Dear Starfarers,

At this moment, you are looking at the rulebook of a new game edition.

The original game was released over 20 years ago and holds a very special place in my heart. Back then, my father Klaus Teuber included the following acknowledgement in that rulebook’s afterword: “The author thanks all testers of the game rules. He also thanks Claudia, Guido, and particularly Benni (the latter of whom the author could beat only six times in about 30 test-games) for their patience, critique, and suggestions.”

During that period, I was a teenager who greatly enjoyed time spent at the game table with my father. My “critiques and tips” made me feel like my dad and I had contributed to the game development in equal parts. Throughout the years, I’ve come to learn that creating a game requires much more than just a few playtests. My father patiently shared his many insights on game development with me during the past 20 years.

Unfortunately, my dad passed away on April 1, 2023, after a short and serious illness. It is a small consolation that we were able to finalize the development of this new edition before his passing. I am grateful for the many delightful hours we spent together on this project. My dad always said, with a twinkle in his eye, that game authors rarely win their own games during the development process. He reasoned that authors are too busy with finding flaws and rough edges, refining them, and thereby improving game play. In response, I would jokingly counter that one might always come up with reasons to excuse a poor game-play performance. In the end, of course, my father was proven right. After our joint development of this new edition each of us had won about half of all the test games. I will always be grateful to my dad for everything he taught me.

Playing connects us as human beings. In this spirit, I wish all of you many wonderful moments on your shared journey through the world of CATAN.

Warm regards, Benjamin Teuber

We dedicate this game to the warm memory of the late Klaus Teuber, who sadly passed over the bright horizon as we finished development. We all lost a kind and gifted pioneer who departed far too soon, leaving a great legacy of family, fellowship, and non-violent storytelling.

Klaus left this world far better than he found it. His was a creative and giving life. His many and varied game designs—most especially CATAN—changed game culture and changed the way the broader world accepts gaming. He ignited a cultural evolution.

We’ve been blessed to have shared Klaus’ ever-curious road for a time. We'll miss him always. We'll celebrate him always. He'll be with us every time we share joy through a good game.

–Pete Fenlon, CEO of CATAN Studio