How it plays
Dice rolls produce resources for settlements and cities beside the matching terrain. You trade those resources and spend them on roads, new settlements, city upgrades, and development cards. The first player to reach ten victory points on their own turn wins.
Initial placement shapes your access to resources, but the island also becomes a competition for space. Other players can occupy the intersections you wanted, and the robber can interrupt production from a hex.
Decisions you’ll make
Balance likely resource production against access to several different materials when placing your starting settlements.
Consider what a proposed trade lets the other player build, as well as what it supplies for your own turn.
Learning the game
Teach production, trading, building restrictions, the robber, development cards, and how victory points are counted.