Not everyone will do it We appreciate a side of existential menace in your board game, but that’s exactly what you get with Catan: New Energies. It drags the beloved Catan classic into the modern era with fossil fuels and renewable energy, an inventive climate crisis mechanic, and a clever illustration of the consequences if we don’t work toward a greener world. This standalone board game for two to four players doesn’t require the original, though experienced players will pick it up more easily.
While the message is clear, the creators didn’t forget about flow or fun. Catan’s addictive hook, offerings, room for multiple strategies, and variety in play are all present and correct. It’s familiar enough to draw in longtime fans and fresh enough to demand newcomers check it out. New Energies also succeeds in getting its message across, and our first playthrough sparked a long and interesting conversation with my kids about why climate change is happening and why some people disagree with combating it.
Catan of the new era
If you’re not familiar with it, Settlers of Catan was first published in 1995. The game takes place on a fictional medieval island with randomly placed hexagonal tiles, ensuring plenty of replay value. Players must build roads, towns, and cities by spending resources like wood and grain. Resources are collected and traded after dice rolls determine which tiles pay off each turn. A robber mechanic spices things up when someone rolls a seven, and some additional achievements and cards provide victory points. The winner is the first person to accumulate 10 victory points.
Photography: Simon Hill
Five editions and several expansions have been published over the years, and the game was renamed simply Catan for the 20th anniversary edition in 2015. It has sold over 45 million copies in all its various forms. Catan: New Energies is a standalone game rather than an expansion, and was first conceived over a decade ago, then shelved until its creator Klaus Teuber and his sons decided to resurrect it during lockdown.
All the basic mechanics are still there: the randomly generated map of hexagonal tiles, resource gathering and trading, and the race for 10 victory points. But there are several new additions and a modern makeover. Energy is a new resource, and is obtained by building power plants; towns can host one and cities up to three. The energy you generate can be spent on resources, including the new science cards needed to build power plants.
Fossil fuel power plants cost one science card, while renewable plants cost three, and cards are scarce early in the game. The problem is that building fossil fuel plants accelerates the risk of climate disasters and increases what’s called your local footprint. Each player must draw brown event tokens from a bag at the start of their turn, and these add up to trigger climate events. Most have a negative impact, such as hazards that prevent cities from gaining resources for a turn, and they tend to punish the player with the largest local footprint.
Photography: Simon Hill