Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →CATAN – New Energies turns a familiar resource-and-building game into a contest over how to power an island: fossil-fuel plants are cheaper in the game, but they drive pollution events that can disrupt everyone’s resource production; renewable plants cost more to build but shift the environmental risks. It is a standalone game for 3–4 players, not an expansion required for the original CATAN. Its climate mechanics make energy trade-offs part of play, but they are a stylized model, not a full account of real-world energy economics.
What is CATAN – New Energies?
CATAN – New Energies takes the resource gathering, trading, and building familiar from CATAN and adds power plants, energy tokens, and environmental events. Players develop their positions while deciding how to supply energy to the island. CATAN lists the game for ages 14 and up, 3–4 players, and a play time of about 90 minutes.
The game was presented as a new version of classic CATAN in MIT Technology Review’s June 13, 2024 feature. That article reported that CATAN and related products had sold more than 45 million copies worldwide; that is the publication’s 2024 figure, not a current sales total.
How does the game deal with climate change?
Fossil-fuel plants offer a cheaper route
CATAN’s product description says players begin with cheaper fossil fuels. Those plants cause pollution events, which can interrupt resource production across the island. The bargain is therefore tactical rather than free: a player can develop energy capacity at lower in-game cost, but pollution can affect the whole table.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
- EXPLORE THE ISLAND OF CATAN: Settle the uninhabited island of Catan by gathering resources, building infrastructure, and nurturing trade relationships.
- STRATEGY AND COMPETITION: Compete with 2-3 opponents to expand your settlements and cities while managing resources and avoiding the robber.
- TRADE, BUILD, AND SETTLE: Use brick, wood, wheat, ore, and sheep to construct roads, settlements, and cities in your race to 10 victory points.
- REPLAYABLE AND ENGAGING: With a modular hexagonal board, no two games are the same, offering endless strategic opportunities and replayability.
- FOR FAMILIES AND STRATEGY ENTHUSIASTS: Designed for 3-4 players, ages 10 and up, CATAN 6th Edition is perfect for family game nights and friendly competition. Add the CATAN 5-6 Player Extension (sold separately) to expand your game to 5-6 players.
Renewables change the event balance
Renewable plants require greater investment in the game. They add event discs to the bag, which can extend play before the bag empties, and change the balance of environmental events. Players can also negotiate to reduce pollution, bringing cooperation and bargaining into a game otherwise shaped by competition.
There is more than one way to win
The rules award victory to the first player to reach 10 victory points. If the game ends before anyone reaches 10, the winner is determined by the best balance between renewable and fossil energy. CATAN’s official product page puts the tension plainly: “As in real life, the most sustainable player does not always win, and as in any CATAN game, there are multiple paths to victory.”
Rank #2
- EXPLORE THE COSMOS: Set in the year 2700, embark on a thrilling journey to compete for the prestigious title of Ambassador to the Galactic Council in CATAN Starfarers.
- INTERGALACTIC DIPLOMACY: Forge alliances with extraterrestrial lifeforms, discover new solar systems, and use diplomacy to enlist their aid in your quest for fame and glory.
- INTERGALACTIC DIPLOMACY: Forge alliances with extraterrestrial lifeforms, discover new solar systems, and use diplomacy to enlist their aid in your quest for fame and glory.
- UPGRADE YOUR SHIP: Customize your mothership with boosters for speed, freight pods for bargaining power, and cannons to fend off threats.
- UNIQUE GAMEPLAY: Experience a re-imagined classic with a variable game board, snap-together motherships, and a one-of-a-kind shaking mechanism for moves and encounters.
Is the game realistic?
It is realistic in the limited sense that it makes energy choices and shared environmental consequences visible in the rules. It is not a scientific simulation, and its costs and outcomes should not be read as a guide to current energy markets or policy.
MIT Technology Review journalist Casey Crownhart’s 2024 feature questions whether the game’s cost relationship—fossil fuel as the cheaper starting option and renewables as the more expensive investment—reflects contemporary renewable-energy economics. That is a reported critique of the game’s framing, not a definitive price comparison. The game simplifies complex systems into choices players can understand and act on during a session; the available reporting does not establish that its mechanics teach a particular policy outcome.
Rank #3
- Ditch the TV, and re-ignite family night with the get-together amusement of a Hasbro game
- Party it up, and surprise guests at your next event with laugh-out-loud game from Hasbro Gaming
- Nostalgic tabletop gameplay meets interactive digital content for an immersive gaming experience
- Hasbro Gaming imagines and produces games that are perfect for every age, taste, and event
What does CATAN say about the game’s materials?
CATAN says the English edition is assembled in the United States from sustainably sourced wood and paper and uses no plastic pieces. That is the publisher’s product description, not an independent lifecycle assessment, so it does not establish that the game is environmentally harmless or carbon neutral.
In its June 14, 2024 release announcement, CATAN said Connexus Energy provided solar renewable-energy certificates for electricity used by the factory manufacturing the game, and that the certificates were retired in CATAN Studio’s name. This describes the publisher’s manufacturing-energy arrangement; it is not a product-level lifecycle result.
Rank #4
- EXPANDS YOUR GAMEPLAY: This is an official 5-6 player expansion for the CATAN 6th Edition board game. It adds the necessary components to allow 2 additional players to join the race for settlements, increasing the total player count to 3-6 people.
- NOT A STANDALONE GAME: This is an add-on expansion only; you MUST own the CATAN 6th Edition Base Game (sold separately) to play. This set includes 28 terrain hexes, 25 resource cards, 9 development cards, and two full sets of wooden player pieces (brown and green).
- SOCIAL STRATEGY: Perfect for deepening the CATAN experience; more players mean more trading opportunities, more competition for resources, and a larger island map to explore, making every turn more dynamic and interactive.
- HOLIDAY & PARTY GAME: The perfect solution for family reunions, holiday gift exchanges, or weekend game nights where you have more than four players—ensuring no one is left out of the fun during winter evenings or summer celebrations.
- FAMILY & FRIENDS: Designed for groups of 3-6 players, ages 10 and up. A must-have for the living room board game shelf, this expansion allows CATAN fans to host larger social gatherings and competitive gaming sessions at home.
Where can you find CATAN – New Energies?
The publisher points readers to its shop and local game stores. Availability can vary by region, so check current stock with the seller. The game was announced for release in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on June 14, 2024.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
