Can I learn how to play Catan online?
Yes. ColonyRush starts a guided browser game against easy AI. The checklist walks you through the first turns while you play a real board.
A five-minute field guide
How to play Catan in 5 minutes
Settle the island, trade what you have and build toward 10 victory points. Here is the whole game before your first roll.
One board. Five rules to remember.
A turn is simple: roll the dice, trade if you want, build what you can, then pass the dice. The strategy comes from where you build and what everyone needs.
Place two settlements and two roads
Players take turns placing one settlement with an attached road. Then the order reverses for the second placement. Your second settlement gives you one resource from each touching terrain hex.
Look for several useful numbers and a mix of resources. Settlements must be at least two intersections apart.
Green corners show where a settlement can go during setup. Roll for resources
Add the two dice. Every terrain hex with that number produces its resource. Each bordering settlement collects one card; each bordering city collects two.
After the roll, you may trade with other players or the bank. You may build in any order as long as you can pay the cost.
Turn cards into roads, buildings and development cards
Keep this short list beside you for the first few turns.
- Road
- 1 brick + 1 lumber
- Settlement
- 1 brick + 1 lumber + 1 wool + 1 grain
- City
- 3 ore + 2 grain
- Development card
- 1 ore + 1 wool + 1 grain
Roads extend your reach. Settlements add production and score 1 point. Cities replace settlements, collect twice the resources and score 2 points.
A 7 moves the robber
When anyone rolls a 7, terrain produces nothing. Each player holding more than seven resource cards discards half, rounded down.
The active player moves the robber to a terrain hex. That hex stops producing until the robber leaves. If an opponent has a building beside it, the active player may steal one random resource card from that player.
Move the robber to block a useful hex and pressure a rival. Reach 10 victory points on your turn
Settlements score 1 point and cities score 2. Longest Road and Largest Army are worth 2 points each while you hold them. Some development cards hide 1 victory point until you win.
You win as soon as you have 10 victory points on your turn. Build toward points, but watch who can win before the dice come back to you.
Questions before your first game
Do I need an account to try the guided game?
No. You can start the guided game in your browser without creating an account.
How long does it take to learn Catan?
You can learn the core rules on this page in about five minutes. Your first full game takes longer because you will practice trading, building and planning as you play.
What happens when someone rolls a 7?
No terrain produces resources. Players with more than seven resource cards discard half, rounded down. The active player moves the robber and may steal one random card from an adjacent opponent.
How do you win Catan?
Be the first player to reach 10 victory points on your turn. Settlements, cities, awards and some development cards provide victory points.
Learn in one guided game
Play a standard board against easy AI. The checklist stays with you through the opening turns, and you can take 60 seconds for each move.