Una delle cose migliori di Catan La caratteristica di questo prodotto è che può essere espanso, ma quale espansione comprare? Ci sono così tante opzioni diverse disponibili per l'acquisto al giorno d'oggi. In questo post del blog, forniremo una lista delle nostre espansioni preferite e vi faremo sapere perché hanno fatto la scelta!
Gioco base: Cos'è Catan?
Nel caso in cui abbiate vissuto sotto una roccia negli ultimi 20 anni, Catan è un gioco da tavolo sviluppato da Klaus TeuberL'obiettivo del gioco è creare il proprio impero raccogliendo risorse e costruendo strade, insediamenti, città e cavalieri. I giocatori usano carte risorsa come mattoni o legno per costruire i suddetti oggetti sulla mappa in continua evoluzione. Vince il giocatore che ottiene dieci punti vittoria, che si ottengono costruendo strutture o acquisendo carte sviluppo.
Caratteristiche del gioco
Il gioco è molto aperto e permette ai giocatori di giocare in molti modi diversi: ad esempio, ci si può concentrare sul commercio di risorse con gli altri giocatori o sull'accaparramento delle proprie risorse. In alternativa, si può competere con gli isolani vicini attaccandoli (anche se questo probabilmente porterà a una guerra che impoverisce tutte le parti coinvolte).
La potenziale varietà di strategie lascia spazio a futuri pacchetti di espansione: in questo modo è possibile aggiungere nuovi elementi senza modificare drasticamente il gameplay. Apprezziamo questo aspetto perché garantisce longevità a un sistema di gioco già ottimo.
Uno dei motivi per cui Catan è così divertente è la sua semplicità: non ci sono regole complicate o grandi manuali, ma solo istruzioni facili da seguire che permettono alla maggior parte dei giocatori di prendere in mano il gioco dopo pochi minuti dall'apertura. Questa semplicità è parte del fascino di Catan e del motivo per cui così tante persone si divertono a giocarci.
Il "tabellone" viene randomizzato con diversi lanci di dadi all'inizio di ogni nuovo turno, creando interessanti colpi di scena durante il gioco. Non si sa mai che tipo di terreno o di edifici potrebbero spuntare sulla propria isola! Ogni giocatore inizia con due insediamenti, ma può costruirne solo uno per turno fino a quando non potenzia il proprio insediamento in una città (che gli permette di costruirne un altro). Inoltre, dato che le risorse importanti sono in numero limitato, non è possibile "farne scorta". Questo mantiene il gioco appassionante e rende ogni turno significativo in termini di raccolta di risorse.
Meccanica
L'obiettivo di Catan è far crescere il proprio impero costruendo strutture e acquisendo carte sviluppo. Le carte sviluppo possono essere acquistate utilizzando le risorse, ma sono disponibili solo se si dispone della giusta quantità di risorse o di combinazioni commerciali. Ad esempio: se un giocatore possiede almeno una pecora e un legno, allora il "costo di costruzione" per l'acquisto di una carta strada sarà annullato (perché richiede sia legno che lana).
Quando qualcuno raggiunge i dieci gettoni vittoria, vince immediatamente. Non c'è niente di peggio che essere così vicini alla vittoria, solo per avere qualcun altro in vantaggio con un accordo dell'ultimo minuto!
Le meccaniche di base di Catan sono facili da imparare e da insegnare, ma c'è molta profondità in termini di strategia e pianificazione che può essere difficile per i nuovi giocatori (soprattutto per quelli che non amano i giochi che richiedono molto tempo). Tuttavia, poiché si deve costantemente interagire con gli altri giocatori, la vittoria è incredibilmente gratificante! Aiuta anche a costruire le capacità di comunicazione, soprattutto se usato come rompighiaccio tra estranei o grandi gruppi durante le feste o i ritrovi.
Sistema di punteggio
Il sistema di punteggio di Catan è unico perché i punti vittoria non vengono conteggiati alla fine di un round/partita, ma i giocatori tengono traccia dei progressi compiuti durante i loro turni! All'inizio di ogni nuovo "ciclo" (round) ogni giocatore guadagna un punto per ogni insediamento che possiede e due punti per ogni città.
Oltre a queste regole di base, ci sono diversi altri modi per guadagnare punti vittoria aggiuntivi durante il gioco:
- Scambio di carte con gli avversari - Alcune carte sviluppo permettono agli insediamenti o alle città di produrre più risorse se girate lateralmente, consentendo loro di generare ancora più punti vittoria!
- Costruire strade attraverso gli esagoni - Se si collegano tra loro diverse aree di terreno, diventa più facile per le persone visitare quella rotta commerciale, aumentandone così il valore!
- Costruire un monopolio delle risorse - Se avete più di una città/stabilimento su una tessera risorsa, diventa molto più facile acquisire quei beni, ottenendo un ulteriore punto vittoria alla fine!
In conclusione, Catan è un gioco fantastico sia per i nuovi giocatori che per quelli esperti, grazie alla sua curva di apprendimento facile e alle interessanti meccaniche sociali.
Le migliori espansioni di Catan sul mercato
La seguente lista di espansioni sarà discussa nell'articolo. Ogni espansione ha una breve descrizione e poi il motivo per cui è entrata a far parte della nostra top five delle espansioni di Catan preferite. Questa tabella di confronto vi aiuterà a prendere la decisione migliore su quale pacchetto di espansione di Catan scegliere.
| Immagine | Prodotto | |
|---|---|---|
Migliore espansione di Catan  | Espansione del gioco da tavolo Catan Seafarers
| Controlla il prezzo |
Il meglio per i fan della serie TV  | Gioco del Trono di Spade CATAN Gioco da tavolo
| Controlla il prezzo |
La migliore espansione di Catan per 2 giocatori  | CATAN Starfarers Gioco da tavolo 2a Ed
| Controlla il prezzo |
Il meglio per gli appassionati di esplorazione  | Espansione del gioco da tavolo Catan Esploratori e Pirati
| Controlla il prezzo |
Best for People Who Like Strategy  | CATAN Cities and Knights Board Game
| Controlla il prezzo |
1. Espansione per il gioco da tavolo Catan Seafarers - Migliore espansione per Catan
Panoramica
The Catan Seafarers Board Game Expansion is a great choice for people who enjoy exploring and building – especially on the open seas! The mainboard in this set has several islands which can be discovered via exploration cards. Each island tile requires specific combinations of resources (similar to regular Settlers) but they also include one or more special rules that make gameplay even more interesting!
Players must use their best judgment when deciding whether it’s worth visiting certain areas because these explorations often come with risk vs reward scenarios.
Meccanica
The Catan Seafarers Board Game Expansion has the same core mechanics as regular Settlers and its expansions: players collect resources, build roads/cities, trade with opponents and try to score more points than everyone else. However, since you’re building on the water it will take some time for people to explore all of those tiles – thus creating a longer playing-time than other iterations in the series!
This is also one of our favorite games because there are few “take that” cards (cards that target specific individuals). While we appreciate these types of interactions occasionally they can be frustrating during long gameplay sessions; especially if someone plays them too often or uses them at inappropriate times (such as early game!). Thankfully this expansion does not include any random events which involve taking resources from other players.
Componenti
The Settlers of Catan Seafarers Board Game Expansion includes a larger board than other iterations in the series and it also has several wooden pieces to represent ships/exploration tokens. It comes with roughly 40 cards, 16 tiles, and 36 exploration markers which should be plenty for most players – however, you can add more if necessary!
Pro e contro
Giudizio finale
The Settlers of Catan Seafarer Board Game Expansion is a great choice for experienced players who like to explore and build. It’s very rewarding if you can plan ahead because there are many different ways to generate victory points – thus making it difficult to predict the winner!
While we adore this expansion our one gripe would be that some people may find it difficult to learn and play because there are so many new rules/mechanics. That being said, we recommend that you read the instructions carefully before playing your first game – especially if you’re a beginner!
2. Gioco da tavolo CATAN di Game of Thrones - Ideale per i fan della serie TV
Panoramica
A Game of Thrones Catan Board Game is a great choice for fans of the popular TV show as well as those who enjoy more complex board games. It’s very different from regular Settlers because you’re trying to collect resources and build settlements/roads in order to claim victory points which can be found on “power” tiles scattered throughout the map.
This expansion has a lot of strategies involved because you’re forced to decide which areas are most valuable – especially since there’s no trading allowed. Additionally, this game is great if you enjoy games that require more interaction with other players and less luck!
Meccanica
The basic rules of Settlers remain the same; however, you cannot trade resources with opponents. Instead, there are “Power Tiles” which give certain players bonuses or hinder other individuals based on their faction (Stark/Lannister).
Overall, we think that this is a great game if you’re looking for something more complex than normal Settlers because it adds interesting new mechanics/strategies. Additionally, it can also take longer so make sure everyone has enough time to play!
Componenti
A Game of Thrones Catan Board Game includes a larger board, more pieces for each player, and new cards/tokens. It comes with 42 resource tiles (compared to the usual 20), 15 power tokens, 28 castles/strongholds, 38 roads (instead of 32), and some nice cloth bags which help keep everything organized.
For the most part, we really enjoyed how sturdy/high quality each component was which is something that tends to be an issue with board games. That being said, there are a few complaints about specific pieces – such as some of them feeling flimsy or not fitting into their spaces properly. Unfortunately, this seems to happen more often than you’d hope with expansions.
Pro e contro
Giudizio finale
Overall, we think that this Catan expansion is a great choice for fans of the TV show because it takes place in Westeros. The mechanics are also interesting which makes them easy to learn – however, you must be willing to spend more time playing since there will likely be much more interaction between players. If you enjoy games that are more complex then definitely consider buying this expansion.
3. CATAN Starfarers Gioco da tavolo 2ª Ed - Migliore espansione di Catan per 2 giocatori
Panoramica
CATAN Starfarers Board Game is a highly rated game that’s different than your usual Catan releases. It can be played with up two to five other players, has more components than regular Settlers, and involves exploring/collecting resources on new planets!
This expansion also includes some nice plastic ships as well as four new types of hexes that feature specific resource distributions. Additionally, it’s recommended for players ages 12 and up which is a bit more complex than the other Catan expansions we’ve reviewed!
Meccanica
Each player chooses a color, takes one of each resource tile (which is larger than usual), and three ships. This version has ten planets instead of six which are placed in random positions on the board.
We really enjoyed how much there is to do in this game because it definitely feels like an ambitious release that offers a lot of content! The rules are also pretty well-written so they’re easy to follow/understand – however, the cards can be slightly difficult for new players since there are quite a few of them to deal with.
Componenti
CATAN Starfarers Board Game has very nice-looking components that are also easy to distinguish. I really like the new planets/board, ships, and resource tiles – but there aren’t any major complaints about them either! Ultimately, this is a solid expansion for anyone who enjoys Settlers of Catan
Pro e contro
Giudizio finale
Overall, we think that this is a nice addition for anyone who enjoys Catan but wants something more complex (and interesting) than standard Settlers variants! It’s also great if you want to play an epic space game where there’s lots of exploration involved. However, it can be overwhelming/confusing for people who don’t play many board games or aren’t familiar with Catan.
4. Espansione per il gioco da tavolo Catan Esploratori e Pirati - Ideale per i fan dell'esplorazione
Panoramica
As you may have guessed, Catan Explorers and Pirates is another beloved expansion that brings new gameplay mechanics/content to Settlers of Catan. This version is different than the original and has both a new island/board as well as two different types of cards that add an extra level of complexity!
While we didn’t enjoy this game quite as much as Starfarers because it’s not necessarily our cup of tea – we do think that fans will really like what it brings to the table! It definitely adds another dimension that helps keep gameplay interesting since many Settlers’ expansions tend to feel repetitive after a while.
Meccanica
There are a lot of new mechanics/content in this game which makes it stand out from other Settlers’ expansions. One of the most notable ones is that there’s an actual pirate ship on the board! The idea is to collect treasure maps to find different islands with valuable resources, but you need to be careful because pirates can move around and steal your stuff.
This expansion also adds another type of card called “Exploration Cards” which give you additional action points or allow you to move multiple times – while Action Cards affect everyone at once (i.e., trading salt for all players). We’re not used to playing with these types of cards so we didn’t enjoy them as much, but they definitely add variety if you want something different.
The game pieces are the same as usual but we really liked how big the resource tiles were since they were easy to grab at a glance. This might not seem like a huge deal but if you’re used to grabbing your resources quickly then it makes all the difference in this expansion!
Componenti
The board is well crafted, tiles are thick/sturdy, resource pieces are nice quality (and big!), and cards have a matte finish.
We did feel that the rulebook was kind of confusing though – they include lots of different scenarios you can play which makes it more complicated but also less intuitive in our opinion since we’re used to just playing by ourselves without thinking too much about what other people want us to do! We were pretty lost after reading through them so consider looking up online guides or watching YouTube videos if you get confused as easily as we do. Also, note that this expansion isn’t compatible with Seafarers which may be an issue for some players.
Pro e contro
Giudizio finale
While we’re not huge fans of Catan, this game definitely makes Settlers more interesting/fun since it adds new mechanics that keep gameplay fresh. This is also great for people who like strategy games or exploring new territories in Catan! The only downside was that the rulebook wasn’t very beginner-friendly so we’d recommend looking up online guides/videos if you get stuck.
5. CATAN Cities and Knights Gioco da tavolo - Ideale per chi ama la strategia
Panoramica
This expansion adds a whole new level of complexity to Settlers. In addition to collecting resources, you also have the option of buying knights and cities which help you earn points faster!
While many people will enjoy this type of gameplay since it’s different from other expansions – we don’t think that it added enough content for us personally since we’ve been playing Catan long enough to know what each tile/card does after a while, so having lots more may actually make things worse in our opinion (i.e., less intuitive). For example, if there are too many tiles then players might not be able to remember all their functions without constantly referring back or making notes on paper which takes away from the fun aspect at least for us.
Meccanica
There are a few new mechanics included in this board game. The first is that you can get knights which let you earn points faster – they’re pretty much like gold if Catan were an RPG! There’s also the option of buying cities which give you additional resources or victory points when played, but only one per player since there aren’t any more tiles to place them on.
While we liked how these elements added another layer of complexity/fun to Settlers, it isn’t for everyone so take note before purchasing! If you’ve already got Seafarers then Cities and Knights might not be worth your money unless you really love playing strategy games (i.e., exploring new territories).
Componenti
The board is well crafted, tiles are thick/sturdy, resource pieces are nice quality (and big!), and cards have a matte finish.
We did feel that the rulebook was kind of confusing though – they include lots of different scenarios you can play which makes it more complicated but also less intuitive in our opinion since we’re used to just playing by ourselves without thinking too much about what other people want us to do! We were pretty lost after reading through them so consider looking up online guides or watching YouTube videos if you get confused as easily as we do. Also, note that this expansion isn’t compatible with Seafarers which may be an issue for some players.
Pro e contro
Giudizio finale
We’d recommend this expansion if you’re a fan of Catan or strategy games since it has a lot more content compared to other expansions we tried out! This is especially true if the lack of variety is what’s making Catan less enjoyable for you as well – but keep in mind that some people may find the rules hard to follow which makes it more complicated than necessary. Also, make sure that there aren’t any tiles from another board game included in the mix or it won’t be compatible.
Conclusione
The more you play Catan, the less new content is going to excite you. But it’s still fun and worth having in your collection if only for a few games every now and then! While there are lots of different expansions at this point – we don’t think that they’re all created equally which made buying them kind of difficult since some aren’t as intuitive. We’d recommend trying out Seafarers and Cities & Knights if you’re new to the board game!