Mayfair Games has dropped “Beta” from the name and has launched Catan Anytime for anyone to get a taste of the game! Catan Anytime isn’t an exact copy of the game as it doesn’t use numbers on the hex tiles, but rather the game produces 2 random tiles to produce on a turn. While it isn’t traditional, it gives Catan players wanting to play with people all over the chance to do just that, as well as giving those curious about the game a peek into its mechanics.
It currently requires you to invite friends to play via an email or Facebook invite, though I imagine that a “random match” feature will come around soon. I do wish that had been part of this initial launch, but I think that people can get a taste of the game by searching social media for opponents to play against. In that sense, it really does stick to the tabletop advantage of reaching out to other people to play a game with you, even if it is still in a digital format.
You can see the game in your preferred internet browser here, and can even play a sample turn to see how the game works. If you want to make the game even more interactive, you even have the choice to add some “trash talk” when you move the robber! It is optional, of course. I’ll be watching this to see how the game progresses! I do love a good game of Catan, so if you’re interested in playing, feel free to contact me and challenge me to a game!