The best Settlers of Catan expansions 2026
The Settlers of Catan will be 31 years old in 2026. In this list we have picked out the best Catan expansions 2026 for you. With these expansions, every Settlers game will be different.
Order of the settlers expansions
In addition, there are some mini-expansions and so-called scenarios. But more about that below in our Catan top expansions list.
Extra 5-6 Player Catan Expansions
Catan is actually designed for 3-4 players. However, extra 5-6 player expansions exist for all major expansions as well as for the Catan Basic Game:
- Settlers of Catan Basic Game 5-6 Player Supplement.
- Seafarers 5-6 Player Supplement
- Cities & Knights 5-6 player supplement
- Traders & Barbarians 5-6 player supplement
- Explorers & pirates 5-6 player supplement
Looking for a completely standalone Settlers variant?
Not only are there expansions of Catan, there are also completely standalone Settlers games apart from the original. We have created an extra list for you: The best Settlers of Catan variants.
Which is the best Settlers expansion?
Which one do you think is the best Settlers of Catan expansion? Write us at tibi+brettspiele@cephea.de.
List with the best Settlers of Catan expansions
Enclosed now our overview with the best Settlers of Catan expansions 2026:
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CATAN: 3D Edition
All details & ratingPlayers strive to dominate the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads. Each turn, dice are rolled to determine the resources produced: sheep, wheat, wood, brick, and ore. The 3D edition features intricately designed terrain and hand-painted tiles, providing a visually stunning experience that enhances gameplay. Players can earn points through their constructions and by achieving specific objectives, with the first to 10 points declared the winner.
3–4 60–120 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 10 € above the best price220 € at Amazon* -
Catan: Junior
All details & ratingCatan: Junior offers a captivating introduction to the world-renowned Catan series, specifically designed for younger players. This game simplifies the classic Settlers of Catan mechanics to create an accessible, engaging, and educational experience for children aged five and up.
2–4 30 min 6+ Immediately playable -
Catan: The Duel – Dark & Golden Times
Expansion
All details & ratingThe expansion features six thematic sets that enhance Rivals for Catan. Players can fend off barbarian raids, explore new islands, and much more.
2 60–75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan
All details & ratingCATAN, formerly known as The Settlers of Catan, is a highly acclaimed and award-winning strategy board game where players aim to become the dominant force on the island of Catan. The game is renowned for its appeal to both experienced gamers and newcomers to the board game hobby.
3–4 60–120 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan Dice Game Deluxe Edition
All details & ratingThe Catan Dice Game XXL Boxed Set includes a box with six dice, a marker, a dice cup that also serves as a container, and four laminated, reusable score sheets featuring both the original and the variant maps. This set should not be confused with the Catan Dice Game XXL variant, which offers a printed game board for up to 4 players and features interactive rules available for download. Consider subscribing to the components of Catan Dice Game and Catan Dice Game Plus for complete information.
1–4 30 min 7+ Immediately playable -
CATAN: Seafarers
1. Expansion
All details & ratingCatan: Seafarers is an expansion to the popular board game CATAN, adding new elements and strategies to the base game. This expansion focuses on exploration and building across water, introducing shipping lanes and various water-based scenarios.
3–4 90 min 10+ Easy to learnVideo reviews 1 -
Catan: 25th anniversary edition
All details & ratingA special edition celebrates the 25th anniversary of Catan. It includes the base game, Catan: Seafarers, and two scenarios: Catan: Hawaii and Catan: Iberian Peninsula.
3–4 60–120 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan: Big Box
2016
All details & ratingCatan: Big Box includes the classic Catan board game and an expansion that allows up to six players to compete. It features the scenario of the irregulars, the mini-expansion "Helpers of Catan" which grants each player a character with a bonus ability, as well as the Mallorca scenario (printed on paper) and the Germany scenario (printed on the game board, showcasing city landmarks).
3–6 75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
CATAN: Treasures, Dragons & Adventurers
Expansion
All details & ratingThis expansion pack provides additional materials for scenarios that could previously only be played with some modifications. It includes components for various scenarios and a new scenario called "Setting Off into the Unknown." The expansion also offers enough materials for a larger game of Catan without needing a second base game.
3–4 90 min 8+ Easy to learn -
CATAN: 5-6 Player
Expansion
All details & ratingThe Catan: 5-6 Player Extension is an expansion that allows you to add up to two additional players to the base game of The Settlers of Catan. This expansion broadens the scope of the original game, making it suitable for larger groups and family gatherings.
5–6 120 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan Junior Madagascar
All details & ratingPlayers take on the role of characters from the film Madagascar 3 and build circus tents and vehicles on the island of Madagascar. The game accommodates 2 to 4 players, generating resources like wood, sandbags, popcorn, wool, and juice cocktails. The goal is to be the first to set up all seven circus tents while expanding your network and avoiding the controlling zookeeper.
2–4 30 min 6+ Easy to learn -
Rivals for Catan: Age of Enlightenment
Expansion
All details & ratingThe expansion set Goldene Zeiten for Die Fürsten von Catan includes 125 new cards and introduces three thematic sets: "The Era of Explorers," "The Era of Sages," and "The Era of Prosperity."
2 75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan: Big Box
2019
All details & ratingThe 2019 edition of Catan: Big Box includes the classic Catan board game and an expansion that allows up to six players to join in. It features the Catan dice game, the "Frenemies" scenario, the mini-expansion "Helpers of Catan" which gives each player a character with a bonus ability, and scenarios based in Mallorca and New York, both printed on paper.
3–6 75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan: Cities & Knights
2. Expansion
All details & ratingEmbark on a strategic journey in CATAN: Cities & Knights, an expansion that enriches the classic Settlers of Catan experience. Two major additions elevate gameplay - the creation of knights to fend off barbarian invasions and the construction of city improvements providing unique benefits. As part of the Catan Series, this expansion introduces tactical complexity and extends the game length.
3–4 90–150 min 12+ Medium complexity -
Rivals for Catan: Age of Darkness
Expansion
All details & ratingThe expansion includes three thematic sets that can be combined with the base game. In the Age of Intrigue, players engage in religious conflicts that affect their resources. The Age of Trade Lords focuses on controlling commerce with key buildings and improved trade ships. In the Age of Barbarians, players build defenses and recruit new heroes to fend off barbarian attacks and thwart rivals.
2 60–75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
CATAN 3D Collector's Edition
All details & ratingA special edition is being created to commemorate this significant and joyful event. It includes Settlers of Catan and Cities & Knights for 3-4 players, featuring 3D hand-painted tiles made from dense, heavy resin and a complete interlocking border. Each player receives a set of hand-painted settlements, cities, metropolises, city walls, knights, and roads, all housed in a hardwood box designed for safety with felt-lined slots for the tiles.
3–4 45 min 10+ Medium complexity -
Rivals for Catan
All details & ratingRivals for Catan reinvents the classic Catan Card Game for a new generation of players. Designed by Klaus Teuber, this card game was released in honor of the 15th anniversary of the original card game. It introduces players to the competitive world of Catan, where each player assumes the role of a prince, striving to develop their provinces and outshine their rivals. The game offers a fresh take on the original mechanics, making it more accessible to newcomers while retaining the essence of the beloved Catan universe.
2 45–60 min 10+ Easy to learn -
CATAN: Starfarers
All details & ratingTwenty years ago, settlers ventured into the depths of the galaxy to discover unknown planets and explore the uncharted universe before them. They might find planets rich in ore or carbon, or barren ice worlds instead. Encounters with aliens can lead to profitable trade, while pirates and wormholes pose constant challenges. This new version of Catan: Starfarers features completely revamped graphics, updated materials, revised rules, and a variable game board for even greater variety in space exploration.
3–4 120 min 14+ Medium complexity -
Catan: Seafarers Scenario – Legend of the Sea Robbers
Expansion
All details & ratingThe scenario "Legend of the Pirates" offers four interconnected scenarios celebrating the 20th anniversary of Catan: Seafarers. Players can enjoy each scenario individually while aiming to collect ten victory points, and they can also track their scores at the end of each scenario, influencing the next game. This expansion requires both the base game of Catan and the Seafarers expansion.
3–4 90 min 10+ Easy to learn -
The Settlers of Catan: Junior
All details & ratingPlayers take on the role of pirates instead of settlers while collecting and trading resources to build pirate ports and ships around the islands of Catan. Resource gathering occurs through pirate ports when a die roll matches the number displayed on the island, and players can use these resources to build or buy development cards. The goal is to be the first to build seven ports while navigating around the threat of a ghost pirate that can block resource allocation.
3–4 30 min 6+ Easy to learn -
Catan Dice Game
All details & ratingCatan Dice Game is a dice-driven adaptation of the classic board game series "Settlers of Catan". In this version, players focus on building settlements, roads, cities, and hiring knights, similar to the original game, but without the use of a physical board. Instead, players have their own score card, or "building sheet," to track their progress and developments in their mini version of Catan.
1–4 15–30 min 7+ Immediately playable -
CATAN: Seafarers – 5-6 Player Extension
All details & ratingThe Catan: Seafarers – 5-6 Player Extension expands the possibilities of the original Seafarers of Catan game, allowing for 1-2 additional players to join in. This extension maintains the ease of play of the original game while introducing ten new scenarios, designed to enhance the experience of seafaring, exploration, and trade in the world of Catan. With this expansion, 5-6 players can now engage in the strategy and adventure of settling mysterious islands near Catan.
5–6 120 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Struggle for Catan
All details & ratingThe Struggle for Catan is a dynamic, multi-player card game that captures the essence of the Catan universe, offering a new way to experience the classic resource management and development strategies familiar to fans of the original The Settlers of Catan board game. Designed by Klaus Teuber and released by Kosmos and Mayfair Games in 2011, this game introduces a streamlined, dice-less gameplay that emphasizes strategic planning over luck.
2–4 30 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Catan: Traveler – Compact Edition
All details & ratingCatan: Compact is a travel version of Catan that replicates the gameplay experience with some limitations due to the smaller board size. Players aim to be the first to reach ten victory points, primarily earned through cities and settlements built on the board. The game features adjustable land tiles and includes a two-player variant with cards that allow one player to enforce a trade with the other.
2–4 75 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Baden-Württemberg Catan
All details & ratingIn 1952, three German federal states voted to merge into one, and to commemorate this event's sixtieth anniversary, a special edition of Teuber's Settlers of Catan was released. Players roll dice to determine resource production, trade resources, and use them to build settlements, cities, roads, and purchase development cards. The game features the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, where players can construct significant landmarks like the Stuttgart TV tower and Heidelberg Castle.
3–4 60 min 10+ Easy to learn -
CATAN: Starfarers Duel
All details & ratingPlayers explore the vastness of space, traveling to distant planets, buying and selling resources, founding colonies, and establishing trade relations while watching out for pirates. Upgrading their spaceship to face potential threats is also an option. The game features five introductory missions and offers a variable setup.
2 75 min 12+ Easy to learn
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
CATAN: 3D Edition currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.
How many players do the games on this list support?
Most games on this list support 3 to 4 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.
What age are these games suitable for?
Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 6 years. Each game carries its own age rating.
How long does a game take?
A typical game takes about 60 to 75 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
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