Creators of Catan release standout new edition of classic board game: 'You can later go and change the world'
Settlers of Catan has become one of the world's most popular board games since its release in 1995. In it, players compete to build the most advanced society in the fictional land of Catan, collecting resources to build roads, cities, and more.
Now, the creators of the game have released a new version based on the climate issues in our non-fictional world, as reported by Fast Company.
In Catan: New Energies, players will be faced with more complex decisions as they choose whether to use dirty energy to develop their societies more quickly or clean energy to develop more slowly. The catch is that if pollution rises above a certain level, the world is destroyed, and the game ends with the person who invested in sustainability as the winner.
The idea behind Catan: New Energies is not necessarily to create the fairest or most satisfying game — if you build responsibly, you can still be wiped out by a player who builds recklessly — but instead to make players think about the very real climate issues facing us today.
"The outcome of this game won't change the world. But maybe your way of thinking will change, and you can later go and change the world," said Benjamin Teuber, the son of Catan's creator.
Klaus, along with Benjamin, who runs the company that develops and licenses Catan products, created Catan: New Energies together, reflecting the way that climate issues have become more pressing for each generation. Klaus died in 2023.
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"Very often at the end of the game, you see everybody completely freaking out, like, 'Oh man, we've got to save the world!'" Benjamin Teuber said. "But the pollution is already here. Like, what did you expect? And then maybe people start working together, and that's a really nice effect that makes you think, 'If we do all work together and all did our share, then it can work, and all it cost is that we grow a little bit slower.'"
Benjamin was also quick to point out that the game is still fun and "not a lecture." Research has indicated that games that are both fun and educational can be a great way to encourage pro-social behavior around climate issues.
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