Catan Dice Game (Deluxe)

Yet another strong Catan Game from Mayfair - The Catan Dice Game. There are two versions of the Catan Dice Game - Deluxe and.... not deluxe. Go for the deluxe version - the alternate game board adds a great option and replayability to the board.

I won't bore you with a detailed explanation of the gameplay - you roll the dice and use the result as resources to build stuff. The same core mechanics of Catan are still present. The game is nicely balanced and moves quickly. Oddly, the gameplay is very similar to Yahtzee Jr: Toy Story 3 Edition. My three year old son picked up on the game's mechanics right away.

A couple of oddities, however. The cup that comes with the deluxe game is oddly large. Much bigger than it needs to be. Also, the game is packaged in a clear plastic that is awkward to store. The playing tablet is too big to fit into the cup and falls apart very easily leaving you with a slight mess of a game to store. I'm using a shoebox to store mine. For $25 you'd think they could have put it in a box for you.

I would call this game a must-have for fans of the Catan series of games (and, really, who isn't a fan of Catan?).