Catan Review – From Fun to Frustration

I used to really enjoy playing Catan — the mechanics, the strategy, the resource trading — it was all part of a great experience. But lately, playing the game has become more of a chore than a pleasure.

Out of 10 games, I’m lucky if I win even 1. And it’s not because I’m the worst player — I understand the game well. The problem lies in how unfair and biased the gameplay has become. The dice rolls no longer feel random, and the AI behavior is incredibly frustrating. When a human player drops out, the AI that takes over tends to gang up on one opponent (often me), regardless of the actual board situation.

These patterns make the game feel rigged rather than strategic, and it ruins what used to be an enjoyable experience. If these issues with randomness and AI targeting aren’t fixed, I’ll probably stop playing altogether.

Catan has so much potential, but right now it just doesn’t feel fair or fun anymore.

I bought this game to build roads and trade sheep.
Instead, I built regret and traded my joy for silence.

I wanted to play with one friend. Simple. Pure.
But the game demanded a third. An AI.
We let it in.
It never moved.

It sat frozen, eyes glazed, turn unspoken.
No clock. No mercy. No escape.
We waited, hopeful at first, then confused, then still.
It never played.
And neither did we.

The board became a tomb.
Our laughter faded. Our patience died.
This wasn’t a game. It was a eulogy.

And around it all, the stench of monetization.
Menus offering pieces of joy in overpriced fragments.
A classic game, broken and gutted for spare parts.

I wanted to settle.
But I was the one conquered.

Winner of the Board Game of the Year award twice!
If you enjoy board games and love strategy, trading, and competition, this game is a must-try