Have you ever wanted to play a tabletop game and either could not get anyone to play or the choice of the game was never agreed on? Tabletop games can bring out the competition in some while bringing fun to others. Does developer Experiment 7 bring the competition and the fun of tabletop games to Virtual Reality? Let’s find out with Catan VR for the PlayStation VR.
I will say that I have never played Catan before, not because I didn’t want to. I just didn’t have anyone that wanted to play or could never get a time when everyone wanted to play. So getting the opportunity to play Catan VR was something that, before even playing, I knew was going to be interesting. So what is the object of Catan VR and how do you play? First, before you begin, make sure your Move controllers are fully charged, and then before jumping in, I would strongly suggest doing the tutorial, as it covers what you need to know to play.
So, as you can see, there are quite a few rules, and at any time during a game, you can always replay the tutorial without interrupting the game, which is a very nice touch. So the object is to get 10 victory points to win the game. When you first start, you will need to place your settlement on the board. You will have two settlements along with two roads to start. This is where you need to be smart and think about where the best spot of the nineteen you think it will be. Do you want more grain? Then place your settlement near the field section of the board. Do you think you will need more bricks? Then head for the hills; if you need more lumber, then lean towards the forest. If you need more spore, the mountains will be your best build, and if you need more wool, then pastures will be the ones you want. Now keep in mind you can place your settlement and one road anywhere on the board, but that desert does nothing, so that may not be the best place to settle down.
But don’t let the tutorial overwhelm you; even with the tutorial, there were some things I did not understand at first and that is why I went into an AI game, in which you have a choice to play with 3 or 4 AI players that are represented by portraits, which honestly does get your feet wet into the world of Catan. But one thing I liked about the game of Catan is how this is more about helping each other while trying to gain what you can in hopes you score that 10-point victory. But how do you gain these resources? When it’s your turn, you will roll the dice, and based on the number you roll and depending on where you placed your settlement, you will gain those resources. So on the board, if you have your settlement next to a field marked with a 5 and you roll a 5, you get the grain, but if other people have their settlement near that same section, they too get that resource as well. But be careful if a 7 is rolled, as this can cause the robber to be placed, which can allow him to steal some resources to give to the player who placed him.
If you have enough resources, you can build more roads, settlements, and cities. If you want to build a road, you will need lumber and brick, for example, but if you are not sure what you may need, you can always look at the lower right of the board, and it will show what resources are needed to build.

If you may not have enough resources, you can then trade with other players who will either accept your offer or kindly decline it. The same thing can happen when it’s the other player’s turn; they can offer a trade that everyone can agree on or decline, but if more than one person accepts the player’s proposal, then the player whose turn it is gets to decide who they will accept the offer from. But if you feel like the world is coming down and no one will accept your little offer no matter how you think it might be, you can always reach out to the bank, and depending on what majority of the board you may have, it will determine if it will be a high stakes 4:1 offer or it could be a 3:1 or even a 2:1 offer.
But I think what helped me get any questions that I may have had out of the way was playing with other online players. I will admit at the very beginning, I could not find anyone to play; luckily, the game fills in those spots with AI. But once I was able to find an online game, it was all friendly and just having fun and laughter. Before going online, you will want to select your mask. I went with a Day of the Dead skull, while the other players had one with a fox and the others that had a helmet with horns, but there were others to select from.
I do want to point out that the graphics are very well done here, as you can make out the details on the board. Seeing a bird fly over the island or the tiny sheep move around is a nice touch. I like how when the dice are rolled, they’re not rolled on the board but above the board, which doesn’t have the dice lost within the board. Also, being able to change the view on the fly as well as the ability to change the artwork is something you don’t see, but it’s that small amount of detail that makes you appreciate what is being presented. The music is very calming and relaxing and is just at enough volume that it doesn’t overshadow when other players are talking. The sounds of the sheep or the roll of the dice did not have to be put in there, but again, those small details really add to the experience.
With single-player AI games and cross-platform online play multiplayer games, Catan VR is a fun game that brings friendly competitiveness to Virtual Reality. It’s a game that I didn’t think would keep pulling me back in as it has been doing. It’s one of those games that I, even as I was doing this review, stopped a couple of times so I could play some more. And it doesn’t stop there if you like league play. There is a Catan VR league with over 400 players that could lead to some very interesting and entertaining games.

Catan VR is out now on PlayStation VR and is also available on the Oculus Rift/S, Oculus Go, and Gear VR on the Oculus Store, and Steam. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Catan, please visit the site, to learn more about Catan VR, please visit the site, like them on Facebook follow them on Twitter, follow them on Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. To learn more about the Catan VR league, visit the site and join the Discord. To learn more about Experiment 7, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I have more games to play before I join and try to win the league.
Mr. PSVR, July 2, 2019, theplaystationbrahs.com