I’ll trade sheep for clay - 30 years of Catan

Board games from Germany that have taken the world by storm? There have been a few, but without doubt the best known is Catan, formally known as The Settlers of Catan. In this strategic parlour game, players have to acquire and trade resources and settle on a fictional island.

Since first being published in 1995, the game has sold more than 45 million copies in more than 100 countries. This makes it not only one of the most successful games ever to come out ofGermany, but also a perennial hit on games tables around the world - and in 2025 it is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

It’s hardly surprising that the game is so popular. In a sense, Catan is the Germany of board games: geared towards efficiency and continuous improvement of infrastructure. Anyone who has spent a Sunday evening in the kitchen of a shared flat watching friends fall out when a robber is moved to another hex will know only too well that this game can do more than just entertain. It brings characters to the fore that you never dreamt you might become: the greedy clay baron, the uncompromising timber diplomat, the cunning shepherd or the miserly ore miner. During the course of the game, you come to realise that negotiating with friends can entail just as many pitfalls as exploratory talks during an EU summit.

Perhaps Catan’s appeal lies precisely in this blend of strategy, luck and diplomacy. Or in the fact that somebody constantly seems to need something that nobody happens to have - just like in real life: “Anyone got any sheep?” is one of the typical questions that has been asked in the living rooms of Catan fans for three decades now. So it comes as little surprise that various editions of Catan have been brought out – including a version set inspace. 

So, congratulations, dear settlers! Here’s to the next 30 years - may they involve even more trades, miles of roads built and crisis summits around the kitchen table. And never forget, wheat and ore can turn even the most basic village into a thriving city!