6 Best Board Games Similar to Catan in 2026
Want more board games similar to Catan? These games offer trading, strategy, and fun twists that will keep your game night alive.
6 Best Board Games Similar to Catan for New Players: If you’ve played Catan so much that your sheep are filing for worker’s comp, you’re in the right place. We know how hard it is to find board games similar to Catan that keep that same magic of trading, building, and having your friends openly accuse you of highway robbery. For this list, we focused on easy-to-learn rules, fun strategies, and games that still spark the same thrill as your first Catan win. No spoilers here—just get ready to discover your new tabletop favorites!
On this list:
6 Ticket to Ride
We always mention Ticket to Ride when talking about board games similar to Catan. Both games have simple rules and that ‘I just want to play again’ thing. Ticket to Ride makes you build train routes across the country, and trust us, blocking your friend’s path never gets old. Like Catan, it’s all about strategy and timing. The board looks busy, but once we started, everyone was hooked – even my grandma, who thought a meeple was a Pokémon. If you want a game that brings people together, causes a bit of friendly drama, and never gets boring, Ticket to Ride is a great choice.
5 Carcassonne
Carcassonne is another classic that feels a bit like Catan’s laid-back cousin. This game lets us build cities, roads, and fields by placing pretty little tiles and those adorable ‘meeples’. Why is it similar to Catan? Because you create and expand the board as you play, and you must plan every move. The tension gets real when you’re one tile away from a big score and someone takes your spot. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, and someone (naming no names) once flipped the board in defeat. With simple rules and lots of depth, Carcassonne is a must for fans of board games similar to Catan.
4 Stone Age
Stone Age is like a more rugged, prehistoric version of Catan. The game puts you in charge of a little tribe, where you collect resources, trade, and try to not starve. The resource management, dice rolling and trading make it feel very Catan-y. We ended up with a lot of inside jokes about ‘feeding the people’ and one friend now refers to his kids as ‘worker meeples’. If you like rolling dice and making clever choices, Stone Age will give you that same resource-hunting thrill you get from board games similar to Catan.
3 Lords of Waterdeep
If you like the resource management in Catan but want more intrigue and less sheep, Lords of Waterdeep is perfect. We were surprised by how quick it was to pick up. You play sneaky lords trying to complete quests by sending agents all over town. There’s lots of strategy and some fierce competition for spots on the board. When we played, it was a race to see who could finish quests first, and yes, there was a bit of betrayal (sorry, Sara!). The balance of luck and planning feels a lot like Catan, making it a worthy pick for fans hunting for board games similar to Catan.
2 Concordia
Concordia ditches dice for cards and brings a calm, brainy vibe to the table. You’ll expand cities and trade goods across the ancient world. It’s less random than Catan, but the trading, route planning and competition for spots all feel familiar. Every game, we end up regretting at least one move, and the person who ‘never wins anything’ will suddenly become a Roman merchant tycoon. If you want a smart, more grown-up twist on the board games similar to Catan, Concordia will keep you thinking and grinning every round.
1 7 Wonders
For the absolute best pick when it comes to board games similar to Catan, we must go with 7 Wonders. This game hits all the right notes: building stuff, trading, making big plans, and blocking your rivals. We love it because it plays fast, works with bigger groups, and always feels epic. Every game feels different. There’s lots of room for clever moves, and it keeps everyone engaged – nobody is yawning or checking their phone. If your group likes Catan for its mix of strategy, trading, and replay value, 7 Wonders takes it up a notch. That’s why we crown it as the best game for fans searching for board games similar to Catan.
