Top 10 Best Catan Expansions 2021 Reviews

Spending a joyful moment with friends or family is always the blessing for everyone. Most people choose to play the classic Catan board game to ease their stress and living the moment with the people they adore. On the other hand, the original board game can be less exciting because of the same old content and gameplay. With the various expansion, players will have a different kind of concept and plot story to get the best out of the original game. The expansion has to include dissimilar parts to avoid confusion, colorful art style on the board, and useful rulebook for new players. Besides that, it is even better if the board allows a total of five or six players to prevent the ease of play. Also, all the parts of the board game require to be made with top-notch materials for prolonged usage. As marvelous as we have mentioned, finding the complete package and fun and exciting Catan expansion can be tiresome since there are many kind of brands that have been advertised in the market. After our in-depth research, we have listed ten Catan expansions to boost your gameplay and excitement.

Table Best Catan Expansions

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1. Klaus Teuber’s Catan Studio Extension

1. Klaus Teuber's Catan Studio Extension
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What’s makes this Catan Extension a special cardboard among other products, is its adjustability. It comes in a big size of 8.8 x 6.38 inches for more people to enjoy the game. You do not have to worry about the family members being left out because it has been specially made for a group of 5 to 6 people to explore Catan’s land. There are a total of eleven unique territories for the new members to set on a quest, which is also exciting. Additionally, two more frame pieces’ harbors have been added with surprisingly new terrain tiles. The settlements, cities, and roads are all made of wood. Anyway, this board game’s average playtime is one hour so that you can enjoy it to the fullest with your friends or family with the special die-cut number tokens. All you need is just a Catan game to play with this extension.

Key Features
  • The resource and development cards are in full-color
  • Extra green and brown setters for two more players
  • The package includes an all-sea frame pieces
  • Made in the US with high-quality materials
Pros
  • It is compatible with the fourth edition of Catan base and expansion games
  • Provides more depth and complexity to the board game
  • Has excellent potential for continued play value even after finishing the game
  • The game is easy to learn for a beginner
Cons
  • Not for children under five years old because the game has many small parts

2. Catan Studio the Seafarers Expansion

2. Catan Studio the Seafarers Expansion
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Any average expansion Catan board game can be too dull or does not live up to the buyers’ expectations. These types of expansion only waste your time and money. With the Catan Seafarers, you can control the seafaring settlers to explore and tame the wild with such excitement. Each game will bring you to new lands and seas of the uncharted Isles of Catan. It comes with 11.63 x 9.5 inches, meaning that you can enjoy this with three to four players. Moreover, the Catan Seafarers expansion comes with a completely new scenario with the specialized goldfields to explore. On the other hand, the complexity and depth of the games is on the whole new level due to this expansion. However, this board game is not the complete edition, and you require to have the Settlers of Catan in order to play this.

Key Features
  • Color rulebook to provide a basic rule for beginner
  • Sixty wooden ships for the long journey
  • Eleven different terrains to explore
  • There are ten harbor tokens to trade your resource
Pros
  • Can be learned in only 15 minutes
  • Provides long playtime of one hour
  • Each and every game is unique and fun
  • Comes with a reasonable price
Cons
  • This board game is not a toy for children under five years’ old

3. Catan Studio the Cities & Knights Expansion

3. Catan Studio the Cities & Knights Expansion
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Catan Studio, the board game company with the goal of providing all of their players an exciting and thrilling journey, has come up with Cities & Knights as an expansion to the famous Catan game. This is the top-notch card game that comes up with impressive gameplay. Firstly, there are three metropolises for the players to build and defend. It requires you the player to invest in your city to defend against the attack by the opponent. There are three commodities of trade: cloth, coin, and paper, to improve your culture and knights to be the master of Catan’s realm. Similarly, the complexity of this expansion is high, and it takes 90 minutes to complete the whole round, but the enjoyment will not fade away during this one hour and a half time. That being said, you need to have a Catan base game to play this expansion.

Key Features
  • Three progress cards-trade, politics, and science
  • The metropolis pieces are made of wood
  • Flip-charts has been developed to provide more content
  • The box includes one wooden merchant figure
Pros
  • Suitable for three to four players
  • The rules are simple and almanac
  • Comes with a rulebook to provide basic knowledge of the game
  • Involve more comprehensive strategy
Cons
  • The color pieces of the board game look similar to one another

4. Catan Studio the Explorers & Pirates Expansion

4. Catan Studio the Explorers & Pirates Expansion
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The Explorers & Pirates expansion has made it into this review list because it surely deserves it. It has an average size of 11.63 x 9.5 inches, which allows three to four players to enjoy this thrilling journey. This dynamic expansion will introduce you to a new way to play the Catan board game with three new missions and five new scenarios. You can expand your world from the first port to discover new islands. For instance, you will not have only a single island with limited resources, but there are new cultures that you can trade with. The surprise feature is that the player will encounter pirate lairs that will make this game more stimulating. There is also a brand new port settlement that can help you create ships for fishing and protecting yourself from pirates.

Key Features
  • Sixteen wooden harbor settlements for the start of the journey
  • Three mission cards to add more depth and complexity
  • All the parts are made in the US to provide extended usage
  • Each of the pieces comes with a full color which are stunning
Pros
  • Provides long gameplay ranging from 90 to 180 minutes
  • Suitable for players from 8 to 15 years’ old
  • Comes with an affordable price
  • Each of the pieces are different from this original game which will not confuse the players
Cons
  • Players require to have the MFG3071 Catan board game to play this expansion

5. Catan Studio the Seafarers Extension for 5-6 Players

5. Catan Studio the Seafarers Extension for 5-6 Players
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There are multiple features that make the Seafarers extension to be sought after by most of the customers in the store. The buyers who have played this board game extension surely comes into its complexity and gameplay. Even better, this Seafarers extension has been redesigned to allow five to six people to enjoy this exhilarating journey. All you need is the Catan base game to play with this extension, and you will have a total of four game boxes with a different playstyle. Interestingly, the unexplored sea, settlement, and mysterious islands will be seeking by the six players. That being said, there are a total of nine scenarios to make this board game rich in content and make it an award-winning of seafaring, trade, and discovery. Anyway, there will be more far-off mine to discover for the player to be the Catan’s undisputed ruler.

Key Features
  • A rulebook to provide an understanding of this extension
  • The package includes 30 wooden ships for the exciting voyage
  • One desert tile for extra content to the board game
  • Colorful art by the famous designer Michael Menzel
Pros
  • Has an average game time of 90 minutes
  • Comes with an extra one to two opponents without sacrificing the play
  • Suitable for players from the age of 8 to 15
  • A nice change of pace from the original board game
Cons
  • Not recommended for children under the age of five

6. Fantasy Flight Games the Game of Thrones Brotherhood of the Watch Catan

6. Fantasy Flight Games the Game of Thrones Brotherhood of the Watch Catan
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When your old extension of the classic Catan board game begins to fall apart, you will surely find a new and compelling extension to play with. Well, the Game of Thrones Brotherhood of the Watch board game will be your best companion. This is the strategy game designed by Klaus and Benjamin Teuber based on the best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George R.R. Martin. The players will begin with the battle to defend the Realms of Man. This grounded and engrossing world will make you take the Black to defend the land of Westeros and become the Lord Commander. Moreover, the Brothers of the Night’s Watch will recognize you as their leader when you upgrade the infrastructure in the south of the Wall called the Gift. Better still, with the unforgiving landscape plus the Wildings, there will be ton of challenges for the players to defend the Watch.

Key Features
  • Multiple gameplay styles against the Giants, Climbers, and Wildings
  • Colorful card with a unique art style
  • The original Catan game is available on the backside of the board
  • The board are well design with various contents
Pros
  • Does not require you to have the original base game since this is an exceptional complete edition
  • Allows three to four players to participate in this fascinating adventure
  • Average playtime of 60 to 90 minutes
  • Fitting for players from 14 years old onward
Cons
  • Choking hazard objects and not for children under the age of three

7. Catan Studio the Star Trek

7. Catan Studio the Star Trek
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If you are looking for Catan with a slightly lower price than others, the Star Trek Catan is your best choice. There are multiple contents for you to enjoy with your friends and family. It brings the concept of the classic Star Trek universe to the famous board game. This is a space exploration board game that comes with a different type of resources and planets. The players will be using the fleet of starships to create supply routes to dive deep into space. Therefore, this Star Trek Catan is challenging since there will only be one Federation’s greatest hero in the end. More than that, you will not need the original board game to play because this is a complete full game, which is a different version of Settlers of Catan.

Key Features
  • Rules and almanac to help new players to understand the game
  • Total of 95 resource cards for three to four players
  • The box includes 6-part game board frame
  • The famous character from Starship Enterprise is available in the new support cards
Pros
  • Combination of two classic properties
  • Long length of thrilling gameplay from 75 to 90 minutes
  • The board comes in a smooth black design
  • Each of the characters has their own special task
Cons
  • Not for children under the age of seven

8. Catan Studio the Family Edition

8. Catan Studio the Family Edition
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Customers often think about the gameplay and content that they will play when buying a new Catan game. Players often set their minds in purchasing a Catan board game that provides them an exciting experience. However, this is not an easy task since there are various Catan game in the market. On the other hand, we would suggest you to the Family Edition Catan game from Catan Studio. This is the modern classic board game that featured modular reversible pieces meaning that the players can enjoy thousands of different balanced boards. Also, there are resources such as brick, ore, grain, lumber, and wool to build your city and other main cultural milestones. Lastly, this game is challenging and require clever trading skill plus shrewd development.

Key Features
  • Six double-sided with interlocking tiles for three to four players
  • Two special bonus cards to provide some movement
  • The box has rules for new players to learn in about 15 minutes
  • All of the pieces are nice and durable
Pros
  • This is the complete game and does not require the original Catan to play with
  • Players have an average playtime from 60 to 90 minutes
  • Every game is fun and unique
  • Has an excellent replay value
Cons
  • Cannot be used with other extensions/expansions

9. Catan Studio the Junior

9. Catan Studio the Junior
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What makes the Catan Junior the perfect introduction of the classic board game to the younger players is the modified playing style. It has been specially designed for players as young as five years old. This Catan takes place in the mysterious Spooky Island, where two to four players will build their hideouts. Namely, this board game’s goal is to control the seven pirate hideouts while avoiding the dreaded Ghost Captain. Besides that, players can acquire gold by generating the resource that the island provides, such as goats, swords, wood, and molasses. Moreover, it only has an average playtime of 30 minutes, which is suitable for young players.

Key Features
  • The board game is available in 30 languages for all kind of audience
  • 106 resource tiles for the players
  • The box has clear rules and easy to follow
  • Colorful board with distinctive design
Pros
  • Available for two to four players
  • Perfect junior version of the classic Catan game
  • The board game is low-cost
  • The product comes in a good packaging
Cons
  • There is nothing unpleasant to mention about the Catan Junior

10. Mayfair Games the Rivals for Age of Darkness Catan

10. Mayfair Games the Rivals for Age of Darkness Catan
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Buy yourself the Rivals for Age of Darkness Catan board game, and you will be surprised by its in-depth content. The board comes with the small size of 6.38 x 4.75 inches, which is suitable for two players. Three are a total of themes for the players to play: the Era of Intrigue, Merchant Princes, and Barbarians. The players require to employ new heroes, border fortresses, castles, strategists, and caravels to attack and defend their base from each other. Last but not least, you will surely enjoy this thrilling content with your opponent.

Key Features
  • 90 expansion card with unique aspect to each of it
  • All the parts are made in the US with premium materials
  • The package has almanac and rules book for new players
  • Small enough to fit in the original box for travelling
Pros
  • A great expansion to the Rivals of Catan
  • The artwork on the cards are magnificent
  • Each of the parts are durable
  • The product comes with a reasonable price
Cons
  • Require the Rivals of Catan set to play this board

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ten Catan expansions that we have stated are among the best-selling board game recommended by most players. The huge board, multiple settlements, and unique section made the expansion enjoyable for every player. However, there are many board games out there that have a similar design but are made from low-quality materials. You have to be cautious when shopping for the Catan expansion. There are various types of expansion with different gameplay and price tags for you to decide. We sincerely hope that you can find the perfect Catan expansion to enjoy with friends and family.

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