Board games like Catan have been mesmerising board game enthusiasts since their release.
Known for its reliance on strategy and innovation, Catan is an excellent game to play if you want to see how you would fare if you were settling a new land. Because of its popularity, there are also plenty of board games similar to Settlers of Catan that are sure to keep you entertained.
So if you’re bored of playing Catan over and over again and are looking for something like it that you and your friends or family to escape into, then you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re interested in finding some great board games like Settlers of Catan, check out this list if you’re interested in mixing up your game nights with some excellent strategy and world-building focused games!
10 Games like Catan
The Castles of Burgundy
The Castles of Burgundy is an excellent game if you’re searching for some great board games. Following a similar strategy and world-building theme as Catan, you’re sure to enjoy playing this great board game with your friends or family.
The general premise of the game is that you are an inhabitant of medieval-era France. Each player is an “aristocrat” whose job it is to build various settlements.
You can build castles, control mines, and do many different things throughout the game depending on the strategy you use and the cards you are dealt. Much like Catan, you need to use your logic and strategy to come out ahead in a game like The Castles of Burgundy.
The game takes about an hour to play from start to finish and can accommodate anywhere from 2-4 players, making it great for smaller families or groups. It is good for age groups from 12 and up.
Ticket to Ride
If you like games like The Settlers of Catan but find that the general play time is far too long, then you’re sure to enjoy a round of Ticket to Ride.
A gloriously simple game that only takes about fifteen minutes to play in its entirety, it still combines the building and strategy but in a fraction of the time of Catan.
Ticket to Ride is an easy game to play and learn. The general premise is that each player is trying to build the biggest railway empire in the game, and it’s based on various cards that players draw.
There are a few different actions that each player can take in each turn and the player that is able to build the longest continuous route by the end of the game, wins.
This game isn’t necessarily as complex as Catan, however, it is also a lot shorter and suitable for younger ages, making it a great family game. Great for ages 8 and up and accommodating 2-5 players, Ticket to Ride is a great addition to have in your game cabinet.
Already know and love this board game? Check out our list of more games like Ticket to Ride!
Power Grid
If you like Catan for its strategic themes and the need to build up your area, then you’re sure to enjoy Power Grid. This board game is a longer one and pretty complex, and it’s sure to fill the spot if you’re on the hunt for more games to play after Settlers of Catan.
The premise of this strategy game is pretty straightforward: players are employees of a power station and the goal is to supply the most cities with power than your opponents.
However, the game isn’t as simple as racing to connect a power supply to various municipalities. Players are required to acquire crude power supplies and build them up and then supply power to as many places as possible before the game is over.
Power Grid takes about two hours to play start-to-finish, is suitable for ages 12 and up and can accommodate anywhere from 2-6 players.
Risk
A classic board game that very much deserves to be on this list, Risk is a fantastic addition to any gamer looking for some strategy games that are similar to Catan.
Billed as the “game of global domination,” Risk is famous for its long playtime and for its strategic themes, making it ideal for fans of Catan.
The goal of Risk is simple: take over the world. To do this, you must both make strategic military moves along with diplomatic deals.
The game is complex and fairly complicated and it is not a great game to pick up if you’re looking for something quick to pass the time. However, it has retained its popularity since its original release in the 1950s and it is much-loved for a reason — it’s a lot of fun!
Risk can take about 2-3 hours to play from the beginning, is good for 2-6 players, and is a great game for ages 12 and up (younger players may struggle with the intense strategy required for this game).
Already know and love this board game? Check out our list of more games like Risk!
Viticulture
Where Catan is a great game for building up an entire new society, Viticulture is a game that follows similar themes but centres around one specific industry: winemaking!
Great for fans for both board games, wine, and world-building strategy, Viticulture is an excellent addition to your game cabinet if you’re on the hunt for something similar to Catan.
Based in the hills of Tuscany, each player starts with the beginnings of a meagre vineyard and the goal of the game is to build it into an incredibly profitable and thriving winery. There are numerous different actions that you can take with each turn that can either help or inhibit you throughout the game.
The entire game takes about an hour to an hour and a half to play, is good for up to six players, and is a suitable game for ages thirteen and up.
Monopoly
If you’re looking for a classic board game that is similar to Settlers of Catan, you really can’t go wrong with Monopoly.
While you’re going to be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know what this iconic board game is about, it still very much deserves its spot on this list of board games.
The premise of Monopoly is quite simple: players are pitted against each other in (at least in the original version) Atlantic City, New Jersey in order to build a real estate empire.
Unlike Catan, Monopoly is more of a game of chance rather than strategy, however, there are still ways that you can make your rolls of the dice work in your favour.
The game is known for its embrace of total capitalism and the goal is to build such a vast real estate empire across properties, utility companies and railroads that you completely decimate your opponents until all are bankrupt except the victor.
A good game for families and one that doesn’t take quite as long as Catan, Monopoly is great for 2-8 players and can take about 1 to 2 hours to play from start-to-finish, depending on how many players you have and how many house rules you incorporate into it.
Already know and love this game? Click here to read our list of more games like Monopoly!
Dominion
A card game rather than a board game, Dominion is considered to be an essential game amongst tabletop game enthusiasts and it is a worthy addition to this list.
Dominion has countless expansion packs that can effectively make it a different game each time you play, however, it is incredibly fun and entertaining to play.
The general premise is that you own a small fiefdom and the goal of the game is to build that up and gain the most provinces and have more victory points than your opponents.
You can also buy action cards from a marketplace that either advantage you or can attack the other players. With lots of fun combinations, this game never turns out the same way twice and it is sure to quickly become a favourite once you sit down to play it.
Already know and love this game? Check out our list of more games like Dominion!
Concordia
Set in Ancient Rome, Concordia is a fantastic game to play if you love the world-building and strategy of Catan but wish there was an element of characters and fun roles to play in the game as well. If you’re looking for that, then Concordia checks those boxes.
The objective of this game is fairly straightforward, each player is assigned a role at the beginning of the game and the goal is to effectively grow and protect you little settlement along the Mediterranean.
The game requires quite a bit of strategy and advance planning and for each positive movement that you make, you can earn victory points from one of the Roman Gods. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.
Concordia can accommodate 2-5 players and it takes about 1-2 hours to pay all the way through. Good for ages thirteen and up (because of the advanced strategy involved), this is really one of the best board games that you could play.
7 Wonders
If you’re looking for a great game but are hunting for something that doesn’t take hours to play, then 7 Wonders is an excellent option for you!
This game is a popular one for fans of Catan and it utilises a lot of the themes that people find entertaining from that game.
The premise of the game is that players are meant to build up and lead one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World. There are certain curveballs and things that get thrown your way and there is a bit of strategy involved that are sure to keep you entertained.
7 Wonders can be played from start-to-finish in about half an hour, can accommodate anywhere 2-7 players and it is great for players ages 10 and up, making it a great addition to your family game nights!
Already know and love this game? Check out our list of more games like 7 Wonders!
Carcassonne
Last but certainly not least on this list of board games comes Carcassonne, an excellent game if you’re interested in exploring more of the civilization-building aspects of Catan but want something a bit more simple and quick.
Carcassonne is a tile-laying game that, on each turn, players draw a tile that has either a piece of road, a bit of a city, a building of some kind or something else that helps you build a road.
Players must strategically place these tiles in order to build the best city and come out on top in this world-building game.
Great for anywhere from 2-5 players, Carcasonne takes about 30-45 minutes to complete and is suitable for ages seven and up.
Already know and love this game? Check out our list of games like Carcassonne!
As you can see, there are countless great board games like Catan that are sure to be worthy additions to your game nights. So if you’re bored of playing the same game over and over again and want to test your strategy skills in a different context, then make sure to check out some of these fantastic games!
Are you searching for more board games similar to Settlers of Catan? Have any recommendations that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments!
