The night my Catan game turned into a negotiation disaster in Denver

I was at a game night at my buddy's place in Denver last month, 6 players deep into a Settlers of Catan match. Right when I needed one brick to finish my longest road, the guy across the table trades me a brick for two wheat, then three turns later I find out he only had one brick left and was bluffing his whole hand. The deal cost me the game because I couldn't build other settlements after that. Have any of you had a board game trade completely backfire on you like that?

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thea6921mo ago

Honestly, that guy played you like a fiddle, but here's my real question: Was there any point before the trade where you could have asked about his remaining hand or double checked his offers? I get that bluffing is part of games like poker, but Catan trades feel like they should have some honor system. How do you even trust someone after they pull that move?

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jessel351mo ago

Tbh I had a buddy who straight up stopped talking to a guy for a month after getting burned on a wheat-brick swap in Catan. He said the worst part was the guy laughing about it during the next round like it was a victory lap or something.

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