when trying to choose an expansion to the classic game of Catan. Each expansion offers new strategies, components, and themes that can significantly alter the game's dynamics. This can make the decision quite challenging, especially for those new to the game or looking to add variety to their gameplay.
To assist in this selection process, this site offers a live ranking system where individuals can vote for their favored expansions. By sharing your preferences and experiences, you contribute to a resource that helps others make informed choices. These rankings are continually updated based on user input, reflecting the latest trends and popular opinions in the gaming community.
What Is the Most Popular Catan Expansion?
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164votesThis expansion adds a whole new dimension to the game by allowing players to explore the seas and discover new islands. It also includes new resources and gameplay mechanics.Seafarers is an expansion for the popular board game Settlers of Catan that introduces the theme of exploring and settling new islands. In this expansion, players can build ships and navigate through the ocean to reach undiscovered lands, expanding their settlements and connecting separate islands. The expansion adds new scenarios and components, creating additional layers of strategy and excitement for the players. With seafaring gameplay, players can explore different landscapes, encounter pirates, and embark on exciting voyages of discovery.
- Number of players: 3-4
- Playing time: 60-120 minutes
- Recommended age: 10+
- Expansion type: Modular expansion
- Components: 60 ships, 1 pirate ship, 1 pirate fortress, 6 frame pieces, 19 sea hexes, 11 unique terrain hexes, 50 Catan chits, 2 gold field hexes, 1 desert hex, 2 frame border pieces, 1 rulebook
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221votes
Matěj Baťha · CC BY-SA 3.0Cities & Knights
Klaus TeuberThis expansion adds a new level of complexity to the game by introducing city improvements, knights, and barbarian attacks.Cities & Knights is an expansion for the board game Settlers of Catan. It introduces new mechanics and adds depth to the gameplay by focusing on the development of cities, protection against barbarian invasions, and advancement of civilization. Players compete to earn victory points by building and upgrading their cities, defending against barbarian attacks, and achieving certain goals.- Player Count: 3-4 players
- Game Time: Around 90 minutes
- Age Range: 12 and up
- Expansion Set: Requires Settlers of Catan base game
- New Components: Game cards, city improvement cards, metropolis pieces
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327votes
Traders & Barbarians
Klaus TeuberThis expansion includes five different scenarios that can be played individually or combined. It introduces new gameplay mechanics such as wagons, rivers, and barbarian attacks.Traders & Barbarians is an expansion for the popular board game Catan. It introduces various new game scenarios and components, offering players new gameplay options and challenges. The expansion was created by Klaus Teuber, the original designer of Catan.- Game scenarios: Includes five new game scenarios with different objectives and gameplay mechanics
- Components: Introduces new components such as trade tokens, fish, and new building tiles
- Variety: Adds more depth and replayability to the base game by offering diverse scenarios to play
- Seafarers integration: Compatible with the Seafarers expansion, allowing for combined gameplay with both expansions
- New gameplay mechanics: Brings new mechanics like caravans, barbarian attacks, and fishing to the game
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423votes
Stipa Jennifer · CC BY-SA 4.0Explorers & Pirates
Klaus TeuberThis expansion allows players to embark on a pirate adventure, exploring new lands and discovering treasure. It includes new game mechanics such as gold and fish resources.Explorers & Pirates is a popular expansion for the board game Catan. It adds new elements and mechanics to the base game, allowing players to explore and colonize different islands.- Number of Players: 3-4 players
- Playing Time: 90-120 minutes
- Age Range: 12 and up
- Expansion Type: Scenario-based
- New Components: Ships, pirate lairs, gold
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510votes
Legend of the Sea Robbers
Klaus TeuberThis expansion is a mini-campaign with four linked scenarios that tell the story of the sea robbers. It includes new game mechanics and components such as ships, harbors, and sea tiles.The Legend of the Sea Robbers is an expansion for the popular board game Catan. It introduces a new scenario for players to explore and adds various elements related to piracy and seafaring. Players take on the role of brave captains who must navigate the treacherous waters, encounter pirates, and uncover hidden treasures.- Number of players: 3-4
- Recommended age: 12 and up
- Average playing time: 90 minutes
- Expansion type: Scenario-based
- New components: Yes
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611votes
Crop Trust
Klaus TeuberThis expansion is a collaboration between Catan and the Crop Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve crop diversity. It includes new gameplay mechanics related to crop diversity and resilience.The Crop Trust is an expansion for the popular board game Catan, designed to enhance the gameplay experience with new mechanics and strategies centered around agriculture and sustainability. It adds a new layer of complexity to the original game, offering players a chance to delve into the world of crop preservation and global food security.- Number of Players: 3-4
- Average Playtime: 60-90 minutes
- Recommended Age: 12+
- Expansion Components: 37 crop tokens, 36 trade tokens, 6 event cards, 95 resource cards, 4 building cost cards
- New Mechanics: Crop Trust mechanism, storage buildings, trading resources for crop tokens, event cards
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714votesThis expansion takes place in space, allowing players to explore and settle new planets. It includes new game mechanics and components such as spaceships and alien encounters.Starfarers is a popular expansion for the board game Catan, taking players on an exciting space exploration adventure. In this expansion, players become star traders, traveling through space to discover new planets and form alliances with alien civilizations. They must collect resources, trade with other players, and strategically build structures and spaceships to establish colonies on different planets. The expansion introduces new components, including spaceships, trade fleets, and galactic encounters, adding a whole new dimension to the base Catan game.
- Number of Players: 3-4 players
- Playing Time: 90-120 minutes
- Recommended Age: 14 and up
- Expansion for Game: Catan
- Mechanics: Trading, Resource Management, Exploration, Tile Placement
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88votesThis expansion adds new gameplay mechanics related to alliances and betrayals. It includes new event cards and player powers.Frenemies is an expansion for the popular board game Catan. It introduces new gameplay elements that add both excitement and tension to the game. The expansion is designed to shake up the dynamics of the game by introducing new possibilities for cooperation and betrayal among the players.
- Released Year: 2013
- Number of Players: 3-6 players
- Playing Time: 90-120 minutes
- Expansion Type: Player interaction and negotiation
- New Components: Includes character cards and event cards
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99votes
Rise of the Inkas
Klaus TeuberThis expansion takes place in the Andean highlands, allowing players to build and trade among the Inca, Moche, and Wari civilizations. It includes new game mechanics and components such as llama caravans and irrigation.Rise of the Inkas is an expansion for the popular board game Catan, designed by Klaus Teuber. This expansion introduces the ancient civilization of the Inca Empire, offering players new strategic challenges and opportunities to expand their settlements.- Number of Players: 3-4 players
- Game Time: 90-120 minutes
- Age Range: 10 years and up
- Expansion Type: Seafarers
- New Components: Inca Empire tiles, Event cards, Reinforcement tokens
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103votes
Most likely Hamish2k, the first uploader · CC BY-SA 3.0Ancient Egypt
WorldboxThis expansion transports players to the world of the pharaohs, allowing them to build and trade among the great civilizations of Egypt. It includes new game mechanics and components such as Nile river tiles and chariots.Ancient Egypt was a remarkable civilization that flourished along the Nile River in northeastern Africa. It was characterized by a rich culture, advanced architecture, and a hieroglyphic writing system. This civilization left behind a legacy of monumental structures such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, intricate religious beliefs, and tales of pharaohs and their divine rule.- Art and Culture: Elaborate wall paintings, sculptures, and jewelry
- Location: Northeastern Africa, along the Nile River
- Architecture: Advanced pyramid construction
- Writing System: Hieroglyphics
- Religious Beliefs: Polytheistic religion with many gods and goddesses
Ancient Egypt in other rankings- Position 1 of 10 in Most popular civilization
- Position 1 of 10 in Most popular era
- Position 1 of 10 in Most advanced civilization that can be found in Worldbox
- Position 5 of 10 in Most advanced culture
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Ranking factors for popular expansion
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Compatibility with the base gameThe expansion should seamlessly integrate with the original Settlers of Catan game and enhance the gameplay experience without clashing with the game's core mechanics.
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Gameplay varietyThe expansion should offer new strategic options, interesting mechanics, and game variants that enrich the gaming experience while preserving the original gameplay's spirit.
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ReplayabilityA good expansion should offer sufficient variability in gameplay, ensuring that players can enjoy a fresh experience each time they play.
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BalanceThe expansion should introduce new game elements without disrupting the balance between the players or the game's core mechanics. It should neither give any player an undeserved advantage nor disadvantage during the game.
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Theme and artworkThe expansion should fit well with the theme of the original game, featuring complementary artwork and game materials that create an immersive gaming experience.
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Rules complexityWhile adding new mechanics and elements to the game, the expansion should not overcomplicate the rules or confuse players. It should be accessible to a broad range of gamers, from casual to hardcore fans of Catan.
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Popularity and reviewsConsider the overall popularity of the expansion among the gaming community, as well as reviews and ratings from professional reviewers and players alike. A well-received expansion is often a good indicator of quality and worth checking out.
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Adaptability to different player countsThe expansion should be able to accommodate a variety of player counts, ensuring that the gameplay remains engaging, competitive, and enjoyable regardless of the number of players.
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Compatibility with other expansionsIf an expansion is part of a larger series, it's essential to establish whether it's compatible with other expansions from the same series to help players build and expand their Catan game collection.
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Price and value for moneyLastly, consider the expansion's cost and overall value for money. A good Catan expansion should provide a worthwhile investment in terms of gameplay variety and replayability without being prohibitively expensive.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular Catan expansion. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or expansion is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2160 views
- 190 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each expansion once every 24 hours. The rank of each expansion is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular catan expansion
Settlers of Catan, also known as simply Catan, is a popular board game that has been enjoyed by millions of people all over the world since its release in 1995. The game is all about building settlements, roads, and cities on a fictional island called Catan, while trading resources with other players and trying to accumulate victory points.
As the popularity of Catan has grown, so too have the number of expansions that have been released. These expansions add new mechanics, challenges, and strategies to the base game, making it even more enjoyable for fans of the original.
With so many expansions to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which one is the most popular. That's why we've conducted a poll to find out which expansion players think is the best, and the results are in! Check out our rankings to see which Catan expansion came out on top.
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