Less abstract than chess, but more complex than Scrabble, Eurogames — which came to prominence in the late ’70s and early ’80s in Germany and quickly spread across Europe — offer players multiple paths to victory and more intricate strategy and tactics.
Leading the charge of this stylistic expansion stateside was Klaus Teuber’s 1995 release Die Siedler von Catan — Settlers of Catan, now called simply Catan. Others ventured worldwide sooner, but Catan eclipsed them all in popularity. The game has been translated into 40 languages and sold more than 40 million copies.
While it doesn’t even crack the top 500 in terms of ranking on the online forum and database BoardGameGeek.com, it sits at the top of the list for number of votes, followed by Carcassonne and Pandemic. Each of the top three has a cool 20k+ more votes than the game in fourth place. It might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is ubiquitous, thanks to a distinct balance between the simplicity of its rules and the complex opportunities of its strategy.
“You don’t need to be a Catan pro or a gaming expert to play or, for that matter, have a shot at being crowned our champion,” Tony Tandeski told Little Village. Tandeski’s board game pop-up, the Rook Room, which he runs with Annelise Tarnowski, hosts Catan competitions. “There are definitely people that attend who probably have thousands of games under their belt, but we’ve also had first-time players come and make it all the way to the finals.”
The game, for two-to-four players (five-to-six with an expansion), is set on the island of Catan, where players compete to gather resources and build the biggest settlements. The board consists of 19 land hex tiles that can be arranged randomly to make each game unique. Numbered circle markers are placed on top of each hex tile, except for the desert where the robber pawn is placed. Victory points are awarded for a variety of development successes, and the first player to reach 10 victory points wins the game.
Catan has been the subject of a documentary (Going Cardboard, 2012) and a short film starring Amy Acker and Fran Kranz (Lord of Catan, 2014). It’s been adapted for video game consoles and for PC and spawned numerous expansions — the latest, Catan: New Energies, comes out this spring; it has a modern setting and offers players a choice between clean energy and fossil fuels, with environmental disaster among the possible consequences. (New Energies is the last Catan expansion designed by Teuber, who passed away in April 2023.)
And since 2002, there has been a World Championship for Catan players. The next event, coming up in 2025, will be the 14th. Since 2008, the biennial World Championship has traded locations between the U.S. and Germany, although the most recent was held in Malta. Details have not yet been announced for 2025.
Participating countries send up to two representatives to the world events, which for 2025 will include 2023 U.S. national champion Griffin Burstyn—and whoever wins the 2024 National Tournament, happening later this year in Minneapolis.
You can show off your own building and trading skills as you compete to become the dominant force on the island of Catan this month at Gamicon Arsenic. The Des Moines-based Rook Room is partnering with Eastern Iowa’s Mindbridge Foundation (Icon, AnimeIowa) at their 33rd annual gaming convention (Feb. 23-25) to present a Catan National Qualifier Tournament. It’s the second qualifier the Rook Room will host this season—there was one held in West Des Moines last October, making Iowa the only state its size with multiple qualifier events.
“This will actually be the second time we’ve collaborated with Gamicon and we can’t wait!” Tandeski said of the intrastate partnership. “In the past, both as attendees and presenters, we’ve found Gamicon has some of the best, most welcoming people in their community of gamers, so we’re always excited to be a part of the weekend and will always come back to hang out with them in whatever capacity.”
Preliminary rounds will be held on Friday, Feb. 23, followed by the semi-finals and finals on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Radisson Hotel (formerly the Marriott) in Cedar Rapids. On average, preliminaries take three hours, while the semi-final and final take about an hour each. Everyone, no matter their experience level, is welcome.
“You won’t find any gatekeepers here,” Tandeski said. “We do our best to make sure that all of our players understand that while there are some super cool prizes involved, the main point is to have fun playing and be kind while doing it.”
The winners of this qualifier will earn a seat at the 2024 United States Championship (date TBA), hosted by Catan Studio. Qualified players will receive invitations beginning in late spring. The U.S. champion will go on to compete in the 2025 World Championship, as well as the Americas tournament, which is a new event that will take place in the off-years from the World Championship.
Pre-registration is required for the tournament. There is no cost to enter, but Gamicon registration is required for entry and ends Feb. 16 (weekend passes start at $30). All players must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents over 18 years of age. The winner will receive an official Catan prize pack as well as a seat at the U.S. Championship.
If wheat and sheep aren’t your speed, Gamicon Arsenic offers several other tournaments as well. You can flex your skills at the U.S. National Qualifier for Munchkin, as well as for Euchre, Hearts and Spades (“strict Hoyle rules” apply). The guest of honor for the three-day convention is role-playing game designer Nat Barmore (Dread).
Board game settlements across Iowa
Many local game stores provide collections and space for board gaming, but organizations like the Rook Room are becoming increasingly common, partnering with restaurants and bars to offer pop-up game nights and more, as well as limited-hour spots that offer dedicated physical spaces for gaming. Check out the upcoming events below!
The Dealt Hand
Events held around the Des Moines area
thedealthand.com
- Cocktails and Cardboard, New Northwestern Cocktail & Wine Bar, Des Moines, Thursdays at 6 p.m.
- Family Friendly Board Game Day, Peace Tree Brewing, Des Moines, Sundays, Feb. 2 and 18, 2 p.m.
- Game Night for Grown-ups, Happy Apple Celebrations, Norwalk, Fridays, Feb. 9 and 23, 6 p.m.
- Game Night, Sugar Grove Goods, Dallas Center, Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.
On the horizon: Camp ReFresh Board Game Retreat, Des Moines Y Camp, Boone, April 26-28, $300
The Rook Room
Events held around the Des Moines area
therookroom.com
- Prism Tabletop Club LGBTQ+, Slow Down Coffee Co, Des Moines, Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m., Free
- Puzzlepalooza Jigsaw Puzzle Competition, Peace Tree Brewing, Des Moines, Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m., $40/team of four
- Catan National Qualifier, Gamicon Arsenic, Radisson Hotel, Cedar Rapids, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 23-24, Free ($30 convention registration required for access)
Diversions: Games & Cafe
Events held around the Iowa City area
diversionsic.com
Diversions’ Indiegogo page
Look for events in March
Sioux City Tabletop Gamers
Nonprofit in Sioux City
siouxcitytabletopg.wixsite.com
Occasional game nights as well as spring and fall conventions.
On the horizon: Free Spring Convention, Sioux City Convention Center, May 17-19
Graham’s Games Café
Arcade and Board Games in Winterset
grahamsgamecafe.com
Open Fridays, 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays, 3-7 p.m., $7 cover per day for unlimited play. Also available for rentals: one hour, $100; two hours, $175; additional time $50/hour.
Good Restaurant and Lounge
Upstairs lounge “hangout zone”
goodburlington.com
Dedicated space stocked with games for drop-in play, open Wednesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s February 2024 issue.
