The Settlers of Catan: The Great River

About this expansion

The Settlers of Catan: The Great River is an expansion for The Settlers of Catan for 3–6 players, with a listed play time of 90 minutes. Released in 2005, it adds a special river tile while keeping the other rules of the base game.

The expansion consists of one tile containing three hexes and a river. Its central addition is a reward for construction: everything built alongside the river grants a gold point. This creates a new way to track progress during the game without replacing the familiar Catan rules.

• One tile featuring three hexes and a river
• Construction alongside the river grants gold points
• Every three gold points are worth one victory point
• The winning requirement increases by two victory points

Gold points convert into victory points in groups of three, giving river-adjacent construction a defined value. Because the expansion changes the victory requirement as well, players now need two more victory points to win than they would under the base game’s usual rules.

All other rules remain the same as in The Settlers of Catan. The Great River therefore provides a focused addition rather than a complete rules overhaul, centered on its river tile, gold-point rewards, and higher victory threshold.

Originally available only as an insert in Games Quarterly Magazine, The Settlers of Catan: The Great River is a compact expansion with a clearly defined feature: build alongside the river, collect gold, convert it into victory points, and pursue the raised goal.