Catan: Seafarers (2015 Refresh)

Catan: Seafarers was the first expansion for Catan, the classic board game by Klaus Teuber. The Settlers of Catan came out in 1995, and Seafarers followed in 1997. In 2015 the series got a rebrand to ‘Catan’.

As you might expect, Seafarers introduces a new concept to the original game – the sea! A lot of scenarios and additions come in this expansion. It’s an ideal next step if you can’t get enough of the island of Catan. You can combine Seafarers with other Catan expansions for an even bigger game. Take note though, that the Seafarers expansion requires the base game of Catan to play.

Of course, Seafarers comes with a whole bunch of extra hex tiles. They’re double-sided, so you can expand the ocean around the island of Catan. On their reverse lies the familiar terrains that provide the resources. The rulebook comes with a bunch of suggested scenarios. If you follow the layouts you could play with an archipelago set-up, a river, or small islands off the main coastline. Some set-ups have new offshore islands with their terrains face-down. They only get revealed once you land there – who knows what land you’ll discover?

Offshore islands, you ask? That’s right, you’re going to need ships to sail to them! These cost wool and wood, which gives the sheep pastures a far greater worth than the base game. You place ships on tiles like roads (and they count towards Longest Road, too). If your network reaches an island, you can settle there. In some scenarios, settling on the unclaimed islands are worth extra points. There’s also a ‘wild’ terrain, which lets you pick any resource of your choice if its number gets rolled.

Catan: Seafarers takes the base game of Catan and ratchets it up a notch or two. This is a perfect addition to fans of the base game!

Catan: Seafarers Rulebook

Player Count: 3-4 players
Time: 90 minutes
Age: 10+