Catan
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Catan
While Catan is a faithful adaptation of the beloved board game, it doesn't quite deliver on the Switch's potential for tabletop gaming.
A fun and accessible introduction to the world of Catan but technical failings and a lack of options mean it's not quite the adaptation it could've been.
Nothing here will blow you away, and there are better digital implementations out there. It does just enough to get the job done. As we’ve seen with many releases on Switch, that’s usually enough for most people.
It's a strange new way to play the friendship-ending board game, acting as more of a digital alternative to the physical version than a replacement.
Catan is a classic and being able to play it on the go is a gift.
While it's functional I feel that Catan: Console Edition could have done a bit more to sway me from playing with its cardboard counterpart. The multiplayer features and AI do a lot for players who cannot get three friends together but some of its presentation, especially the audio side, leaves a bit to be desired. The app could also do with a bit of work to make it more viable. While I will be quite happy to play this by myself or when there is only two of us, it will never replace its board game equivalent. Catan: Console Edition could have been great, as it is, its serviceable, which is a shame.
If the success of Catan as a board game is more to prove, concerning this adaptation in video games, an absence is an aberration: the lack of a local multiplayer game mode. If, perhaps, the big fans of the board game will find their account between two parties in real life, it seems nevertheless that the designers of this version Switch has missed the main interest of the game.
Review in French | Read full review
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.
