"They were the ones willing to take a chance on an obscure foreign board game." In the case of Settlers, nerds were the early adopters that Malcolm Gladwell discussed in his book The Tipping Point, a necessary component for a product to take off.īut the game isn't too nerdy for mainstream players. "The nerds recognized it first" argues Charlie Cromer, a nerd culture enthusiast who's been attending gaming conventions for the past decade. Not long after its inception 16 years ago, Settlers found a welcome home among gamers.
Settlers is taking a similar path to popularity.
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Blake Eskin argued in the Washington Post, for instance, that Settlers has taken hold because it exemplifies many aspects of our modern world, such as limited resources and intertwined global economies.Īnother way to view the mainstreaming of Settlers is part of the larger trend of "nerd culture" slowly infusing into "popular culture." For example, while X-Men and Green Lantern were once idolized by just a sliver of society, now millions go watch them at movie theaters in a seemingly endless parade of superhero movies. There are a number of theories explaining how Settlers expanded out of the geek basement to corporate breakrooms and household living rooms. Still, plenty of well-designed games remain mired in obscurity. Because Settlers is a unique game that rewards cooperation as much (if not more) as confrontation, Weisberg argues that it "brings out competitive spirits in a positive way." A single roll generally produces resources for multiple players, and trades are almost always mutually beneficial. And unlike many pastimes that quickly descend into cutthroat competitiveness, Settlers of Catan is not a zero-sum game. Unlike games of Risk that can famously last for days, Settlers usually takes 90 minutes or less. Where games like Monopoly fall short-with playing times that far outlast the players' interest, particularly those who have little hope of victory-Settlers is designed to maintain close competition. Settlers allows players to produce resources, build roads and settlements, buy "development cards," and trade with one another. Each game begins with a shuffling of the board tiles, producing a wholly different board each time. Invented by German designer Klaus Teuber in the mid-1990s, Settlers of Catan involves three or four players building settlements, trading resources, and racing to earn 10 victory points. As a result, says Weisberg, "with a little luck, a sharp new player always has a chance to beat an expert." Adam Weisberg, a finalist in the 2006 Settlers of Catan US Championship, notes that the game "is easy to learn because it draws on equal parts strategy, gamesmanship and luck." The rules give you enough choices to keep it interesting, without so many as to make it overwhelming. Part of Settlers' success can be attributed to its well-designed gameplay. Carty said that the game is mainly played by families, but it's also popular on college campuses and as a team-bonding activity at companies. "Settlers is three to five years away from being a household word." Last year alone, the game's sales grew 35 percent. "The start of the tipping point was 2008," said Bob Carty, a spokesman for Settlers manufacturer Mayfair Games. It wasn't until a decade later that the game's popularity began to blossom. With sales nearing 25 million copies worldwide, Settlers of Catan is becoming the most popular board game since Risk and Monopoly.Īfter Settlers was first released in 1995, a small but passionate following emerged. Over the past few years, Settlers of Catan has transformed from an activity enjoyed by a small niche of gamers into a mainstream hit. In an era of Xboxes and Wiis, my gift ranked just above a framed photo of the gift-giver and just below nose hair clippers.īut multiple marathon gaming sessions later, Settlers of Catan stole my heart. Instead, I was staring down at a board game: Settlers of Catan. Last Christmas, I tore the wrapping paper off a rectangular box, expecting at best I'd see an iPad, at worst a Kindle.
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