catan.com

catan.com is the official website for CATAN, the board game created by Klaus Teuber. It serves as a central hub for anyone who wants to learn about the game, find official products, read news, or play CATAN online. The site is in English and aimed at a global audience.

What You Can Do on catan.com

The homepage is organized around a few clear purposes:

• Learn about CATAN — The site introduces the game and its history, including the fact that CATAN (originally "The Settlers of CATAN") was released in 1995 and has since sold over 40 million copies in more than 40 languages.
• Discover new and current titles — Featured games include CATAN – On The Road (a card-based version) and CATAN – New Energies (a standalone game about energy and pollution set in the 21st century).
• Play online — CATAN – New Energies is available on Board Game Arena, playable through a web browser. The original CATAN adaptation is also available on smartphone, tablet, PC, and Mac via CATAN Universe, where you can play against others online or against computer opponents, and add expansions like Seafarers and Cities & Knights.
• Shop — The CATAN Shop carries games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories.
• Stay updated — You can register for the CATAN newsletter to receive news about game releases, exclusive merchandise, tournaments, events, and fan features.

Who Runs It and Who It's For

The site is the official portal for the CATAN brand, centered on Klaus Teuber's original board game and its many expansions and spin-offs. It's relevant whether you're:

• A new player trying to understand what CATAN is
• A longtime fan looking for expansions or official merchandise
• Someone wanting to play CATAN digitally without owning a physical copy

A Note on the Game's Background

CATAN won three independent awards in Germany in its release year, including 1st place in the "Deutscher Spiele Preis," the "Essener Feder" award for best rules, and the German Game of the Year award. This history is covered on the site under "CATAN – The Story of a World Success."

If you want to explore the game, buy official products, or try playing online, catan.com is the starting point.

catan.com is the official CATAN website, and it includes a dedicated CATAN Shop where you can find CATAN games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories. If your goal is to browse or buy official CATAN products, the site's shop section is the intended entry point; the homepage itself also highlights specific new releases and digital play options alongside the shop.

What the CATAN Shop Covers

According to the site, the CATAN Shop is where you can "Find ALL CATAN Games and Official Merch." That description groups four product types together:

• Games — the core CATAN board game and other standalone titles
• Expansions — add-on content for existing games
• Merchandise — official CATAN-branded items
• Accessories — components and extras that support play

The homepage presents this as a single destination rather than separate stores, so the practical step is to use the shop entry point on catan.com and browse by category there.

New and Featured Titles Mentioned on the Site

The homepage spotlights several products beyond the classic game:

CATAN – New Energies is also noted as available on Board Game Arena, which the site describes as offering access to well-known board games through a conventional web browser. That is a play option rather than a shop listing, so treat it separately from a purchase.

How to Approach Buying

1. Start at catan.com and locate the CATAN Shop entry point referenced on the homepage.
2. Browse the games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories categories to see what is listed.
3. For any specific title, check its individual page for availability details before deciding.

The site does not state prices, currency, shipping terms, or whether an account is required in the material available here, so confirm those details within the shop itself rather than assuming.

What catan.com Is Not

The homepage is primarily an informational hub: it covers news, the history of the game (released in 1995, available in over 40 languages, with over 40 million games sold), awards, and a newsletter signup. Product discovery and purchasing route through the shop, while background and announcements live on the main site. If you only need to understand what CATAN is, the homepage answers that; if you want to buy something, head for the shop.

You can play CATAN online in two official ways linked from catan.com: CATAN Universe, the digital adaptation for smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac, and CATAN – New Energies on Board Game Arena, which runs in a conventional web browser. CATAN Universe lets you challenge players worldwide online or play against computer opponents, and you can add the Seafarers and Cities & Knights expansions with numerous scenarios, or play the two-player card game adaptation. If you want a browser-based option instead of installing an app, Board Game Arena is the route the site points to.

The two online options at a glance

Playing CATAN Universe

CATAN Universe is described on catan.com as the original adaptation of CATAN, available on smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac. From there you can:

• Challenge players worldwide online — match against other people rather than only the computer.
• Play against computer opponents — useful if you want a game without waiting for other players.
• Add expansions — Seafarers and Cities & Knights come with numerous scenarios.
• Play the card game adaptation — a version designed for 2 players.

The site presents this through an "Explore CATAN Universe" link, so that is the entry point to look for when you want the digital version.

Playing CATAN – New Energies on Board Game Arena

CATAN – New Energies is a standalone game, not an expansion. Its setting: it's the 21st century and Catan is at a crossroads — the agrarian society of the island's Viking ancestors is long gone, and today's Catanians need energy to keep society moving and growing, while pollution is wreaking havoc on the island. The game is rooted in the classic CATAN mechanics of harvesting, trading, and building.

Board Game Arena offers easy access to a wide range of well-known board games through a conventional web browser, and catan.com states you can play CATAN – New Energies there now. This is the option to choose if you prefer not to install anything and just want to play in a browser.

What else the official site offers

Beyond online play, catan.com is the hub for the physical game and its wider ecosystem:

• The CATAN Shop — find all CATAN games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories.
• CATAN – On The Road — a recently available title where clever cards let you build your way to victory.
• The CATAN newsletter — register to get news on game releases, exclusive merchandise, tournaments, events, and fan features.

For context on the game itself: since its 1995 release (then still called The Settlers of CATAN), it has become a modern classic available worldwide in over 40 languages, with over 40 million games sold. In its release year in Germany it won three independent awards — first place in the "Deutscher Spiele Preis," the "Essener Feder" award for best rules, and the German Game of the Year award.

Which should you pick?

• Choose CATAN Universe if you want the classic CATAN experience on your device, with online multiplayer, computer opponents, and the option to add Seafarers and Cities & Knights.
• Choose CATAN – New Energies on Board Game Arena if you want a browser-based game with a new energy-and-pollution theme layered onto familiar harvesting, trading, and building mechanics.
• Choose the CATAN Shop if you're after physical games, expansions, or merchandise rather than digital play.

catan.com highlights two expansions for the digital version of CATAN — Seafarers and Cities & Knights — alongside two newer standalone titles: CATAN – New Energies and CATAN – On The Road. The expansions add scenarios to the base game, while the two new titles are separate games with their own themes and mechanics. If you already own the base game and want more variety, the expansions are the natural next step; if you want a fresh experience with different rules, the standalone games are the better fit.

Expansions for the Base Game

According to the site, the digital adaptation of CATAN can be expanded with:

• Seafarers — adds ships and exploration across water, with numerous scenarios
• Cities & Knights — adds city development and knight mechanics, also with multiple scenarios

These expansions are described as part of the CATAN Universe, the platform for playing the original adaptation on smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac. You can challenge players worldwide online or play against computer opponents, and the expansions come with "numerous scenarios" so you can shape your own experience.

When to choose these: You already know the base game and want more depth without learning a completely new system. The expansions build directly on the harvesting, trading, and building mechanics you already know.

CATAN – New Energies

CATAN – New Energies is a brand new standalone game rooted in classic CATAN mechanics of harvesting, trading, and building. Its theme shifts the island into the 21st century: the agrarian society of the island's Viking ancestors is gone, and today's Catanians need energy to keep society growing — but pollution is damaging the island.

The game is also available to play online through Board Game Arena, which offers access via a conventional web browser.

When to choose this: You want a CATAN-style game with a modern environmental theme and a different strategic layer, rather than another expansion to the base game.

CATAN – On The Road

CATAN – On The Road is a newer title where clever cards let you build your way to victory. The site describes the island of Catan as yours to explore in this version. It's presented as a distinct product rather than an expansion.

When to choose this: You want a card-driven take on building and exploration, rather than the full board setup.

How to Decide

A Note on Scope

The site also points to the CATAN Shop for games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories, and to a newsletter for news, game releases, exclusive merchandise, tournaments, events, and fan features. Since its 1995 release (originally as The Settlers of CATAN), the game has sold over 40 million copies and is available in more than 40 languages — which is why the range of expansions and standalone titles keeps growing. For current availability and pricing of any specific title, check the CATAN Shop directly, as the homepage does not list prices.

CATAN is a board game created by Klaus Teuber, first released in 1995 under the name "The Settlers of Catan." It has since become a modern classic, sold worldwide in over 40 languages with more than 40 million copies sold. If you are deciding whether the game or its many versions are worth your attention, the short answer is that CATAN is one of the most widely recognized modern board games, and catan.com is the official hub for its games, expansions, digital versions, and merchandise.

The basics

• Designer: Klaus Teuber
• First release: 1995, originally titled The Settlers of Catan
• Status today: A modern classic available worldwide in over 40 languages
• Copies sold: Over 40 million to date

The game's longevity comes from a simple core loop — harvesting, trading, and building — that has been extended through numerous expansions and standalone titles, letting players shape their own experience.

Recognition and awards

In its release year in Germany, CATAN received three independent awards:

• 1st place: Deutscher Spiele Preis
• Essener Feder award for best rules
• German Game of the Year

These early honors helped establish it as a landmark title in the hobby.

What you can find on catan.com

The official site is a starting point for exploring the CATAN world:

• CATAN – On The Road — a card-based version where clever cards let you build your way to victory.
• CATAN – New Energies — a standalone game set in the 21st century, where Catanians need energy to grow but pollution threatens the island. It keeps the classic mechanics of harvesting, trading, and building. It is also available to play online via Board Game Arena in a conventional web browser.
• CATAN Universe — the digital adaptation playable on smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac, with online play against players worldwide or computer opponents. Expansions Seafarers and Cities & Knights add scenarios, and a two-player card game adaptation is also included.
• CATAN Shop — games, expansions, merchandise, and accessories.
• Newsletter — registration for news on game releases, exclusive merchandise, tournaments, events, and fan features.

Who it is for

CATAN suits players who want a well-established strategy game with a trading and building focus, and who may want to branch into expansions or digital play. Because the catalog spans physical board games, card games, standalone titles, and online versions, there is a format for different preferences — though the specific contents and availability of each should be checked on the official pages.