Have loved this game for a long time - something happens for everyone on every turn (pretty much). Looking forward to playing a shiny new set (our old one doesn't stay together and the cards are tattered!) and being able to play with 6 players!!

A classic that my group still plays fairly often. The 25th Anniversary edition is much nicer than the base game - having the card sleeves, the card trays, and the 5-6 player expansion all fitting in the same box make this worth the extra price.

I purchased this for my sons 19th birthday. We played it together as a family by candle light during a power cut. We had a fantastic evening, everyone enjoyed the game, young adults right through to us oldies. Thinking of buying a set for the bach.

Brand new Board game with all the pieces

Very happy. Thank you. Box is a little shabby, but everything inside was brand new. This is my favourite board game and especially this edition because the game pieces have glitter on them.

Catan: 25th Anniversary Edition

What an amazing game, and it's been 25 years now since it's debut. There isn't a lot more to add from my original review, which you can read below. This big box looks sexier, the pieces are all glittery and metallic, and the dice look great. It makes Catan a whole new pleasure, and there is nothing wrong with the original game, this set is a just a lot more prettier.This has a few extras. It comes complete with the 5-6 player expansion, and high quality card protectors. You might think you could get the main game, expansion, and protectors cheaper if you bought it all separate. That is true, but this anniversary box looks so good, it's worth the purchase.If you get to play 5 or 6 players, the rules change a bit, but nothing that will confuse you if you know the ... MoreWhat an amazing game, and it's been 25 years now since it's debut. There isn't a lot more to add from my original review, which you can read below. This big box looks sexier, the pieces are all glittery and metallic, and the dice look great. It makes Catan a whole new pleasure, and there is nothing wrong with the original game, this set is a just a lot more prettier.This has a few extras. It comes complete with the 5-6 player expansion, and high quality card protectors. You might think you could get the main game, expansion, and protectors cheaper if you bought it all separate. That is true, but this anniversary box looks so good, it's worth the purchase.If you get to play 5 or 6 players, the rules change a bit, but nothing that will confuse you if you know the core game. The board gets bigger as more tiles are added, and of course new harbour segments are added too to make a huge playing field. You get to add an extra settlement and road at the start, and you even get to use your cards if it's not your turn as the robber will be a nightmare otherwise. There are also more development cards and resource cards added.If it's your turn, you can trade with anyone and use your development cards, do all the cool stuff. If its not your turn, after the main player has finished doing whatever they want to do, it goes clockwise and everyone has an opportunity to spend their cards and build stuff, no trading though, it's just an opportunity to use those cards up before you have too many when a 7 is rolled.This also comes with Helpers cards for a brand new scenario. Makes this huge box of fun even more worthy of being on your games shelf. Love it.Happy 25th Catan, you've done a great job making this box.The game known as Catan, or to the more experienced a tabletopper, Settlers of Catan. Created by Klaus Teuber, he's created many more versions since he first started this back in 1995, which include Star Trek and Game Of Thrones. It's sold millions upon millions of copies and remains one of the best board games that too many people still don't know about.This is a trading game that's easy to learn for 3 or 4 players, but could end up making you hate dice more than ever, but you'll still be playing it for years. It can be turned in to a 5 or 6 player game with the expansion, and that's a joy in itself. You build the board by creating a hexagon seascape, and fill it with an island using 19 hexagon pieces of different types of terrain that provide resource. Of course, when you play your first game of Catan, you'll use the standard rule names for resource like lumber, grain and wool. It'll soon turn in to wood, wheat and sheep. The classic line of course while trading is "Do you have wood for sheep?" It even went as far as The Big Bang Theory in an episode called The Recombination Hypothesis. Make sure you look that one up if you haven't seen it. The innuendos are incredible.On setting up the game, you have a nice looking island with different land masses like mountains, forests, and even one tile that has a desert. This really is a dirty place because it's the original home of a robber. More on that entity in a moment. Each tile gets a number. This can be set up from the Game Rules and Almanac you get with the game, or you could be really daring and mix up all the tiles before placing them down, and that goes for the circular numbers which are placed on each tile as well. Mixing them up seriously creates a challenge, and always makes for a different game every time and gives it more longevity.Now the board is ready, everyone takes their coloured pieces which consist of 15 roads, 5 settlements and 4 cities, and also have a Building Cost card which comes in very handy. Try and play the game without fiddling with your game pieces. Apart from playing the game properly, you'll be building things with them every chance you get. To kick off the game, choose the starting player who puts down a settlement and a road in between the terrains (on the corners of the hexes), or even on the edge of the island near the sea if you wish. Then players go clockwise. Once it gets to the last player, they take their turn and then have another turn and then placements go anti-clockwise so everyone ends up having two settlements and two roads on the board. On the players second placements, whatever the settlement is touching for example, two forests and a pasture (which will soon be called sheep), you'd get two wood cards and a sheep... I mean wool card. These cards can be used to build things, as long as you have all the required cards, which you collect, trade and spend throughout the game. Important rules, each settlement placed at the start has to have their road placed next to that piece so it's always a good idea to observe the board before placing anything, and also settlements/cities cannot be next to each other, there is a two space rule for all settlements/cities. That becomes very clear and easy from the first game.After placing all the pieces, the game begins with the throw of the dice by the player who first put down their settlement and road (who is also the last person, which is fun). When the dice land, whatever number comes up, players with settlements touching terrain of that number get the resource cards. Later on, when players have cities, any city touching a terrain would get two cards. It's quite a simple game, but the dice decide your fate more than anything. Great fun though.When it's a players turn, after doing the rolling and getting resource phase, trading can take place. It's only between the current players turn and everyone else. Players cannot trade with each other if it's not their turn.Let's talk about that dirty Robber. This originally sits in the desert, but once a 7 is rolled, or if someone uses the Knight Development Card, it can be moved and placed on any number on the board, which blocks that number until the robber is moved to another one. So if the Robber is placed on a '5', if anyone has a Settlement or City next to that terrain with that covered number, they wont get any resource cards connected with it until it's moved. It's evil, especially if you get a game where the 7 comes out constantly, and it does happen. By the way, whoever places the robber and puts it on a number that's connected to another players Settlement or City, they can steal a random card from them, if two people are next to that terrain, the robbing player chooses only one person to steal from. Like I said though, evil.Every player has a Building Cost card to show what you need to build roads, more settlements, cities, and development cards which can end up putting anyone who buys them in a strong position. These development cards hold such things as Knights, when used can move the robber on the board to a new number, usually someone you want to block and/or steal a card from. Handy tip about the Knight card, you can use it before rolling when it comes to your turn, always fun to steal someone's card before things really kick off. There are also Monopoly cards which gives you the power to say any resource and every player gives you ALL of what they have of that resource. There are cards that give you Victory points, which gets you that little bit closer to winning the game, and these are revealed as soon as you have 10 points to be victorious, but never shown until the end. All development cards can only be used once, and you can't use a development card as soon as you buy it unless it's the Victory point card that gets you to your 10th point.Yes, 10 points, that's all you need for victory, to be the lord of the sheep and master of bricks. The King of wheat and a God of the forests. It doesn't sound much does it? 10 points. Good news, everyone when they set up the game starts on 2 points for having two Settlements, which are worth a point each. Get a City to replace a Settlement, it's worth 2 points, so you're aiming to get as many Settlements and Cities on the board as possible. But games can go on for an hour or two before there is a victor, and even longer if you have the 5-6 player expansion. It's brilliant. Winning is earnt through strategy, but every roll you want certain numbers to give you the resource to build what you need. It doesn't always work out as you plan.Other things that can get you the 10 points are the bonus missions. If you have the longest road, you claim the Longest Road card which is worth 2 points, and also the Largest Army card, also worth 2 points, for anyone who has the most Knight cards. This can take time, they're only available when someone has a road length of five, and three Knight cards. They can be taken though from anyone who manages to get more, meaning they lose the 2 point advantage and the new player gains it. I think having these cards puts you on more edge than anything.Having a Settlement or City at one of the Harbours is brilliant and gives a player a huge advantage. There are regular harbours that you can trade three of your resource cards for one different resource card, this is known as Maritime Trade. There are special harbours where you can trade two specific resources for one different card. If you manage to have a settlement next to the wheat for example, and wheat is doing really well for you, and you build a settlement next to a harbour that can trade two wheat for a different resource, you're laughing all the way to the bank. The less you can trade for what you want is a path to winning Catan.​There are all kinds of different versions out now, along with expansions. There's even a card game called Struggle For Catan, and a brilliant little dice game that wont take up 2 hours of your life.If you're a veteran at board games like me, growing up with games like Cluedo and Monopoly, you'll appreciate this game for the rest of your life. It's an amazing game and there's a reason why it's still going strong after 25 years. Don't just sit there... Game!

Excellent edition of a beloved family game!

I love it. I had an original edition where you have the hexes for the water and the whole thing falls apart easily on the table but with this newer edition of the linked frame for the water to hold it all together plus all the extra special differences I am pleased to have this game.

Lackluster edition

This overall is fine, you get what you need but there are some minor things overlooked like where some items are placed in the insert. This edition feels very flimsy and cheep. All the other special editions provide more wow than this. PLUS there is already another better edition announced last

Must Have Catan!

Our family loves Catan. We got this version for our Cabin. it comes with the 5-6 player expansion and includes a few other scenarios that are cool if you want to change it up a bit.... Given our family loves board games, people are always asking what they should buy next. Catan and Ticket to Ride are a must for every Game family!

Worth it! Very good game with a bit poor manufacturing

Item (not for collectors) Boxes inner plastic part was broken at 2 places (5cm cracks). Sleeves are slippery, cards slip out the sorting tray. (laminated cards would be better than sleeves) Not enough space for the number plates at their places. Dull cutting tools at manufacturing (must be very careful pushing out the pieces without tearing). Paint cracked and came off from thief piece a little. Nice shiny finishing on the other pieces. Good to have the extension and the base game in one box. The game itself: Base game: Very entertaining, good family game. With the 5-6 players extension, its an excellent choice for friends too. Small expansion: Doesn't change the game mechanics much, witch is very good for conservative players who love the old-school Catan-style.