Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The once-niche board game Settlers of Catan took center stage this weekend at a tournament in Allston.
The $15 buy-in tournament at the Artisan’s Asylum brought out dozens of players who share a passion for the game.
“I do it for fun, but if I could take it to Nationals that would be awesome,” said one of the participants.
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The game is played with randomized hexagonal tiles which give players resources based on how the dice roll.
The host of the tournament said there seems to be a lack of formal organized tournaments in the Boston area where players can take their mastery of the game to the next level.
“[To reach the nearest tournament] we needed to travel an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half,” said Pedro Proenca, the host of the Catan event.
According to seasoned players of the game, there is some strategy involved when it comes to reaching a level of mastery. That includes where one places their first settlement of the game, and if they choose to build near the edges of the map where there are ports.
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“You kind of have to have a social aspect where you trade with everyone [so] you don’t want to make people mad,” said another participant. “It’s always fun until the game starts, then the atmosphere changes a bit because the dice don’t roll everyone’s way,” added Proenca.
Most of those who showed up to Sunday’s competition were there to make friends and have fun, but some also said that if they were given the opportunity to play the game at a national tournament, they would not shy away from competing.
A national Catan tournament is scheduled for Minneapolis in 2024.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports:
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