How to Play Catan: 5-6 Player Expansion

Goal of the Game

In the 5-6 player expansion for Catan: The Game, the goal remains the same as the original version: be the first player to reach 10 victory points. Points are earned by building settlements, cities, roads, buying development cards, and achieving specific objectives. The island is now larger and the competition for resources is more intense, making the game even more challenging.

Setup

To set up the game with 5-6 players:

• Use the 10 Sea Tokens (6 from the base game + 4 from the expansion) to form the edges of the board.
• Shuffle the terrain hexes and form the board in rows: 6 hexes in the center, 5 on each side, then 4, and finally 3, as illustrated in the manual.
• Place the expansion number tokens in a counter-clockwise spiral, starting from a corner, following alphabetical order. Deserts do not receive tokens.
• Position the ports at the indicated junctions: "3-1", "5-1", and two "any".
• Place the robber on one of the deserts.
• Each player receives pieces in their color (brown or green) and starting materials according to the basic rules.

Important: Use only the expansion number tokens, even with base game hexes.

Gameplay Flow

The game follows the basic Catan flow, with one crucial addition:

1. The active player performs their 3 normal actions: rolling the dice for resource production, trading, and building.
2. Special building phase: After the active player's turn, all other players may build (in clockwise order, starting with the next player). During this phase, you are only allowed to build settlements, roads, cities, or buy development cards. Trading is prohibited.
3. The turn passes to the next player to the left.

Actions and How to Play

The available actions are the same as the base game, with emphasis on the new building phase:

• Resource production: Rolling the dice to determine which terrains produce resources.
• Trading: Exchanging cards with other players or using ports (only during the active turn).
• Building: During your turn or the special phase, spend resources to build structures or buy cards.

Restriction: During the special building phase, trading is strictly prohibited.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends immediately when a player reaches 10 victory points at the start of their turn. Points are counted as follows:

• Settlement: 1 point
• City: 2 points
• Development cards (some grant points)
• Longest road and largest army (2 points each, if applicable).

Tips for Winning

• Take advantage of the special building phase to expand even when it is not your turn, especially if you are near a port or a valuable resource.
• With more players, the competition for resources is greater. Prioritize development cards to obtain flexible advantages.
• Position your initial buildings strategically, as the larger board requires more route planning and resource access.