Catan

 Switch
  • Publisher: Asmodee
  • Release Date: Jun 20, 2019
  • Also On: PC
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. COGconnected
    Jul 3, 2019
    85
    Catan on Switch is serene but never boring. It’s not a pulse-pounding action thriller, but it asks for a lot of thought. You will strategize, you will win, and sometimes you will lose. But the music will continue to gently encourage you, the cartoon opponents are just begging to be defeated, and there are still so many islands to clear. I don’t know how glossy you can make a game like this, but I’m happy to report that you don’t have to. An attractive package and a clear interface are the only reminders we need- Catan is a classic and being able to play it on the go is a gift.
  2. Digital Chumps
    Jul 2, 2019
    85
    Overall, Catan on the Nintendo Switch is a treat. The inclusion of a large campaign helps to sell this game easily. The addition of strong AI makes the experience valuable and challenging. If the menu system could improve, then you’re looking at one of the best versions of the board game to ever grace a console.
  3. Gaming Age
    Sep 9, 2019
    75
    Players who don’t necessarily care whether they can play the game with others, but who are eager to try out all kinds of different scenarios at different difficulty levels, and who want to be able to play the game solo wherever they may go. From that perspective, Catan has a lot to offer. There are about two dozen different scenarios here in the single-player campaign, which should keep most people occupied for a decent amount of time. And once you’ve gotten through all those, you can also build their own scenarios, which seems like a pretty decent amount of value, as these things go.
  5. Nintendojo
    Aug 8, 2019
    75
    Overall, Catan is a competent reproduction of the popular board game on Switch. It’s understated in some ways as board game-based games are, but it also has a lot of variety to the game, including various offline scenarios and an online multiplayer mode through Nintendo Online. Available DLC adds more to the package.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
2.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 10 out of 12
  1. with_a_will
    Jul 28, 2019
    0
    I made an account to write this review. DO NOT BUY.

    The lack of local multiplayer doesn't bother me and was evident from the store page.    I made an account to write this review. DO NOT BUY.

    The lack of local multiplayer doesn't bother me and was evident from the store page. Games that involve hidden cards don't typically work well on single screens anyway, and I was eager to try the campaign mode for some unique challenges. However, the campaign mode is biased against the human player. AI opponents will offer a trade, but if you're the only one who accepts it, they'll change their minds. They will place the robber on your spaces, block your roads, and I swear even the dice rolls are stacked against you. The AI will do this regardless of whether you are in first or dead last. Then, after you lose, they will admonish you for not paying enough attention, and it's endlessly annoying to be blamed for events beyond your control. Skip all of the dialogue, they don't say anything important anyway. In fact, you have to wait until you've loaded in and the game has started before you can even see how many victory points it takes to win or whether any special rules are in effect.

    It's buggy, too. Menus are awkward to use until you get used to them, and it crashes with increasing frequency the farther you get in the campaign. Normally you'd get points even for losing, but not when the game crashes. Campaign progress saves automatically, but game progress does not, you have to manually save if you want to come back, which means saving every turn if you want to avoid losing a game to a crash.

    Overall a frustrating waste of time that makes me extremely disappointed that the Switch store doesn't have a rating system or refund policy. Could be a good game if they ever finish it, which isn't likely.    … Full Review »
  2. ShamanPengu
    Jun 23, 2019
    1
    No local multiplayer. Completely ruins the fun if I can't play with my wife on one console.
  3. Pandabear41
    Jun 22, 2019
    1
    Catan game is fun on switch, but the lack of local multiplayer makes this game worthless. Was going to get this game for family game night,Catan game is fun on switch, but the lack of local multiplayer makes this game worthless. Was going to get this game for family game night, but I guess I can't put away the physical board game quite yet.… Full Review »
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