The Leen

Oh, no! I almost missed posting today. I’m making it in just under the wire here.

Tonight, we played Settlers of Catan with some friends. It’s been a recent obsession for Brett and me; I’d played it a few years ago with our friends Katie and Jon but Brett had never played it until a few weeks ago. The day after he played it for the first time, he insisted we go out and buy it for ourselves. We did, and now we’re hooked.

The only way to describe it is that it’s like a cross between Risk and Monopoly, and, in my opinion, a million times more interesting than either of those games.

There’s something so compelling about it: the logic, the strategy, the planning that’s required as you play…and yet, there’s the element of randomness in terms of what numbers are rolled that makes it truly interesting. I’ve played some really awesome rounds and some really terrible ones. Like tonight. I got hemmed in on all sides by other people and I couldn’t build anything else so I just gave up after a while.

Anyway, you are supposed to have at least three people to play but Brett and I have been playing with just the two of us as we learn and become familiar with how to play. It’s led to some really fun evenings lately!

It seems like the kind of game that we’ll just keep playing over and over for years to come. I’d imagine there’s always something new to learn as one plays it. So if you’re looking for a new board game, or for something new to do with your family, and you enjoy strategy-based games, I highly recommend it!