Ro's Recz

Catan is one of my favorite board games, but it is nice to mix up the game every now and then. While the base version of Catan is great in terms of replay-ability, there are only so many different strategies that you can test out (the games are mostly different because of the rolls and placement of the pieces).

Catan Cities and Knights is a different version of the base game, although you do have to purchase it separately and own the base game. The base game and the extension pack is about $100 combined, so it is not cheap; however, if you really enjoy Catan and play it often, you will probably be playing it for years to come, so $100 is not too bad.

Cities and Knights has a lot more strategy because there are a lot more pieces and cards in the game; if you have ever played the base game of Catan, the game is about 2x as complex, as well as 2x as long. While a typical game of Catan can take anywhere from 60-90 minutes, Cities and Knights can take anywhere from 90-150 minutes. If you do not want to spend too long playing a game, I would recommend sticking with the base version. Also, if you have never played Catan before, you should 100% start with the base version, as this is where you learn the basics and optimal strategies.

There are several expansion packs available for Catan, although I have only personally tried Cities and Knights. When I was deciding which extension pack to get, almost all of the reviews I read recommended Cities and Knights as the best version; however, I would recommend seeing other expansion packs, and see which one seems the most fun to you (also it depends on how many people you have, as there is a 2 person version of Catan as well). Overall, I think Cities and Knights does a good job of maintaining the integrity of the base version, while also expanding the strategy and gameplay of Catan.