Board game colonialists game rules. Board game Colonizers: an unfading classic
Board game, giving 3-4 players the opportunity to jointly populate an island lost in the vastness of the ocean, one of the most famous Eurogames in the world, and one of the most wonderful toys for the whole family.
Relatively short games, simple rules, simple, pleasant and peaceful gameplay - all these components have made the game one of the best board games in the world. And, as is usually the case with successful desktop projects, in this case there were some additions, the number of which has long since exceeded a dozen.
In this article we will look at the games in the series available on the Russian market, talk about what this or that add-on includes, and also give some recommendations for purchasing them.
« Colonizers for 5-6 players» )
Number of players: 3-6
Addition from 1996, allowing you to play "Colonizers" five or six of us. Contains a set gaming components, allowing you to create an island spacious enough for six players, additional pieces for the 5th and 6th players, as well as additional cards resources.
Original rules "Colonizers" remain unchanged with one exception - now before the start of each turn, any player can spend their resources on construction.
Components of the American edition of the supplement
Supplement contents:
- 11 terrain hexes (2 forests, 2 pastures, 2 fields, 2 mountains, 2 hills, desert);
- 10 settlements of two different colors;
- 2 fragments of the playing field frame with ports;
- 2 fragments of the playing field frame;
- 2 port tokens;
- 8 cities of two different colors;
- 30 roads of two different colors;
- 25 resource cards;
- 9 development cards;
- 28 production tokens with numbers from 2 to 12;
- rules of the game.
To play you need: base game.
Is it worth buying? Worth it if, in addition to the usual "Colonizers"
Catan: Seafarers (» )
Number of players: 3-4
This expansion was released in 1997, three years after the original "Colonizers"(the game appeared in Germany in 1994). If in the basic version all the action took place exclusively on the island of Catan, now the settlers go beyond its borders.
"Sailors" provide the opportunity to build not only roads, settlements and cities, but also ships, with the help of which you can reach new lands and, of course, colonize them. The rules of the game change slightly; ship chips, a pirate ship, and a new terrain hex - a gold-bearing river - appear in the game.
The add-on also includes 8 scenarios that describe the starting layout of the terrain. Depending on the scenario, the number of islands in the game is determined, as well as the application of additional rules.
Supplement contents:
- 6 playing field frames;
- 30 terrain hexes (19 seas, 2 hills, 2 mountains, 1 arable land, 1 forest, 1 pasture, 2 gold rivers, 2 deserts);
- 10 harbor tokens;
- 10 number tokens;
- 57 Katana chips;
- 60 ships of four different colors;
- pirate chip;
- rules of the game.
To play you need: base game.
Is it worth buying? Worth it if, in addition to the usual "Colonizers" you want something more, but not too complicated.
« Colonizers. Sailors for 5-6 players» )
Number of players: 3-6
Game duration: 2 hours
It's 1999. An add-on is being released that allows colonizers to sail the seas with five or six. No new rules, just a set of components to scale up the island, making it suitable for more players. And a dozen more new scenarios for brave sailors.
Supplement contents:
- 30 ships of two different colors;
- 8 ocean hexes;
- gold river hex;
- 6 victory point tokens;
- 10 new scenarios.
To play you need:
- base game;
- addition ;
- addition .
Is it worth buying? Worth it if, in addition to the usual "Colonizers" you want something more, but not too complicated.
Catan: Traders & Barbarians (» )
Number of players: 2-4
Addition "Merchants and Barbarians", published in 2007, offers us five new game scenarios and four modular rules options. New scenarios introduce players to completely new game concepts. Instead of a desert, a lake may now appear on the island where you can fish, rivers will flow through the lands of settlers, caravans will leave the desert, fertile lands will be invaded by barbarians, and merchants will work together to restore the king’s castle.
The first two scenarios are quite simple, the changes in the rules of the game are almost unnoticeable, but the game with barbarians and a castle is significantly different from the base. Barbarians arrive on the island and occupy hexes, causing them to stop producing resources until players drive off the invaders with their knights. And the script about the castle turns it into this "Colonizers" a logistics game where you need to transport resources from point A to point B.
Expansion cards
Modular rules fit almost any scenario and can also be used without them. There are new rules for the robber, and additional card“Master of the Harbor”, which brings 2 victory points like “The Longest Road” and “The Largest Army”, and a deck of cards with numbers from 2 to 12, which replaces dice and brings the probability of resource production closer to mathematical, and a game option for two.
Supplement contents:
- 138 game figures;
- 24 knights of four different colors;
- 12 bridges in four different colors;
- 4 convoys of four different colors;
- 36 barbarians;
- 40 coins (25 worth 1 gold, 15 worth 5 gold);
- 22 camels;
- 120 game cards:
- set for “Barbarian Invasion”;
- 2 sets for “Merchants and Barbarians”;
- kit for "Incidents on Catan";
- 4 cards for “Fishermen of Catan”;
- 3 sheets of cardboard components;
- rules of the game.
To play you need: base game.
Is it worth buying? If you like it, of course.
Attention! additions and corrections.
« Colonizers. Merchants and Barbarians for 5-6 players» )
Number of players: 2-6
Game duration: 1.5 hours
A year after release "Merchants and Knights", in 2008, the expected expansion was published, allowing you to play "Merchants" a large number of participants. Like other similar add-ons, "Merchants and Knights for 5-6 Players" consist of sets of additional components.
Supplement contents:
Fishermen of Catana
- 2 fish banks with numbers 5 and 9;
- lake hex with numbers 4 and 10;
- 14 catch tokens;
- 2 reminders.
Catanian rivers
- river tile (pasture, pasture, mountain);
- 6 bridges in two colors;
- 2 “poor settler” cards;
- 10 gold coins (5 of 1, 5 of 5).
Caravan route
- oasis hex (with a picture of a lake on the back);
- 11 camels.
Barbarian Invasion
- forest hex;
- 12 barbarians;
- 12 knights of two colors.
Merchants and barbarians
- 2 playing field frames;
- castle hex;
- 2 quarry hexes;
- 2 glass factory hexes;
- 2 convoys of different colors;
- 10 convoy cards in two different colors;
- 18 cargo cards;
- 12 development cards.
To play you need:
- base game;
- addition "Settlers for 5-6 players";
- addition .
Is it worth buying? If you like and want to play this add-on with five or six players.
Catan: Cities & Knights (» )
Number of players: 3-4
Game duration: 1.5 hours
Four years after graduation "Colonizers", in 1998, an add-on was released "Cities and Knights". According to the author of the game, Klaus Teuber, it was in this form that it was originally conceived, but then he abandoned some of the rules and released a simplified version of the game, which we know as .
"Cities and Knights" They add several new layers to the game at once, making it deeper, more complex and more interesting. Now you need not only to build cities on the island, but also to develop them. Knights are now present in the game in the form of pieces moving around the playing field, and not in the form of development cards, as was the case before. Three new types of resources called goods appear in the game, a new deck of development cards is introduced, and a threat appears in the form of a barbarian invasion.
All these innovations are quite transformative "Colonizers". Not a trace remains of the former peaceful coexistence on the island. Now players can drive away foreign troops with their knights, and barbarians are able to destroy cities built on the island. Players can also build a capital and receive special bonuses. This expansion contains quite a few new rules, but even with it it is still a game suitable for the whole family.
Supplement contents:
- 4 city plans;
- 60 building tokens of four colors;
- barbarian fleet approach map;
- 4 construction cost cards;
- 36 goods cards (12 cards of each three types goods);
- 6 victory point cards;
- 3 sets of 18 development cards;
- 4 sets of game pieces, each set contains 6 knights, 6 helmets, 3 city walls, 3 capital caps;
- dealer;
- red cube;
- cube with symbols;
- barbarian fleet;
- rules of the game.
To play you need: base game.
If desired, in "Cities and Knights" can be played with the expansion "Sailors".
Is it worth buying? If you are confident that you can master a more difficult version "Colonizers".
Attention! There are typos in the Russian version of the rules. Be sure to download additions and corrections published on the Internet.
« Colonizers. Cities and knights for 5-6 players» )
Number of players: 3-6
Game duration: 2 hours
In 2000, the opportunity arose to play "Cities and Knights" six of us - a corresponding addition appeared, consisting of a set necessary components. They say that this is not a very good addition, since "Cities and Knights" are quite complex on their own, but if you sit down with six of them, the game becomes too long and too slow.
Supplement contents:
- 6 city walls of two colors;
- 12 knights of two colors;
- 2 city plans;
- 18 product cards (6 cards of each of the three types of goods);
- 2 victory point cards;
- rules of the game.
To play you need:
- base game;
- addition "Settlers for 5-6 players";
- addition .
Is it worth buying? Only if you are familiar with the expansion and really want to play this expansion with five or six players.
Catan Junior (» )
Number of players: 2-4
Game duration: 1 hour
- this is a special children's version "Colonizers" 2007 edition. If the base game was officially intended for children over 10 years old, then "Junior" designed for those who have just turned 6. Unlike ordinary "Colonizers" to version Junior You can play with two people.
In this version of the game there are no more colonialists, and for the sake of attractiveness they have been replaced by pirates. The rules of the game have been simplified. There are no more cities here, only pirate camps need to be built. Roads were replaced by pirate ships. The distance restriction has disappeared and “camps” can be built on adjacent hex corners. Instead of two dice, only one is rolled at the start of a turn. The game continues until someone builds 7 settlement camps.
Common features "Colonizers", of course, remained unchanged, but overall the game has become much simpler and more accessible.
Game composition:
- double-sided playing field;
- 32 ships;
- 28 pirate camps;
- ghost pirate;
- 110 playing cards;
- market;
- 4 construction cards;
- 4 harbor maps;
- cube;
- rules of the game.
Is it worth buying? If you would like to introduce "Colonizers" little children.
Not required.
Catan Dice Game (» )
Number of players: 1-4
Game duration: 15 minutes
In 2007, another option appeared "Colonizers"- game with dice. The goal of the game has remained unchanged, we are still developing our settlements on the island, but this is now done without a playing field and chips. All that the player has at his disposal is a handful of cubes and a special piece of paper on which all achievements are noted: resources, roads, cities and settlements.
Game composition:
- 6 cubes;
- notebook with 60 pages;
- rules of the game.
Is it worth buying? If you have already played all the add-ons and want to try another, even easier version "Colonizers", or if you want to play "Colonizers" while traveling.
is a standalone game. To play it, no other sets from the series are required.
It will be easier for you to get comfortable with the game if in the first games the field corresponds to the diagram from the first page of these rules. Assemble a six-piece "sea" frame, then fill it with hexagonal tiles - hexes. Place a token with a number on top of each hex. Pay special attention to the placement of harbors.
Start of a game with beginners
Take the building price card. Select the color of the chips; take 5 settlements, 4 cities and 15 roads of the same color, stack them in front of you, and place 2 roads and 2 settlements on the field. All your rivals do the same.
When playing with three players, red chips are not used.
Place cubes and special cards “Longest Road” and “Largest Army” next to the field.
Divide the raw material cards into five decks and place them next to the board. The cards must be face down.
Finally, get your first income. Each player's settlement, marked with a star on the diagram, yields raw materials cards: all hexes bordering such a settlement give the owner one raw materials card according to their terrain.
Take the received raw material cards into your hand and do not show them to your opponents.
The senior player starts the game. On your turn, you perform mandatory and optional actions in the order listed:
- Gathering Raw Materials (required): Roll two dice to determine which hexes benefit all players this turn.
- Trade: You can exchange raw material cards with other players or with the reserve.
- Construction: you can build roads, establish settlements, build cities and/or buy development cards.
IMPORTANT: at any stage of your turn (even before collecting raw materials), you can play one of your development cards.
Having completed the construction, pass the turn to the neighbor on the left: he will continue the game with his first action.
Collection of raw materials
Each of your turns begins with a roll of two dice. Add up the results that fall on them: the hexes under the resulting number bring harvest, income and benefits to all residents of the island!
If your settlement is located at a crossroads adjacent to the hex number rolled, take one card for it. If there is a city in such a place, you are owed two cards of raw materials for it. Remember that you receive raw materials for all your settlements and cities on the borders of the “profitable” hexagon.
Trade
After collecting raw materials, you find a surplus of one type and a shortage of another. How can I fix this? Trade! There are two types of trading.
- Internal trade (exchange with other players):
- Overseas trade (exchange of raw materials in reserve):
- You can always exchange raw materials at a rate of 4:1; hand over 4 cards of one raw material to the reserve and take one card of another, necessary one!
- More profitable overseas trade is possible if your settlement is located in a harbor. A regular harbor will allow you to exchange three cards for one of your choice (3:1), and a special one will exchange your two cards of a certain raw material for one of your choice (2:1).
You have the right to put up any cards of raw materials for auction. Let your opponents know what you need and what you offer. They can make their proposals. Try to negotiate the most favorable terms of the deal.
IMPORTANT: On your turn, opponents cannot trade with anyone other than you. Transactions between themselves without your participation are prohibited.
In Colonizers, players will take on the role of the first settlers, exploring the recently discovered island of Catan. At the same time, the goal of the game is not at all to “destroy” opponents - your task is to develop your colony faster than others, since victory goes to the first player to score 12 victory points. In turn, points are awarded for the construction of settlements, cities, and for the creation of long road and special “cultural buildings”, as well as for mobilizing the largest army... The player who masters the island the fastest becomes the ruler of Catan.
The game action unfolds on a field made up of hexagons (hexagons). The use of a composite field allows each game to take place on a new, unique landscape. All land hexes (with the exception of the Desert) produce one or another resource: brick, wood, grain, wool, ore. These resources are needed to build objects or purchase development cards. In forest hexes you can mine wood, in pastures you can raise sheep for wool, in the hills you can mine clay for bricks, and so on... In order to obtain the resources necessary for development, players build settlements and cities on the borders of the corresponding hexes. But not everything is so simple, resources are “produced” by the corresponding hexes only if, when rolling the dice at the beginning of each player’s turn, the number corresponding to a given hex comes up. Thus, the uninterrupted receipt of resources depends both on the competent placement of your settlements and on luck.
The need for certain types of resources changes as the game progresses. At first, the greatest demand is for wood and bricks for building roads, as well as grain and sheep for establishing settlements and quickly expanding your zone of influence (the number of hexes from which you can collect resources for further development). A little later, ore becomes vitally important to create cities. That is why it is very important not only to take the “most advantageous position” with your settlements at the initial moment of the game, but also to think through a development plan for the future - what resources will soon be needed, and in what direction you need to develop the network of your settlements and cities.
Fortunately, the game has the ability to trade resources, both between the players themselves and with “overseas traders” (though at a more extortionate rate). For example, if you have an excess of wool, you can always exchange it at a rate of 4:1 for brick. However, by paving the way to a particular harbor, you can achieve trade advantages and be able to exchange excess resources in a ratio of 3:1 or 2:1. But the most optimal thing is to be able to negotiate an exchange with other players - this is the most winning strategy, because By helping others, you first of all help yourself :)
In Colonizers there is also the opportunity to play dirty tricks on your neighbors on the island, using a special robber chip, which blocks the production of resources by the hex on which it stands. When a certain number is rolled, the player must move the robber to any other hex. And, of course, this will not be “your” hex;) You can only escape from the action of robbers by using the knight card (which also requires resources), but by collecting many knights, you can become the owner of the largest army, which means you will receive additional victory points.
The board game Colonizers is intuitive and very exciting, although, of course, it will not be possible without carefully studying the rules. To begin with, we advise you to try a ready-made arrangement of hexes and settlements “for beginners”, in which the initial capabilities of the players are balanced (this arrangement is given in the rules of the Colonizers). Then you can arrange the land hexes yourself and thereby form your own map of the island, as well as independently place your starting settlements (this will require significant work of thought - after all, the initial arrangement largely influences future development). And, finally, you can replace the Desert hex, which in the original scenario did not add anything to the game, with the Jungle hex by applying the appropriate additional rules– in the game with the Jungle you will find discoveries that can be exchanged for development cards.
Overall the game is not the fastest and each move requires time to think, but since the number of players is 3-4, there is no feeling of “dragging”. All components of the game are very high quality: hexes, maps, settlements and cities. Large colorful rules will help you understand all the intricacies of the game. Colonizers is definitely not a one-time game and the process of exploring the island of Catan will give participants a lot of fun... it’s not for nothing that Colonizers are so popular! :) The rules of the board game Colonizers can be found on the Game Expert website.
The world around the island of Catan is very diverse, and this is reflected in numerous additions to the base game Colonizers.
- Colonizers: Sailors - new land and sea hexes, ships and pirate fleet. 9 scenarios offer different island layouts, which means new goals and strategies each time.
Looking for a board game for fun company you can get lost among the variety of categories, forms and directions. Get to know legendary game" " and make an informed choice!
This is a cult strategy board game. Its author, Klaus Teuber, is a famous German developer. "Colonizers" is his most popular creation. The game has been translated into more than 30 languages and has sold about 15 million copies.
Participants' goal
Explore the island of Catan by building settlements, cities and roads. The first one to score 10 points wins.
Game description
The field consists of 6 sea frames, in the center of which 19 hexagonal fields - hexes forming land - are randomly placed. The earth is represented by 6 types of landscape: desert, hills, mountains, forests, pastures and arable lands.
Players build roads and settlements, each of which brings raw materials to the owner from surrounding hexes. Resources (wood, wool, clay, grain and ore) are needed not only for construction, but also for exchange and trade. As you may have noticed, they can be obtained from 5 types of sushi. The desert is barren and yields nothing, but it is a refuge for the robber. It is activated when game cubes the number 7 appears. It is the robber who gives the players the most trouble, but at the same time brings with him enrichment.
You will also have to use development cards (knights, breakthroughs, victory points), cards with construction prices and special cards - rolling rewards for the longest path and the largest army.
Preparing to start the game
After assembling the site, make sure that the desert is in the center. Next, take the number tokens and, turning them upside down, distribute them on the hexes in a spiral from any corner of the island to the center in alphabetical order. Open the chips with the numbers facing up.
Choose a color and receive game pieces: cities – 4 pcs., settlements – 5 pcs., roads – 15 pcs., as well as a construction price map. Important: if there are three players, red chips are not involved.
Near playing field place the dice, special cards, 5 decks of raw materials cards face down, and a shuffled deck of development cards face down. Now is the time to place the bandit in the desert.
The player with the most points when rolling the dice goes first. At any of the crossroads, he establishes his first settlement and builds a branch from it - a road - also in any direction. The remaining participants, clockwise, do the same actions. The last one to connect has an advantage: after the first settlement, he immediately establishes a second one, builds a road and transfers the right of movement counterclockwise. Thus, the one who started construction at this stage of the game will complete it.
So, each player has 2 settlements and 2 roads adjacent to them, as well as 2 points: one for the constructed point. As income for their construction, you receive one raw material card from each adjacent hex.
Based on this, it is obvious how important it is to take an advantageous position from the very beginning of the game.
How the island is being developed
The first player rolls the dice and the collection of raw materials begins. The sum of the rolled points indicates those hexes that will bring raw materials, provided that settlements or cities founded by the participant are located on their borders.
Cities can only appear from already existing settlements. It is much more profitable for colonialists to own only large administrative units. Why? They give 2 cards of raw materials, while settlements only give 1. The pursuit of the number of cards of raw materials is due to the fact that this is the main resource for any transformations and buildings. Also, cities give 2 points towards victory, and settlements only give 1 point.
Road construction rules
A road can only be built from your own settlement/city or from a free intersection to which a player-created road opens. There can be exactly one tract token located on each section of the path. It is important that there are no enemy buildings or road sections on your construction path.
When your road is 5 chips long, you will receive special card"The longest path." It will bring you 2 points closer to victory. But keep in mind that this card can go to another player if his path becomes longer than yours.
Rules for distance and construction of settlements
If you have resources, you can build new settlements at any intersection that the road you created leads to. It is important to remember that all intersections in the neighborhood must be clear of rival development.
Let's return to the issue of raw materials. Now you see how raw materials are needed to increase your holdings on the island. It's good if starting strategy is true and you have plenty of any resource. And if not? We train the art of a negotiator, builder and merchant in one person and turn to commodity-market relations with rivals. The more eloquence and persistence, the more profitable the deal can be. Important: during your turn, competitors cannot make transactions without your participation. Precisely transactions, because gifts from the colonialists are prohibited. These are the rules of internal trade.
If your ambitions and needs prompt you to strive beyond the borders of the island of Catan, then welcome to international market. Does your city face the sea? Then you can exchange your raw materials at a rate of 2:1 or 3:1. If your buildings have not yet reached the shore, but you really need raw materials, be prepared for a 4:1 rate. Harsh, yes. But you agree to these conditions yourself. But the consequences of the appearance of a robber are unpredictable, dangerous and harmful.
The robber enters the game at the stage of collecting raw materials, when the sum of the points on the dice is equal to 7. When he enters any other hex from the desert, he deprives the owners of nearby settlements/cities of raw materials.
This will continue until a seven is rolled again and the villain moves to another point on the island. You also lose half of the resource cards if their total number is more than 7. Rounding occurs downwards, that is, out of 7 cards you lose 3. But as you remember, we also talked about enrichment. The player moving the robber can, without looking, take any material from the owner of the settlement adjacent to the hex.
The Colonizers series is one of the most famous, interesting and original family board games in the world. She gained worldwide fame back in 1995, when she received the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award. Since then, the game has taken its place on home shelves and in the hearts of millions of board game lovers. The game served as the prototype for the famous computer game Settlers and spawned a lot of sequels in tabletop format.
"Colonizers" has become a living classic due to its original, thoughtful and friendly gameplay, in which players act as peaceful settlers exploring the island of Catan. Game process unique, but at the same time quite simple and exciting, which makes “Colonizers” a wonderful family game! In the role of peaceful settlers inhabiting the island of Catan, you will experience the real life of a colonizer: extract resources, build villages, cities and roads, defend against robbers, bargain with neighbors.
Since its release, the game has become a true cult and classic. tabletop world– received many awards, was localized in more than ten languages. The original "Settlers" is so popular that it also exists digitally on various platforms. Several large additions have been released for it, developing the already considerable possibilities: “Merchants and Barbarians”, “Sailors”, “Cities and Knights”, as well as expansions for 5-6 players and various branches, there is even a version for children!
Colonize the island of Catan and bring it to prosperity!
Game process
The game begins with the island of Catan appearing on the surface of the gaming table. Land hexes are randomly collected into a large hexagon and numbered according to a certain system - this is necessary for later obtaining resources. In such a situation, from 2 to 4 colonizers begin to fight for the development of the island.
Players start with two roads and two settlements, and the choice of their location is up to the player. Thus, you start with 2 victory points (VP), but the goal of the game is simple - to get 10. Remember that Cities (2 VP) appear where there are already Settlements (1 VP), and Settlements can only be built on a Road. Any construction requires resources that are always in short supply. Here trade can help you out - the exchange of resources is a vital necessity, because you will only receive raw materials of certain types from the lands where your settlements and cities are located. And the hex where the Rogue stands does not bring resources at all... A little more detail:
- A player's turn always begins with rolling two dice and adding their values to determine the hex number that will bring resources:
- All players whose Settlements are in contact with such a hex will receive 1 card of the corresponding resource from it
- For Cities, players will receive 2 resource cards
- If the dice roll is a 7, then the richest players (with more than 7 cards) discard half of the resources, and the active player can become a Rogue
- Next, the player gets the opportunity to engage in trading at various rates:
- With the game bank at the rate of 4:1
- In harbors, if you have a settlement there - at a rate of 3:1 and even 2:1
- With players on any course that suits both players
- The time has come to waste resources. And here's what:
- You can build a Road to reach profitable lands and establish a Settlement there
- You can build a Settlement on your road
- You can develop your Settlement into a City
- You can purchase a Development Card, which can provide additional victory points or other benefits
- The move passes to the next player
Who has won?
The first player to score ten victory points wins. Since you start with two settlements, in fact at the beginning of the game you have two victory points.
Game Features
“Colonizers” is one of the most famous board games in the world; every self-respecting board gamer is familiar with it. This is a family-friendly and quite peaceful game, which at the same time has great strategic potential. In addition, you can purchase add-ons for the game, then the game will sparkle with completely new colors. This is a very deep, kind and interesting board game, which we personally recommend to everyone.
