CATAN Dawn of Humankind

If you love CATAN, you’ll love this fresh take on the classic! CATAN Histories: Settlers of America adds a fun Ticket to Ride-style vibe, making it a strategic and engaging upgrade. No more endless negotiating for resources—there are plenty of ways to win without having to wheel and deal (great for those who like to play solo strategies). It’s easy to learn, fun to play, and perfect for ages 8+. Whether you're a seasoned CATAN fan or just looking for a great family game night addition, this one’s a must-have! 🚂🌄🏡

The play is rather predictable, but you can vary your approach in a couple of ways. It takes longer to set up as there are many small pieces. However, these pieces add to the game, and play proceeds along at a fine pace. There's enough of the original to recognize the game, but different enough that you'll need to learn the strategies needed to win. Not a particularly deep game, if you've been a gamer for decades, but the play's fun and there are several routes to victory. A 9 year old, smart girl played with us and figured out how to play on her first playthrough.

This was a fun take on the Catan style of games. While playing with some friends, we thought it was a nice change of pace where we were working together for the most part. It's also nice that even if you don't get a resource card, you can still get a gold coin to buy some later on. It also encourages you to expand at a quicker rate while playing. I was able to buy this on a sale, but even at the full price, it seems like it would still provide a lot of fun for the money. I appreciate that it feels like a solid set and was designed to last decades of use to come.

Settlers of America- Trails to Rails is a great variation on a great game. My family and friends have been playing Catan and its expansions for years, so when I saw this as a pre-order on another web site, it caught my attention. Using the trading, robber, and probability controlled resource production mechanics of Catan, Trails to Rails adds the element of money, covered wagons, railways, and locomotive driven deliveries which replaces the point system, cities, ports, and bonuses (like longest road or army). The resources are Wood, Grain, Ore, Steer, and Coal. The artwork is very attractive and done by the same artist who did the 4th version of Catan, and fits well with the theme of Manifest Destiny. Other than the fact that I enjoy the theme, I also like that during the game it seems as if you can build or do at least one thing per turn; there is very little time waiting while there is a famine of 8s or 6s (if you have played Catan you will know what I mean), or the robber is on your only source of coal. **For those that have not played Settlers of Catan** I would venture to guess that since the rules are very well written, no prior knowledge of Catan would be needed. Plus, there is a very good explanation of how to play on their web site, so check it out before purchasing. Give yourselves a few hours to play, have stimulating conversations, eat some ice cream, and for your wife to feed your 5 month old; playing a Catan game is more of an event than a quick diversion. The pieces are a very sturdy wood, and the board and box are hefty enough to last; but, the pieces are small, so, make sure to keep them away from little mouths (human or otherwise). In a world of fast paced do-dads and gadgets that tie us to work 24-7, Trails to Rails (and other Catan games) is a great diversion that allows for fellowship and fun. Altogether, this game will keep its space on my shelf next to Agricola, Puerto Rico, Twilight Struggle, and Settlers of Catan for those days we want to relive the romanticized days of the Oregon Trail, Trans Continental Railroad, Robber Barons, and Little House on the Prairie (at least for my wife). Pros: - Great theme for anyone that is a fan of U.S. History and Settlers of Catan - Appealing artwork; U.S.A. made out of Catan hexes looks better than expected - Simple game mechanics that allow for solid strategic game play - More balanced game play than a random map and numbers game of Catan - Extraordinary building phase (can build on other persons turn) - Rail system and a built in compulsion to move West (similar to Seafarers island scenarios)both historical and interesting Cons: - Not modular like the original Catan, so the game becomes less varied (only some of the numbers can be changed, others are printed on the game board, but this can be modified with a little help from other Catan number pieces) - Some geographical historical inaccuracies (Las Vegas being a destination for early settlers for example) - Although problematic in regards to being P.C. it would have been nice to see the Native Americans have a larger role in the game (in all fairness though, they are used on one card and mentioned in the history section of the rule book). - Unlike the product features suggests, it does not have as near as much the replay value of Settlers of Catan and its expansions - My wife does not like losing *Why only four stars? Because next to Agricola, Puerto Rico, and the original Settlers of Catan, which are in the category of games that I would place Trails to Rails, this game, although very fun, is not quite at the level of these others so for the sake of differentiation I gave it a very well deserved four stars.

CATAN: Dawn of Humankind is absolutely awesome! I’ve spent hours and hours playing this game, and it never gets old. The strategic gameplay keeps everyone engaged, and each session feels fresh with different strategies and approaches. Whether you’re trading resources or building settlements, it’s always a blast. This game is perfect for family game nights or gatherings with friends. If you’re looking for a fun and immersive board game, look no further—CATAN is a must-have!

This is a very well built game. The gameboard is thick and sturdy, wooden pieces and sturdy cards. I know this will last for many years as long as we take care of it. I purchased this game to go along with our American History this year and although this is a game of strategy not a recitation of facts or learning of new events, it did open up discussion regarding the expansion of our country westward. The initial setup took almost an hour and my kids were patient enough to continue with the game which we played for another 1/2 hour or so. A word of caution: this game can take a large amount of time. We do not often have 2+ hours to play a game and with 4 kids, ages 8-17, they do not have the patience to wade through a long game. That being said about 1/2 of them wanted to continue playing the game which we left lying around to pick up again on another day. We love playing Risk and Parcheesi so this game was a good fit for us. Overall, I would recommend this game for someone who enjoys taking a few hours to spend on a game, likes games of strategy, appreciates games with a historical context and is looking for a quality game.

Summary |: A game so similar to Settlers of Catan yet so different. What's Great (: No sheep!! If you've played Settlers of Catan before, there's a very short learning curve and a very wide range of new strategies to adopt. A great "social" board game all about America - bring out the Freedom Fries!! What's Not Great ): You might need to re-read the rules before you feel comfortable with them. Four-player games can get VERY crowded and you cannot expand this game to 6-players... all the more reason to tell little Johnny that he won't be getting a little brother or sister. What You Need To Know ?-: If you haven't played a Settlers game before, you should start with Settlers of Catan. In this game you have limited options for placing cities and hexes stop producing!! ...in my experience, you can't actually ride on the trains. Compared To The Other Reviews /-: The game is fun just like everybody says, but most of these people have spent many nights in Catan. I'm sure there's an historical aspect to the game - I'm just too busy winning to notice. About Me }(-: I love playing Catan games and win about 66% of the time (I'll sign autographs later). This is the only Catan game that I can consistently beat my sister at (I can smoke her at Monopoly and Clue and Battleship... the game, not the "movie.")

We have several different Catan games and enjoy them and the expansions. I love this game. You start on one continent and explore and settle the rest of the world. You have to build camps and gather items along the way. You also have to build your skills and supplies to move forward. It's a balance you have to figure out what will get you the winning victory points. We have played many times and look forward to the next time we get to play.

Great game.

It arrived earlier than I've expected. It's great.

Great product. Came as described. Was packaged well.

Easier to set up than some of the other variants due to the board being a single peice. A good addition if tou are already used to the catan format in other games

It's a spin on the Settlers of Catan game. It's always nice to have to pick a new strategy on a familiar game. The only thing I wanted to mention was the coins and other carboard cutouts that come in the package need some improving. You have to be careful when removing the carboard cutouts as you can easily tear the printed surface of the piece, or pull the top surface away from the remainder of the thick cardboard. The little pieces of cardboard that stick out from the cutouts (where they were attached to the sheet) are also a little annoying as the pieces end up looking "cheap", considering how much the game retails for. It would be nice to get some solid wooden pieces for coins or something along those lines.