Anika Begay
Not everyone will do it appreciate a side of existential threat with their board game, but that’s exactly what you get with Catan: New Energies. It brings the beloved classic Catan into the modern day with fossil fuels and renewable energy, an inventive climate crisis mechanic, and a clever illustration of the consequences if we fail to work toward a greener world. This standalone board game for two to four players doesn’t require the original, though experienced players will have an easier time picking it up.
While the message is clear, the creators haven’t forgotten about flow or fun. Catan’s addictive triggers, deal-making, room for multiple strategies, and variation in gameplay are all present and correct. It’s familiar enough to entice old fans and fresh enough to warrant a look for newcomers. New Energies gets its point across, too, and our first playthrough prompted a long and interesting conversation with my kids about why climate change is happening and why some people aren’t on board to fight it.
Catan of the New Age
If you’re not familiar with it, The Settlers of Catan was first released in 1995. The game takes place on a fictional medieval island with randomly placed hexagonal tiles, providing plenty of replay value. Players must build roads, towns, and cities by spending resources such as wood and grain. Resources are collected and traded after dice rolls to determine which tiles pay out each turn. A rogue mechanic livens things up when someone rolls a seven, and some additional objectives and cards award victory points. The winner is the first person to accumulate 10 victory points.
Photography: Simon Hill
Five editions and various expansions have been released over the years, and the game was renamed simply Catan for the 20th anniversary edition in 2015. It has sold more than 45 million copies in all its various forms. Catan: New Energies is a standalone game rather than an expansion, and was first conceived over a decade ago, then shelved until creator Klaus Teuber and his sons decided to resurrect it during lockdown.
All the core mechanics are still there: the randomly generated map of hex tiles, the collection and trading of resources, and the race for 10 victory points. But there are several additions and a modern revamp. Energy is a new resource, and you collect it by building power plants; cities can support one, and towns can support up to three. The energy you generate can be spent on resources, including new science cards needed to build power plants.
Fossil fuel power plants cost one science card, while renewable power plants cost three, and cards are scarce at the start of the game. The problem is that building fossil fuel power plants accelerates the risk of weather disasters and increases what’s called your local footprint. Each player must draw brown event tokens from a bag at the start of their turn, and these add up to trigger weather events. Most have negative impacts, such as hazards that prevent cities from earning resources for a turn, and tend to punish the player with the highest local footprint.
Photography: Simon Hill
