CATAN: New Energies

Catan, dragged bang up to date. New Energies keeps the harvesting, trading and building that made the original a modern classic, then drops you into a very 21st-century dilemma: power your growing island with cheap fossil fuels, or invest in clean energy before the pollution catches up with everyone. It's a full standalone game — no base set required — so it works just as well as a first taste of Catan as it does a fresh challenge for old hands.

At a glance

How it plays

• Classic Catan foundations: gather resources, trade and build your network
• Power plants and energy tokens add a new build-and-balance layer
• Environmental events mean your choices ripple across the whole island

Chase the win through cheap power or play the long game and keep Catan liveable — either way it's the freshest the island has felt in years.

A modern Catan that earns its place on the shelf. Grab a pack of sleeves if you want the cards to last through game night.