Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe

It’s the late Middle Ages, and trade is flourishing in Europe. In every major city, trading posts and factories provide citizens with fur from the north, wine from the south, cloth from Flanders, spices from India, and the most important commodity of all: salt. In Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe, you’re dropped into this bustling scene as a powerful merchant with trading posts in three different cities. Recruit new merchants to establish more posts and expand your interests. Then, open up trade routes and equip caravans to ensure your goods arrive safely at their destinations. The first player to deliver all of his or her commodities wins.

Catan Histories: Merchants of Europe is a twist on the 2010 release of Settlers of America: Trails to Rails from the same designer, Klaus Teuber. Instead of being played on a fixed board showing a Catan-ified map of the United States, this board is set on a Catan-ified map of Europe. Instead of moving from east to west to mimic the settling of the United States, players start in the middle of Europe, specifically Germany.