How to Play Catan & HexSettlers

1 Game Overview & Win Condition

In HexSettlers (inspired by the classic board game Settlers of Catan), players take on the role of settlers establishing colonies on a hexagonal island rich with natural resources.

By strategically harvesting resources, negotiating trades with rivals, and constructing roads, settlements, and cities, players compete to expand their dominion across the island.

Victory points are earned in several ways:

• Settlements: 1 Victory Point each
• Cities: 2 Victory Points each
• Longest Road: 2 Victory Points (requires at least 5 continuous road segments)
• Largest Army: 2 Victory Points (requires playing at least 3 Knight development cards)
• Victory Point Development Cards: 1 hidden Victory Point each

2 Board Setup & Starting Placements

At the start of every match, the island board is generated from randomized hexagonal terrain tiles, each labeled with a production number token from 2 to 12 (excluding 7, which belongs to the Desert).

The Snake Draft Initial Phase

Players place their starting buildings using a "snake draft" order:

1. Player 1 → Player 2 → Player 3 → Player 4 (each places 1 settlement + 1 attached road).
2. Player 4 → Player 3 → Player 2 → Player 1 (each places their 2nd settlement + 2nd attached road).
3. Every player receives starting resource cards corresponding to the three terrain hexes surrounding their second settlement.

3 Resources & Terrain Hexes

There are five primary raw materials produced by the island of HexSettlers. Each terrain type yields a specific resource when its numbered token is rolled:

The Desert Hex: The desert is barren and produces no resources. The Robber starts the game stationed in the desert.

4 Building Costs & Structures

During your turn, you can spend accumulated resources to construct infrastructure and purchase development cards:

5 Turn Sequence

Each player's turn is divided into three distinct phases:

1. 1. Production Phase (Roll the Dice):

   The active player rolls two six-sided dice. The sum indicates which hexes produce resources. Every player (not just the active player!) who has a settlement on an intersection touching that hex collects 1 resource card. Cities collect 2 resource cards.

2. 2. Trading Phase:

   The active player may trade cards with opponents (negotiating mutually beneficial trades) or trade with the bank and maritime harbors.

3. 3. Building Phase:

   The active player may build as many roads, settlements, cities, or development cards as their resource hand allows, provided placement rules are respected.

6 Trading & Maritime Harbors

Trading is the lifeblood of Catan strategy. You cannot win on self-sufficiency alone.

Domestic Trading (Between Players)

Only the active player can initiate and conclude trades with other players. Non-active players cannot trade amongst themselves. You cannot trade cards for free (gifts are prohibited).

Maritime Trading (Ports & Bank)

• Bank Exchange (4:1): At any time during your turn, you can trade four identical resources to the bank for any single resource of your choice.
• Generic Harbor (3:1): If you control a settlement on a 3:1 port, you can trade three identical resources for one resource of your choice.
• Specialized Harbor (2:1): If you control a settlement on a dedicated resource port (e.g., Ore Port), you can trade two of that specific resource for any other resource!

7 The Robber & Rolling 7

Seven is the most statistically frequent sum on two dice (16.6% probability). When a 7 is rolled, no hexes produce resources, and two critical events occur:

2. Moving the Robber & Stealing:
The player who rolled the 7 must move the Robber token onto any hex tile on the island (except the Desert):

• Blocks Production: The hex occupied by the robber produces nothing when its number is rolled until the robber is moved away.
• Steal a Resource: The active player chooses one opponent who has a settlement or city adjacent to that hex and steals one random card from their hand.

8 Longest Road & Largest Army

HexSettlers features two special floating achievement titles, each granting +2 Victory Points:

Longest Road (2 VP)

Awarded to the first player to build an unbroken chain of at least 5 road segments. If another player builds a longer continuous road chain, they claim the title and its 2 Victory Points.

Largest Army (2 VP)

Awarded to the first player to activate at least 3 Knight development cards. If another player plays more knights, the title immediately transfers to them.

9 Cities & Knights Expansion Rules

HexSettlers includes full support for the renowned Cities & Knights expansion, bringing deep tactical complexity:

• Victory Condition: First player to reach 13 Victory Points wins (after the first barbarian assault).
• Commodities: Cities built on Forest, Pasture, or Mountains produce 1 resource plus 1 commodity: Paper, Cloth, or Coin.
• Knights System: Recruit (1 Ore + 1 Wool), activate (1 Wheat), and promote knights (Basic → Strong → Mighty) to defend Catan against barbarians, displace rival knights, and chase the robber.
• Barbarian Fleet: The third event die tracks barbarian movement. When they arrive, island-wide knight strength must equal or exceed total cities. Winners receive Defender of Catan (+1 VP), while weak contributors have a city pillaged into a settlement!
• City Improvements & Metropolises: Spend commodities to upgrade Politics, Trade, and Science tracks, unlocking powerful progress cards and +2 VP Metropolises.

10 Strategy Tips & Dice Probabilities

In 2d6 probability, numbers closer to 7 appear far more frequently. The dots on HexSettlers number tokens indicate their relative frequency:

Three Golden Rules for Winning:

1. Pair Your Resources: Wood needs Brick (for roads and settlements), while Ore needs Wheat (for cities and development cards). Prioritize placements where complementary resources have similar probability numbers.
2. Diversify Your Numbers: Avoid putting all your settlements on the same dice number. Having coverage across 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 guarantees steady income every round.
3. Don't Sleep on Harbors: If you have high production of a single resource (e.g. triple Wheat hexes), rush to a 2:1 specialized port to turn your surplus into universal buying power.

11 Frequently Asked Questions