Warning: My Catan game caused a sheep-trading crisis

My uncle got so into the trading phase, he was offering real-world favors for wood. We had to remind him it was just a game.

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3 Comments

aaron_hart636mo ago

Tell your uncle the wood stays on the board. Once you start bartering for chores, someone's gonna try to trade a sheep for a kidney next. He's taking the "trading phase" way too literally.

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simon_young466mo ago

Nah your uncle's actually onto something here, opening up the trading makes the game way more fun imo. Strict board-only rules kill the creative deals that make these games memorable in the first place. If everyone agrees to the terms, trading a sheep for taking out the trash just shows good strategy. Games are supposed to adapt to the people playing, not the other way around.

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adams.ray6mo ago

Actually the fun creative deals are already in the rules, like future promises or card swaps! Going totally off-board with chores or favors can pressure people who don't want to play that way. The game balance gets weird if someone trades a sheep for a week of dishes, because now their in-game win affects real life. Keeping it to the game resources lets everyone agree on the same playing field from the start.

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