When one is couped up with their family for weeks on end, it can be hard to find new and different activities to fill the time. Board games are one of the best time wasters for a whole family to do together.

One of the best board games that I have come across during this time at home has been the “Settlers of Catan” (1995), or just “Catan.” “Catan” can be as simple or as challenging as you want based on the different expansions that could be added. The normal base game is quite simple, the object of it being to get 10 victory points faster than any other player. One collects resource cards on the roll of dice and uses these cards to ‘buy’ other cards or build buildings like roads, cities or settlements. Anything that you can build or buy will either give you victory points or give you a way to gain more resource cards to get more victory points.

For more of a challenge, one can apply one of the many expansions of the game. At the time of writing this, “Catan” has 4 expansions that change how the game is played, these include: “Seafarers”, “Cities and Knights”, “Traders and Barbarians” and “Explorers and Pirates.” These expansions bring new ways to play such as, different ships, new buildings and traders or pirates.

“Catan” also has an online edition for anyone wanting to play with a friend. Many players tend to choose the online version over the real life based on the fact that they do not have to worry about any cards. Other than not having to worry about losing cards, the online version is exactly the same as the real life game. On top of regular online playing, “Catan” seems to be expanding to augmented reality as well. Recently, The Verge reported that a new version of “Catan” akin to Niantic’s “Pokemon Go” was in the works to be released soon. “Catan: World Explorers is being developed on the Niantic Real World Platform and we’ll have more information to share on the title in 2020,” said Niantic.

“Catan” is one of the best board games that anyone can play with family, friends or even strangers.