Catan: Junior

About this board game

Catan: Junior is a 30-minute island-building board game for 2–4 players, designed as an accessible introduction to the Catan series for players as young as five.

Set around a ring of islands, the game invites players to expand their pirate networks by building ships and hideouts. Each island produces a different resource, while players can also acquire gold to help fund their plans.

• Gather wood, goats, molasses, and swords.
• Build ships to expand across the islands.
• Construct pirate hideouts and race toward seven.
• Seek help from Coco the Parrot.

Players begin with two pirate hideouts on different islands. As more hideouts are built, players may receive more resources, creating a clear race to control seven pirate hideouts and win the game.

The mysterious Spooky Island is home to the dreaded Ghost Captain, adding an obstacle to the lively exploration. The board uses die faces rather than numbers for resource production, and the market is built directly into the board. Trading with the market is limited to once on a player’s turn, while trading with other players belongs to the advanced game.

Catan: Junior also streamlines the classic experience with durable tiles instead of cards, no harbors, and simpler trading with the bank from the beginning. Players compete for Coco the Parrot tiles: those with the most can place an extra piece on the board, while tied players remove their piece and leave the island vacant.

Ships cannot be chained together indefinitely; players must build a pirate lair before continuing onward. With separate two-player and three- or four-player maps, Catan: Junior offers a welcoming way to discover resource gathering, expansion, and competitive island building.