One of the best board games I've ever played. People scoff at the simplicity (and inherent nerdiness) of this game, but then they get sucked in and find themselves playing for hours. There's a lot of different strategy involved, but I've also seen first timers come in and decimate everyone else. It's a lot of fun, and more exciting than Clue or Twister! (via FunAgain)

This complex strategy board game requires extensive set up, lots of time to learn, starts off very slow, and takes an hour or three to complete a game.

And yet, it's somehow addicting. I've seen adults and kids both spend hours upon end playing Settlers of Catan and not get tired of it.

Just make sure you have a large empty area (preferably a flat table) and a couple hours free before you pull it out from the games cabinet.

Once you (or your kids) get addicted, you may be tempted (begged) to purchase some of the extensions and add on sets that make the game take even longer to finish.

Minimum age for kids to enjoy this game is probably around 8-10.

. (via Alain, Joe)

The full board game of the Settlers of Catan. You have to collect resources and build cities and roads and the like to collect victory points.

don't let the ultra-nerdy title or illustrations fool you. this game is CRAZY fun and CRAZY addictive.

great fun for gamers and non-gamers alike (Although really, aren't all non-gamers just folks who haven't yet discovered the games they love?) (via gateplay.com)

A great gateway into the world of Euro board games.

Settlers of Catan is an addictive, absorbing, strategy game. When you think of having friends over to play board games, you probably think back to being nine and having chicken pox and playing Monopoly with your best friend for three days straight. This is not something that requires you to be stuck inside and bored stiff to play.

Settlers of Catan is something you can play with friends and both congratulate yourself on your supreme nerdiness and actually really enjoy. There is no shame to it.

Although I still think that Scrabble is cooler. (via Fran and Vance)

Settlers of Catan is a family game of resource collection, settlement building and trading. Reknown for its appeal to gamers and non-gamers, Settlers of Catan is a strategy game that rewards decision making and player interaction. This game was the German board game of the year in 1995 and won US board game of the year in 1996. (via Board Game Geek)