We are a board game family and sometimes struggle to find age appropriate games that are a good difficulty, play length, and/or attention holding. This game was great for that. It plays like a smaller version of OG Catan, with something happening for every player every turn (great for keeping everyone engaged). It also is a nice introduction to strategy, with having to plan routes as players start close to each other and can choose to block a path or not, and moving the ghost captain. It moves along fairly quickly, which is great for short attention spans. The game itself seems to be of decent quality, plastic pieces and a sturdy board. I would change the layout of the box if I could, because it wasn't well suited for piece storage. Read more
This is a great game! Bought it to play with my daughters, 9 and 7 years old. They understood the rules right away and understood the strategy as soon as our second time playing! It’s a quick game, but very engaging! I’m stoked to play this with them with the hopes of introducing them to the real version in time. We’ve played this at least once per day since we received it. They even played a game of 1-on-1! Buy it! It’ll be fun for everyone! Read more
I bought this to play with my twin 7 year old boys and I am very happy with the purchase. The game was very easy for them to pick up and play. However the game is also mentally challenging enough to make them think about how to manage their resources. The basic concept of the game is that each player is a pirate. The goal of the game is to build all your "Pirate Lairs" before the other players. To accomplish this goal you must collect resources from the game to build both Lairs and Pirate Ships (which allow you to build the next Lair). Resources are located on islands that are identified with numbers. At the start of a players turn, they roll a dice. Whatever number is rolled determines what resources are available to ALL PLAYERS from the island. The great thing about this is that all players are involved in every turn because all players can collect resources. This seems to keep the kids engaged in the game vs. a more traditional game where they are only involved on their turn. After you collect your resources, you can then buy ships, lairs, cards, or trade them for other resources. This process is very well defined and visual and easy for kids to understand. I really enjoy watching my try to figure out how to trade the different resources to move along in the game. A typical game takes 30-45 minutes, but it goes very fast because the kids are so engaged in the game. My final comment is this, on the second day we had it, my two kids came home from school and instead of starting up the Xbox, they asked to play this game. Read more
Great Intro to Catan for Kids! I love the full version of Catan, so I picked up Catan Junior for my 6-year-old niece—and she absolutely loves it! It's a fantastic way for kids to start learning the basics of trading and building, all while having fun. The pirate theme adds a fun twist, and the excitement of picking a pirate card keeps things engaging. A perfect mix of strategy and fun for younger players! Read more
My 12yr old and 6yr old love to play this together. It was easy enough for even the 6yr old to understand the rules and the basic concept, but still a challenging game play for even the 12yr old too. They are developing their strategy skills, thinking about how their move effects the future of their success (or failure) in the game. It’s a lot fun! This photo is the very 1st time we played. Our 6yr old WON! I like how the resources in this version are very thick and not easily bent all up. It seems like it will hold up very well for a very long time! Nicely made! Sometimes my husband and I play with them, but more often, the kids play this Jr version while adults play the adult version at the same time. Our dining table isn’t used for meals… it’s the Catan game table! Read more
Unlike like other "kid's" versions of popular adult games, Catan Junior remains very true to the game play of the original, while removing and modifying many of the more complex rules of the original. The rules book is very well laid out and easy to walk through with a child, and there are enough chips and resources that need to be put out at setup to keep their hands busy while you read the rules. Game play goes smoothly due to the limited decisions you can make but rarely feels like you don't have options. The largest differences are found in resource gathering, trading, and road/city (in this case ship/lair) placement. Resources have a fixed die value on the card instead of being determined by a separate chip being placed on the island, trading is done with a marketplace instead of other players, and you only need one ship/road segment between your city/lair. These small changes make the game much easier for kids to grasp. It plays well as a 2 player game due to the separate board format for 2 player games vs. 3 or 4 players. The board layout is fixed instead of being tiles you place. The reason I gave this game 4 instead of five stars is because the rules are simple enough for a 6 year old to understand, but you really need to pack your patience because most kids will get overwhelmed with all the pieces and new rules compared to other games they may have played. It's worth it when they grasp everything, but don't expect them to get it right away. TL;DR - simplifies game play of the original without dumbing it down or putting it on rails. Children will be able to learn how to play the game, but be patient while you're teaching them. Read more
