Already love Catan? Here's what to buy next, and in what order.
Catan's base game is great, but its expansions genuinely transform the experience. The key question isn't whether to buy an expansion, it's which one to buy first. This guide ranks them by value, strategic depth, and how much they change the core game. We've also noted which expansions work well together and which need their own 5-6 player extensions. New to Catan? Read the full rules first.
Expansion | 3-4 players (5-6 with extension)
The best Catan expansion and the most logical first purchase. Seafarers adds ships, islands to explore, and gold fields to the base game. The new map configurations keep Catan feeling fresh indefinitely, and the scenarios add a light narrative structure to each game. Highly recommended for anyone who has played base Catan a dozen or more times.
Expansion | 3-4 players
The most strategically deep Catan expansion. Cities and Knights adds commodities, city improvements, and the barbarian attack mechanic, transforming base Catan into a more complex, longer game. It's a genuine evolution of the experience. Recommended for groups who have outgrown the base game's simplicity.
Expansion | 3-4 players
A fully redesigned Catan experience with scenarios, missions, and a larger, modular board. Explorers and Pirates is the most campaign-like Catan expansion, better for groups who want narrative play rather than pure competition.
Extension | 5-6 players
If your group is larger than 4, this is mandatory. The 5-6 Player Extension adds enough tiles, cards, and pieces to support two more players. Note: buy the matching extension for whichever expansion you're using, Seafarers has its own 5-6 extension, as does Cities and Knights.
Expansion | 3-4 players
Five different scenarios and variants in one box, including a barbarian invasion scenario and a traders route system. Traders and Barbarians is the most varied expansion, excellent for groups who get bored with repetitive play patterns.
Seafarers if you want more Catan with exploration added. Cities and Knights if your group wants a deeper, more complex game. Don't try to combine multiple expansions until you're comfortable with each one individually, they each add significant rules overhead.