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Creator of Catan, Klaus Teuber, has passed away at the age of 70

"Contributions to board gaming industry are immeasurable."

An image of Klaus Teuber, designer of Catan. Image: Rogi Lensing
Alex Meehan avatar
News by Alex Meehan Senior Staff Writer
Published on April 4, 2023

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About Catan

Released: 1995

Players: 3-4

Rules complexity: Low

Strategic depth: Low

Klaus Teuber, the designer responsible for creating Catan, has passed
away at the age of 70.

In a press release from Catan Studios - the company behind the
release of the family board game - it was confirmed that Teuber had
passed on April 1st following a "brief and severe illness." The news
comes as a shock, considering the designer had been creating new
expansions and versions of Catan that are set to be released later
this year.

In response to Teuber's death, Catan Studios released a statement
calling the Catan creator a "legendary figure in the board gaming
industry," who had not only designed one of the most well-known
tabletop series in modern history but had "shaped the genre of the
'German Game.' [and] will continue to inspire generations of gamers
for years to come."

Settlers of Catan board game gameplay

Catan Studio head, Pete Fenlon, said "While Klaus' contributions to
the board gaming industry are immeasurable, we will remember him as a
kind and selfless human being, an inspirational leader, and most
importantly, as a friend."

Teuber designed Catan - then called Settlers of Catan - in 1995,
having previously designed several lesser-known tabletop titles such
as Barbarossa in 1988 and Hoity Toity in 1990. Catan has become one
of the most popular board games released in the past 30 years,
winning the coveted Spiel des Jahres award in 1995 - the most
prestigious award in the tabletop industry - with the series enduring
to this day thanks to over 50 expansions, spin-offs and revised
versions of the title being published since its launch.

In Catan, three to four players attempt to establish and develop
their own civilisations on a fictional island. Depending on where
players choose to place their settlements, they'll receive certain
resources whenever a particular number is rolled at the start of
every player's turn. Using these resources, players can construct
additional settlements, as well as new roads. Players can also
upgrade their existing settlements into cities to acquire victory
points.

Watch on YouTube
Lolies teaches you how to play Catan.

Should players ever struggle to obtain particular types of resources,
they can try to trade with their fellow players - as long as they can
agree on a deal - or with one of the various ports on the board.
Victory points can also be obtained by building the longest road or
buying development cards.

Teuber's family has respectfully requested privacy in order to grieve
his passing and "appreciates the outpouring of support and
condolences during this difficulty time." Catan Studios encourages
players to "honour Klaus' memory by being kind to one another,
pursuing your creative passions fearlessly and enjoying a game with
your loved ones."

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About the Author
 
Alex Meehan avatar

Alex Meehan

Senior Staff Writer

  * alex.meehan@dicebreaker.com
  * @trashcrone

After writing for Kotaku UK, Waypoint and Official Xbox Magazine,
Alex became a member of the Dicebreaker editorial family. Having been
producing news, features, previews and opinion pieces for Dicebreaker
for the past three years, Alex has had plenty of opportunity to
indulge in her love of meaty strategy board games and gothic RPGS.
Besides writing, Alex appears in Dicebreaker's D&D actual play series
Storybreakers and haunts the occasional stream on the Dicebreaker
YouTube channel.

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