Catan

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy / Board Game

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Online)

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Review:

(Note: This game no longer exists on the Nintendo Switch eShop. There is a new game, Catan: Console Edition, that has been released. However, this appears to be a completely different port of the board game to the Nintendo Switch.)

Catan is the digital version of a board game that has become sort of the new standard for the medium. If you’re not familiar with it, think of it as this generation’s answer to Monopoly… well, except that Catan is actually a fun board game. Yeah, bite me, Monopoly.

For those unaware, the basic concept of the game is that players play settlers on an island, building settlements and roads to expand their territory. As dice are rolled, players who have settlements built next to the number rolled get the corresponding resource, and can use specific combinations of resources to build their empire further. Players can also trade resources, and much of this game’s strategy comes down to players’ choices in how they build up their territory, as well as how savvy they are in their trading with the others.

Before I even get started on the Switch version of the game, I should mention the elephant in the room – this game has no local multiplayer mode. For those unfamiliar with the game, this will seem like a cardinal sin, but for those who know how this works, it was to be expected – much of the game’s strategy depends on your unique hand of cards, and putting it on a screen where others can see would kill the game. While there are arguably ways this could have been worked around, such as a pass-and-play mechanic or Jackbox-style cell phone integration, suffice it to say that both of these solutions would have brought with them their own difficulties.

In short, this game has play versus AI opponents, as well as online play against other people, and nothing else, and I don’t feel I can really hold it against the game too much, due to how the original board game was designed.

However, what I certainly can do is compare this game to a previous console release, since a version of Catan was released for Xbox 360’s Live Arcade (also without local multiplayer).

One thing this release has going in its favor is that it includes the Seafarers expansion, with the Cities & Knights expansion offered as DLC for $6 (the original game had only the base game included, with no options for expansions). This game also includes a brief campaign mode that can help players learn to adapt to certain game conditions, such as if one resource is in short supply. In terms of content, this is probably the best digital version of Catan to see release on a console (though the PC version likely tops it). Also, it’s disappointing that this version of the game doesn’t support up to 6 players, despite that the physical game has an expansion that allows for this.

However, in many other ways, this version of Catan is disappointing. I thought the music in the Xbox 360 version of the game was delightful. Here, the music is completely forgettable. I thought the visual presentation in the Xbox 360 version, which gave multiple options including a nice 3D presentation, was fantastic. Here, it’s bare bones. To be fair, if you never played another version of Catan, what’s here looks and sounds fine, it’s just frustrating that in many ways it feels like a step down from a version released over a decade ago.

However, what can’t be dismissed even if you never played the Xbox 360 version of the game is that this game’s controls are really awkward, that players aren’t given easy access to important information like the likelihood that a specific spot will get resources on a roll or the recent actions that transpired. For a game that’s relatively simple, it feels a lot more difficult to actually play this version of Catan than it should.

In short, I’m disappointed in this release of Catan, but not for the reasons others may be. I’m not upset by the lack of multiplayer options, which I feel is understandable. I’m frustrated by the awkward control setup, lack of options and information during gameplay, and the overall dull presentation that pales in comparison to a version of the game released over a decade ago. While this version of the game does have some good content, the other issues sap the fun out of playing it.

tl;dr – Catan is a modern classic of a board game, and the Nintendo Switch version includes the Seafarers expansion and a nice campaign mode. Unfortunately, the game’s design means the only multiplayer is online. Also, the game’s controls are awkward, and the presentation is lacking. Given that a better console port was released to Xbox 360 over a decade ago, the Switch version of the game is severely disappointing.

Grade: C

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2019 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Most Disappointing

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