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How to play CATAN Junior: roll the die to collect resources from the islands next to your pirates’ lairs, spend them to build ships and more lairs, and be the first player to build all 7 of your pirates’ lairs. Watch out for the Ghost Captain, who blocks an island whenever a 6 is rolled. These rules follow the official CATAN Junior rulebook, and the core rules are the same in the first and second editions.
The box these rules cover: CATAN Junior
CATAN Junior is the kids’ version of CATAN for 2 to 4 players ages 6 and up, and a game takes about 30 minutes. It costs about $38.
Price band: $30+ (about $38) · Check today’s price on Amazon
CATAN Junior at a glance
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 to 4 |
| Ages | 6 and up |
| Game length | About 30 minutes |
| Resources | Wood, goats, molasses, cutlasses and gold |
| Goal | Be the first player to build all 7 pirates’ lairs |
Setting up CATAN Junior
- Put the board in the middle of the table. Use the side with four turtle islands for 3 or 4 players, and the side with two turtle islands for 2 players.
- Sort the resource tiles into five piles next to the board. This is the stockpile.
- Put one tile of each resource on the five booths of the marketplace printed on the board.
- Shuffle the Coco tiles and stack them face down, with the parrot side up.
- Put the Ghost Captain on Spooky Island and the die next to the board.
- Each player takes the 7 pirates’ lairs, 8 ships and building costs tile of one color.
- Place 2 lairs on your colored starting lair-sites and 1 ship on your colored ship-site.
- Each player takes 1 wood and 1 molasses from the stockpile.
How a CATAN Junior turn works
The youngest player goes first, and play passes to the left. On your turn, you roll the die, then build and trade in any order you like. When you are done, pass the die.
Rolling for resources
Each island shows a number. When that number is rolled, every player with a pirates’ lair next to that island gets 1 matching resource tile for each lair. It doesn’t matter whose turn it is, so everyone stays involved on every roll.
Rolling a 6 and the Ghost Captain
There is no 6 on the board. When a 6 is rolled, nobody collects resources. Instead, the player who rolled moves the Ghost Captain to any other island and takes 2 of that island’s resource from the stockpile. While the Ghost Captain sits on an island, that island produces nothing for anyone.
What things cost in CATAN Junior
| Build or buy | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pirates’ lair | 1 cutlass, 1 molasses, 1 goat and 1 wood |
| Ship | 1 goat and 1 wood |
| Coco tile | 1 cutlass, 1 molasses and 1 gold |
Your building costs tile shows these prices, so kids can check it on every turn.
Where you can build
- Pirates’ lairs: build on an empty lair-site next to one of your own ships.
- Ships: build on an empty ship-site next to one of your own pirates’ lairs.
- Alternate: because of these rules, you always build lair, ship, lair, ship along a route. You can’t build past another player’s lair or ship, and two players can’t share a site.
Coco tiles and Spooky Island
When you buy a Coco tile, flip it over and do what it shows right away. Coco might let you move the Ghost Captain, build a free lair or ship, or take 4 resources from the stockpile. Keep used tiles in front of you.
Whoever has the most Coco tiles places one of their unused lairs on Spooky Island. If another player ties you, you must take your lair back. When someone again has the most, they put a lair there. A lair on Spooky Island counts toward your 7.
Trading in CATAN Junior
- Marketplace: once per turn, swap one of your resources for one of the five tiles on the market booths. If all five market tiles ever become the same resource, clear them and set out one of each again.
- Stockpile: as many times as you like, trade 2 matching resource tiles for any 1 tile from the stockpile.
- Advanced option: for older kids, skip the marketplace and let players trade with each other on their turn.
How to win CATAN Junior
The game ends the moment a player builds their seventh pirates’ lair, and that player wins. A lair on Spooky Island counts.
Tips for teaching CATAN Junior
- Point out which islands each child’s lairs touch, so they cheer for their numbers on every roll.
- Build toward gold early, because gold is only needed for Coco tiles and Coco tiles can swing the game.
- Use the marketplace every turn, since it is a free one-for-one swap.
- Move the Ghost Captain to islands where other players have lairs, not your own.
Comparing first games for young kids? Read CATAN Junior vs My First Carcassonne. For a simpler start, My First Carcassonne costs about $30.
CATAN Junior rules FAQ
What happens when you roll a 6 in CATAN Junior?
No one collects resources. You move the Ghost Captain to another island and take 2 of that island’s resource. That island produces nothing while the Ghost Captain is there.
How many pirates’ lairs do you need to win?
Seven. The first player to build all 7 wins, and a lair on Spooky Island counts.
What does a ship cost in CATAN Junior?
One goat and one wood.
Can you trade with other players in CATAN Junior?
Only with the advanced option. The standard rules use the marketplace and the stockpile instead.
Is CATAN Junior good for 2 players?
Yes. The board has a separate side for 2 players.
