The Rivals for Catan [iOS App Review]App Review Central

Gameplay

Graphics - Interface

Replayability

A two player card game based on Settlers of Catan

If you are a fan of Settlers of Catan, then you need to try Rivals for Catan.

Rivals for Catan is a two player card game based on the popular board game. My family and I enjoy Catan but I had not played this card game. Before I get into the full review, I need to cover a few items. The game tutorial is ok but could cover a bit more. If you have never played Catan or this card game you might have some troubles picking up the game. I did some review online about how the play the game which helped me alot. You can go to Catan.com or download the rules here.

After I read up on the game, things made better sense. 🙂 Rivals for Catan is a fun game and one that will not take hours to play. Just like in Catan, you are battling with other settlers to get the most resources and achieve the desired victory points. It is a two player game which allows you to play against the computer, play against your friends locally, or go online and play. There are 5 different games you can play:

Basic Game (7 victory points)
Duel of Princes (13 victory points)
Era of Gold (12 victory points)
Era of Progress(12 victory points)
Era of Turmoil (12 victory points)

As with Catan, you take turns and roll the dice. You can earn lumber, wool, gold, brick, ore, or grain depending on the number and what you have in your board. As with Catan, you can build roads, settlements, and cities to earn victory points. Now with Rivals for Catan, there are some other things you can use. There are heroes which you can add to your board and there are numerous types of event cards which can be played. It should be mentioned you can only have 3 of any one resource at a time.

Within the game you will have strength and training advantages as well as skill and progress points. Heroes can help with all of these. Understanding and taking advantage of these items is important in the game and key to winning. They definitely add a nice dimension to the game.

If you like Settlers of Catan, you will like Rivals for Catan. This 2 player card game is essentially a compact version of the board game. I am not sure if compact is the best term but it is the one that came to mind. I enjoy playing the game and I have only done the basic game on so far. I appreciate that the game does not take a long time to play and is very similar to the board game my family loves. For those new to Catan, it might take you a bit longer to get into it but I think you will find it an enjoyable 2 player electronic card game.