We are avid players of Settlers (and love it), but this newest addition has some flaws that make us wish we would have bought the 3rd addition. We have had the game for about 8 months, and the interlocking border (instead of the regular hexagon pieces in the 3rd addition) have never fit right. It takes three people to get everything into place, and even then the border warps and the pieces pop out. They interlock like a puzzle piece, and they are starting to wear out, so we have finally given up on getting everything together correctly. If you were worried about the 3rd addition getting bumped and jumbled, you simply had to set up the game on a tablecloth or piece of fabric. This newer addition is impossible to setup correctly, especially as it ages.

Also note you cannot use your old expansion packs with the newer addition, as the pieces are different. You now have to pay for all the newer versions of the expansion packs, how convenient.

We still love this game and will play it regularly, it just seems the "advancements" were not tested or well planned. It is also bothersome that they made the newer additions incompatible with the old expansions, you can easily spend $150 on this game and the expansions, and you would expect that investment to last... it is a board game after all!

I love this game. I had the old version but not the expansion so I got the new version with the expansion. To my disappointment, the quality on the new version is terrible. After a day of opening my game, I found that the cardboard pieces would bend, which made it more difficult to build the board. Not only did the individual hexes bend, but also the outside water pieces. Very annoying and very disappointed. I also feel that I can no longer play with it now.

The Settlers of Catan is a must have for anyone who enjoys playing board games. Winning the game requires negotiating with other players, assessing resource supply and demand, and mapping out a plan to get those last few victory points. Yet, players are still subject to the luck of the dice and rules that usually keep the game close until the very end.

Settlers has huge replay value. The game board is actually a collection of tiles that change position every time you play, and there are several different strategies to winning. Additionally, the game has many expansions, scenarios, and variants to keep things interesting.

A few things to consider before purchasing: The base game requires 3 or 4 players - no more, no less. However, an expansion is available that allows a 5th and 6th player to join in, and a 2-player variant is available in the Traders and Barbarians expansion. Also, the game time varies depending on the experience and "efficiency" of the players. I've played in games that take as little as 30 minutes and as long as 2 hours. Lastly, the rules are very detailed, yet easy to understand. You'll need to refer to the rule book the first few times you play for those "unusual" situations.

Overall, this is truly a great game. Since it is not owned by Mattel or Hasbro, it suffers from underexposure in the U.S. Otherwise, you would find it on the shelves of every store that sells board games.

This is one of my favorite games. You can play it over and over again because every time the setup changes so it stays fresh. I rated it a three for educational value because although the game does not teach knowledge, it does use the skills of strategy, thinking ahead, and bargaining effectively. Everything else is top notch. The playing pieces are wood, and the game board pieces are very durable. It is an excellent game for hanging out with family or friends. I would suggest getting the expansion pack though, so you can play with a group of 5 or 6. The original game is for a max of 4 people. You can also modify the rules to suit your group. Every group I've played with plays slightly differently.

This is a very good game of strategy. The directions are pretty confusing for a first-timer - best to play with someone experienced the first few times. With each game we figure out a bit more about strategy. It requires a fair amount of brain work, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is younger than a teen or someone who doesn't like to think. I can see becoming an addict and buying some of the add-ons.