Catan - Commitment Pooling

Settlers of Catan - Resource Coordination Addon

This is for folks that have played or own a copy of Settlers of Catan - a classic board game that I started playing while in school. (Thanks to Stephanie Meyers)

In the classic board game Settlers of Catan, players vie for resources to build settlements and cities. Here I propose a simple yet transformative add-on: the "Commitment Pool", integrating the principles of community asset sharing and ecosystem stewardship.

Commitments as Community Assets

In this version rach resource card in Catan represents not just a material good but a commitment to providing an ecosystem service:

• Sheep for herding and animal husbandry

• Wood for sustainable forestry

• Wheat for agroforestry and food production

• Ore for water management like swales and dams

• Brick for natural building methods

Players, now termed "Pool Members", continue to gather these resources based on their settlements' locations.

Introducing the Commitment Pool

The Commitment Pool serves as a collective agreement to share resources fairly among members, enhancing cooperation over competition.

• Setup: At the game's start, each player contributes one resource card to a commons "commitment pool".

• Using the Pool:

  • Exchange: Players can swap any of their resources for others in the pool on a one-to-one basis (they can do as many swaps on their turn as they like). Note if one thing (like sheep) end up accumulating in the pool and no one wants them you can change the exchange rates on the pool with consensus (e.g. make it so you can take out 2 sheep for any one resource)

  • Deposit: Additional resources can be added to the pool anytime.

  • Demurrage: When a '7' is rolled and the pool exceeds seven cards, half are returned to the "Earth Bank" to simulate a check on hoarding.

This add-on doesn't just alter gameplay; it embeds the idea of resource coordination, sustainable practices and community resilience into the fun of Catan.

Give it a try and let me know how it worked and if you have any alterations!