This year Settlers of Catan (now simply called Catan) turns 20. It’s quietly become one of the best selling and most popular board games of all time and can now legitimately be considered a modern classic.
Yet, if you’ve only played the base game, you’re missing out on a whole world of expansions, extensions, new editions, variations and spin-offs to try.
Below we rank each of them according to their average rating on BoardGameGeek, which is pretty much the go-to site for all things board game related.
And, to make things even easier we’ve separated our rankings into:
Catan Expansions
Catan expansions are a great way to extend and alter the classic game. Additions include anything from new game pieces to new scenarios.
For the 9 expansions listed below you will need to make sure you own the Catan Base game. If you don’t already own the base game you can buy the 5th edition from Amazon here.
All links provided are to the 5th edition expansion packs, check your edition before buying.
Cities & Knights Expansion
Description: Dark clouds gather over the once peaceful landscape. Wild barbarians, lured by Catan’s wealth and power, maneuver to attack. Their massive warships loom against the bright orange horizon.
You must be strong! Barbarians attack the weakest targets and the victim of their onslaught will be the player who contributes the least to the defense of Catan. Don’t take any chances! Field your knights!
In Catan: Cities & Knights you engage in the defense of Catan and compete to build the three great metropolises of Catan. Each of these magnificent urban centers is even more valuable than a city. They’re also immune to the dangerous barbarians.
Invest in city improvements, which you acquire using three commodities of trade: coin, paper, andc loth. If you improve your culture, muster your knights and enrich your fine cities, you will be the master of the great realm of Catan!
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.50/10
Expansion Ranking: 1 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan 5th Edition
Can Be Played With: Traders & Barbarians and Seafarers
Extension: Catan: Cities & Knights 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Cities & Knights Game Expansion 5th Edition From Amazon
Explorers & Pirates Expansion
Description: Catan: Explorers & Pirates includes 5 novel scenarios, each of which builds upon your previous experience. All are easy to learn, rich in character and lots of fun.
In each, you explore an unknown sea by ship and build settlements on the discovered islands. Scenario 1 (“Land Ho!”) introduces you to valuable harbor settlements, ship-building, exploration and overseas settlement-the most important basic rules of this expansion.
Each subsequent scenario introduces a new mission and its simple new rules. The game culminates in Scenario 5 (“Explorers & Pirates”), which incorporates all of these very rich new themes in a diverse and exciting campaign of bold exploration and piracy!
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.42/10
Expansion Ranking: 2 out of 9
Players: 2 to 4
Required: Catan 5th Edition
Can Be Played With: NA
Extension: Catan: Explorers & Pirates 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Explorers & Pirates Expansion 5th Edition From Amazon
Helpers of Catan
Description: Come meet some of the most influential and helpful people on Catan. They are offering their skills and experience to help you with your building plans.
This small expansion is suitable for use with “The Settlers of Catan” and with “Seafarers.” In the new, small expansion “Catan Scenarios – Helpers of Catan,” Marianne, Sean & Co. are no longer your opponents but help and support you and the other players while playing “The Settlers of Catan” sitting around the table.
With the helpers the Base Game becomes even more diverse.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.32/10
Expansion Ranking: 3 out of 9
Players: 3 to 6
Required: Catan
Can Be Played With: Seafarers
Extension: NA
Buy: Click Here To Buy Helpers of Catan From Amazon
Seafarers Expansion
Description: In Catan: Seafarers you control a group of bold seafaring settlers exploring and taming the wild, uncharted Isles of Catan.
Each game brings you to new seas and new lands. You might even discover the precious gold fields (a very valuable new terrain). Every game is unique and full of fun! Embark on an epic quest to settle the home island, build ships and chart nearby waters.
Guide your brave seafarers to victory through cunning trades and wise development. Be first to create new sea lanes and settle the newly-discovered isles. The best strategy and a nice dash of luck decide who will be the undisputed ruler of the rich Isles of Catan!
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.21/10
Expansion Ranking: 4 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan 5th Edition
Can Be Played With: Traders & Barbarians and Cities & Knights.
Extension: Catan: Seafarers 5&6 Player Extension 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Seafarers Game Expansion 5th Edition From Amazon
Frenemies Catan Scenarios
Description: We live in a time of altruism on Catan. We give away resources to help lagging players. We move the robber to isolated locations to ensure the safety of our fellows.
We even go out of our way to connect our roads with our neighbors’ networks. Has everyone gone nuts? Ah! Thanks to their beneficence Catan’s guilds reward such noble-minded behavior by handing out Favor Tokens (FTs).
Each guild helps us in different ways: granting us roads, development cards, random resources, preferential trades, or even Victory Points. In Catan Scenarios: Frenemies of Catan everyone is still just in it for themselves as there is an ulterior motive for everything. In fact sometimes you can help a friend while making things far worse for them. Sigh.
If goodwill really exists it’s not part of this scenario…
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.17/10
Expansion Ranking: 5 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan
Can Be Played With: All
Extension: NA
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan Scenarios Frenemies From Amazon
Traders & Barbarians Expansion
Description: In Catan: Traders & Barbarians you’ll find lots of cool new ways to explore Klaus Teuber’s award-winning game series. You can now play with just 2 players!
Add a harbormaster, a friendly robber, or special events. Play with a wealth of new wooden pieces, board tiles and capabilities. Even link your games to create an intriguing campaign. Use these 4 variants and 5 scenarios to reinvent your Catan experience! 5 Challenging New Scenarios:
The Fishermen of Catan- Fish in the great lake or try casting in rich coastal shoals. A fresh, expanded and updated version!
The Rivers of Catan- Not one, but two great rivers invite flourishing commerce. Bridge them en route to glory and wealth.
The Caravans- Nomads of the oasis seek wool and grain. Camel caravans offer rich trade opportunities.
Barbarian Attack- Eager for booty, vile barbarians land and occupy Catan’s fertile shores. Brave knights unite and ride to battle against the invaders.
Traders & Barbarians- Your wagons transport fine marble, glass, tools and sand to help restore Catan’s great castle. Combine these novel scenarios to create a refreshing, compelling campaign!
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.12/10
Expansion Ranking: 6 out of 9
Players: 2 to 4
Required: Catan 5th Edition
Can Be Played With: Cities & Knights and Seafarers
Extension: Catan: Traders & Barbarians 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Traders & Barbarians Expansion 5th Edition From Amazon
Fisherman of Catan Expansion
Description: For generations, the people of Catan have lived in an island paradise, surrounded by the peaceful sea. They have long known of the benefits of the sea: maritime trade has been crucial to their expansion since the beginning.
But recently they have discovered that the sea holds other bounty, ready to be gathered and used in the never-ending quest for expansion and trade.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.08/10
Expansion Ranking: 7 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan
Can Be Played With: All
Extension: NA
Buy: Click Here To Buy Fisherman of Catan Expansion From Amazon
Oil Springs Catan Scenarios
Description: Eureka! Oil has been discovered on the island of Catan. The great engineers of Catan have learned ways to improve production using this valuable new resource, both by converting it into other materials and enabling the upgrade of cities into metropolises.
But oil is scarce and its use does not come without cost. Using oil produces pollution, as well as climate changing emissions, which bring with them the threat of coastal flooding-and absolute disaster.
With the discovery of oil on Catan, the Settlers face a new challenge: deciding whether the common good is worth limiting oil usage or whether the pursuit of victory is worth the risk of ruin.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.79/10
Expansion Ranking: 8 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan
Can Be Played With: All
Extension: NA
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan Scenarios Oil Springs From Amazon
The Great River
Description: This expansion to Settlers of Catan consists of a tile with 3 hex and a river. Every single construction on the side of this river is a gold point.
Each 3 gold points worth one victory point. All the other rules are the same of the usual game – except you may require more victory points to win the game.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.01/10
Expansion Ranking: 9 out of 9
Players: 3 to 4
Required: Catan
Can Be Played With: All
Extension: NA
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan The Great River From Amazon
Catan Extensions
Catan’s one big weakness is that the standard edition is limited to just 4 players. Fortunately, the 5 extension packs below allow you to expand the board and have up to 6 players. Like the expansions above the links are to the 5th edition of the game, however there are also extensions for the 4th edition.
Please note that these are not stand alone games and require a regular game board.
Explorers & Pirates 5-6 Player Extension
Description: Up to 6 players can settle Catan and enjoy the missions with pirate lairs, fishing grounds, and indigenous villages.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.71/10
Extension Ranking: 1 out of 5
Players: 5 to 6
Required: Catan 5th Edition and Catan 5-6 Player Extension – 5th Edition and Catan: Explorers & Pirates Expansion 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Explorers & Pirates 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition From Amazon
Cities & Knights 5-6 Player Extension
Description: You can settle Catan and use knights to defend your cities against barbarians with up to 6 players.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.15/10
Extension Ranking: 2 out of 5
Players: 5 to 6
Required: Catan 5th Edition and Catan 5-6 Player Extension – 5th Edition and Catan: Cities & Knights Game Expansion 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Cities & Knights 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition From Amazon
Catan: Extension for 5-6 Players
Description: You can settle Catan with up to 6 players.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.04/10
Extension Ranking: 3 out of 5
Players: 5 to 6
Required: Catan 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan 5-6 Player Extension – 5th Edition From Amazon
Seafarers 5-6 Player Extension
Description: You can settle Catan and sail the sea with up to 6 players.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.98/10
Extension Ranking: 4 out of 5
Players: 5 to 6
Required: Catan 5th Edition and Catan 5-6 Player Extension – 5th Edition and Catan: Seafarers Game Expansion 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Seafarers 5&6 Player Extension 5th Edition From Amazon
Traders & Barbarians 5-6 Player Extension
Description: You can settle Catan and enjoy the variants and scenarios with traders, barbarians, and much more with up to 6 players.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.98/10
Extension Ranking: 5 out of 5
Players: 5 to 6
Required: Catan 5th Edition and Catan 5-6 Player Extension – 5th Edition and Catan: Traders & Barbarians Expansion 5th Edition
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Traders & Barbarians 5-6 Player Extension 5th Edition From Amazon
Editions
Unlike the expansions and extensions above, each of the following editions of Catan are stand alone games and do not require the original base game to play. However, be aware that most of them will not be compatible with the expansions and extensions listed above.
Catan – 15th Anniversary Edition
Description: To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Catan, an exclusive special edition of the base game and its 5-6 player extension was published.
The strong, compartmentalized box contains thick, beautifully illustrated map hexagons and specially designed playing pieces, all made from sturdy wood – a delight for fans and collectors!
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.73/10
Edition Ranking: 1 out of 7
Players: 3 to 6
Buy: Unfortunately, this edition no longer seems to be for sale.
Catan
Description: Please note this is the standard 5th edition of the game, which is required for all expansions and extensions above or just buy this edition on its own and play with 3-4 players.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.35/10
Edition Ranking: 2 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: 5th Edition From Amazon
Settlers of Catan: Ancient Egypt
Description: The sun of Catan rises over the hot desert sands of Ancient Egypt. Klaus Teuber has re-worked his masterpiece The Settlers of Catan for this unique collector’s edition.
Settle along the banks of the Nile during the time of the Pharaohs. With the help of your oxcart you build small villages and great temples styled after some of the most interesting buildings of Egyptian antiquity. Beware of the robber!
His chariot can interrupt production at your cattle pastures papyrus groves and quarries. After you master the Base Game you can try these interesting variants and scenarios:
Help from the Gods: Adds 10 god cards whose powers add a variety of options for dynamic gameplay. The Great Pyramid allows you to build papyrus boats across the Nile and compete for the pharaoh’s blessing and the vizier’s favor by building blocks onto the great pyramid.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.31/10
Edition Ranking: 3 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Settlers of Catan: Ancient Egypt From Amazon
Star Trek Catan
Description: Star Trek: Catan takes two well known media properties and merges them into, well, into something that is 95% The Settlers of Catan glossed with Trek tropes and spiced with new special powers related to Trek personalities.
In Star Trek: Catan, players start the game with two small space stations at the intersection of three planets, with each planet supplying resources based on the result of a dice roll.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.18/10
Edition Ranking: 4 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Expansion: Star Trek Federation Space, A Two Map Expansion
Buy: Click Here To Buy Star Trek Catan From Amazon
Catan Geographies – Germany
Description: A Game of Discovery, Geography, and History in the land of Poets and Thinkers. Explore and settle the storied land of Germany using the elegant, award-winning game design from The Settlers of Catan.
Here, you will find great social interaction, simple rules, beautiful German geography, rich history and lore, and 12 wonderfully-sculpted landmarks.
“Catan Geographies: Germany” is a game about trade, building, and settlement. Start with town halls in 3 cities. Then build roads to neighboring cities, where you can purchase landmarks and new town halls. Town halls create resource production, while the unique landmarks generate special awards.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.92/10
Edition Ranking: 5 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan Geographies: Germany From Amazon
Catan Family Edition
Description: The Family Edition makes it quick and easy to start playing the game. This version is not expandable.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.86/10
Edition Ranking: 6 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Family Edition From Amazon
Catan – Portable Edition (Traveller)
Description: Catanophiles rejoice! Now you can take Klaus Teuber’s popular game of expansion and development out of the house and hit the road. Cleverly designed to be compact and self contained with playing pieces that peg securely into place and a game tray designed to hold all cards and accessories. It’s perfect for Catanians on the move.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.86/10
Edition Ranking: 7 out of 7
Players: 2 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Settlers of Catan – Portable Edition From Amazon
Variants
While still set within the Catan universe, the following variants allow you to play Catan in whole new ways. The games dispose of the standard game board and replace it with cards and/or dice. All of them are stand alone games that do not require a Catan game board.
The Rivals for Catan
Description: Build your domain to best your Rivals. The Rivals for Catan puts you in charge of one of the two factions developing newly-settled Catan. Use your under card mix to create your own principality.
Explore and settle new lands, acquiring resources through card play and the luck of the dice. Use gold, response combinations, and trade to develop your domaine. Expand your settlements and cities recruit heroes, and defend your lands through politics, invention, and intrigue.
Your cunning and a dash of luck decides who will be Prince of Catan.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 7.14/10
Variant Ranking: 1 out of 4
Players: 2
Expansions: Age of Enlightenment Expansion and Age of Darkness Expansion
Buy: Click Here To Buy Rivals for Catan From Amazon
Starship Catan
Description: In a flash, two Starfarers from the Catan space fleet have been thrown through a mysterious wormhole into an unknown galaxy. Lost, dazed an unable to find their way home, and with limited resources, the brave explorers face a seemingly hopeless situation, until they meet four peaceful alien races.
These friendly aliens offer them limited aid and will guide them home if they can meet the high standards required for entrance into the Galactic Advisory Council. Now you can take the role of a Starfarer and daringly brave the unknown reaches of space! Battle dastardly pirates, explore & colonize new worlds, strike vital trade agreements, performing missions of mercy, rescues, and interventions, all while improving and preparing your Starship for the journey home.
If you work hard, choose your course carefully and with vigor, you will attain membership in the Council and learn the way home.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.87/10
Variant Ranking: 2 out of 4
Players: 2
Buy: Click Here To Buy Starship Catan From Amazon
The Struggle for Catan
Description: The Struggle for Catan is a fast-paced game between the 2-4 factions developing newly settled Catan.
Manage your resources to build settlements, cities, city improvements, knights, and roads that generate victory points or special abilities. While your settlements, cities, and city expansions remain yours, valuable roads and knights change hands. Varied expensive city improvements give you additional victory points and lasting advantages, so they’re generally key to victory.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.31/10
Variant Ranking: 3 out of 4
Players: 2 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Struggle For Catan From Amazon
Catan Dice Game
Description: The Catan Dice Game is a fast, fun way to experience Catan on-the-go, anywhere and anytime even all by yourself. Discover, explore, and settle Catan. Play it in only 15-30 minutes. It’s a great casual introduction to the world of Catan.
With 6 colorful, high quality, embossed 16mm plastic dice, a generous pad of full color double-sided score sheets featuring two maps for alternate play. You can roll—and risk—your way to victory. So get ready to toss. Challenge the odds and discover a fresh way to master Catan.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 5.69/10
Variant Ranking: 4 out of 4
Players: 1 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan Dice Game From Amazon
Spin-offs
Finally, we have the Settlers of Catan spin-offs. While these games differ from standard Catan, they do use some elements of the original in their game play.
If you’ve gotten a little board with Catan, you might want to give one or several of them a try. Note each of these is a stand alone game and you do not need a standard Catan game board to play.
Settlers of America – Trails to Rails
Description: The 19th Century has arrived and America is heading west. Wagon trains form on the frontier. Settlers seeking fresh lives and opportunities strike out to tame wild lands and build new cities.
These new cities rely on young railroads for vital goods. Trails become rails and create great wealth. While the crowded East still offers options, its resources dwindle. Look west to make your fortune. Smart money seeks rich, unclaimed land and hungry new markets. Finance your settlers as they head west to build capitals of tomorrow.
Link these cities with rails of steel. Operate your railroad to supply the townsfolk with goods. Go west. Settle the wide, open land. Claim your destiny. Settlers of America, Trails to Rails utilizes the simple, fun Catan hex-tile grid to map the young United States.
Collect and trade resources in order to purchase and move settlers, build cities, lay rails and acquire and move trains. Create rail links to acquire gold, which lets you buy resources and use opponents’ rails. Use trains to distribute goods to rival cities.
But, as your settlers populate the West, they deplete the resources of the East. Still, your options always abound.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.97/10
Spin-off Ranking: 1 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Settlers of America Trails to Rails From Amazon
The Settlers of Zarahemla
–
Description: Enter the Promised Land! This is the home of ancient American prophets such as Alma, Mosiah and Samuel the Lamanite. Zarahemla, the Nephite capital, thrived as its people were righteous, and suffered setbacks to its enemies during times of corruption and moral decay.
It is your job to settle, unite and reinforce the freedoms of the land of Zarahemla. Do this through savvy trading, establishing a righteous military of Stripling Warriors or by building a Temple for holy worship. But whatever strategy you choose, choose correctly, as your ultimate prosperity depends on your ability to grow this fledgling society more quickly than your opponents.
The Settlers of Zarahemla, based upon The Book of Mormon and created for the Latter-day Saint community, will be an instant hit with your family.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.95/10
Spin-off Ranking: 2 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy The Settlers of Zarahemla From Amazon
Merchants of Europe
Description: You are a powerful merchant. Start your trading posts in three cities. Recruit new merchants and send them to distant cities to establish trading posts and expand your interests.
The more trading posts you have, the more commodities are at your disposal which you can sell profitably in foreign cities. To ensure that your commodities arrive safely at their destination, you must open up trade routes and equip caravans. You win the game if you are the first to deliver all of your commodities to foreign cities.
Merchants of Europe uses the simple and fun Catan hex and resource system to recreate the growth of the merchant class across medieval Europe.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.88/10
Spin-off Ranking: 3 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Merchants of Europe From Amazon
Catan Junior
Description: A Catan adventure for fledgling swashbucklers. Explore the Seas Catan: Junior introduces a modified playing style of the classic game giving younger players the opportunity to experience the world of Catan.
Designed for players as young as 5 and is a perfect introduction to the Catan series of games for kids and families. Catan: Junior takes place on a ring of islands where 2 to 4 players build hideouts, and the mysterious Spooky Island, where the Ghost Captain lives.
Each island generates a specific resource: wood, goats, molasses or swords and players can acquire gold. Each player starts with two pirate hideouts, then builds ships in order to expand their network. The more hideouts you build, the more resources you may receive.
You use your resources to build ships, hideouts or get help from Coco the Parrot. Just watch out for the dreaded Ghost Captain. Be the first player to control seven pirate hideouts and you win the game.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.88/10
Spin-off Ranking: 4 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy Catan: Junior From Amazon
The Settlers of Canaan
Description: The settlers of canaan takes place in the territory of canaan off the coast of the great sea. Each player represents a tribe of Israel seeking to settle in canaan guide your tribe through the fertile lands of canaan.
Each hex space will yield resources that you can cash in for roads, settlements and cities. Harvest resources of stone and ore from the land to help build Jerusalem and receive king david’s blessing.
Harvest timber, grain, wool, and brick to build more roads and settlements to expand your territory work quickly your opponents are moving to settle the most fertile parts of canaan you also need to be wary a plague could come upon you at any time and destroy your harvest.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.82/10
Spin-off Ranking: 5 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4
Expansion
Buy: Click Here To Buy Settlers of Canaan From Amazon
Starfarers of Catan
Description: You have been commissioned to explore the galaxy, build new colonies, and expand commercial ties with the various races of the Galactic Council.
This is no easy task. You must build great spaceships to conquer the distances, carry colonists and cargos, combat hostile pirates, and negotiate and trade with aliens. Careful diplomacy, clever trade, a firm stance against pirates, and the bold colonization of distant solar systems will win you the support of aliens and humans alike and make you the Ambassador of the Galactic Council.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 6.81/10
Spin-off Ranking: 6 out of 7
Players: 3 to 4 (can be expanded up to 6)
Expansion: Starfarers of Catan: 5-6 Player Expansion
Buy: Click Here To Buy Starfarers of Catan From Amazon
The Kids of Catan
Description: Now even the kids can help build Catan! Join Billy, Jacob and Emily as they help their parents build the village of Catan from the ground up.
Although they’re way too young to assist with the large buildings, they can bring resources in to help their parents. But watch out for Eric. Eric steals things and players may lose the contents of their wagons before they get back to town.
Once their wagon is full, they get to watch a building go up. The winner of the game is the player who gets to place Catan City Hall in the town square.
BoardGameGeek Rating: 5.31/10
Spin-off Ranking: 7 out of 7
Players: 2 to 4
Buy: Click Here To Buy The Kids of Catan From Amazon
So there you have it, over 30 different Settlers of Catan related games, expansions, extensions, editions, variants and spin-offs ranked from best to worst.
More board games posts:
- The 28 Best Map Based Strategy Board Games You’ve Probably Never Played
- 27 Best Risk Board Game Versions Based On Real Player Reviews
- 6 Best Game of Thrones Board Games & Expansions Reviewed & Ranked
What do you think of the list? Leave your comments below:
James Prankard says
This is a weird post. How can you rate Cities and Knights Extension above the Catan Extension… You need the catan extension to play the cities and knights extension -_-
Also, the ‘Great River’ and ‘Fisherman of Catan’ are in ‘Traders and Barbarians’.
In my humble opinion, the main expansions are better for different players, so the ‘best to worst’ will not work for everyone. If you like strategy like the old board game ‘Risk’, get ‘Cities and Knights’.
If you want simple variety with different maps get ‘Seafearers’.
If you want more variety get ‘Traders and Barbarians’ (please note, you will most likely not enjoy all the different game modes in traders and barbarians).
Joshua Olson says
Where is Settlers of the Stone Age? I always thought that game was related to Catan.
Flakkenmarsh says
My friends and I place Stone Age above Trails to Rails.
I was hoping to see Elasund on the list. 🙁