Catan, a new version of the popular multiplayer board game Settlers of Catan, has been released on the Xbox Live Arcade.
Developed by Big Huge Games, Catan puts players in the role of colonists on an uninhabited island, where they must compete for territorial control via strategy and trading. Players build roads and cities, collect resources, and trade among each other in an attempt to collect victory points. There is no combat, and while strategies can be complex, the actual game mechanics are quite simple, making it a potentially attractive choice for families and young gamers.
The original Settlers of Catan board game was first published in Germany, and has since been translated into 25 languages, with over 11 million copies sold. Prior to the Xbox Live Arcade version, a PC version was released in 2000, and in 2005 Microsoft produced an MSN Games version entitled Catan Online. There is also a version for the Nokia N-Gage.
Catan can be played by up to four people, and supports voice chat. The game is available world-wide for 800 Microsoft Points.
