Why does nobody talk about how Catan can ruin friendships if you play cutthroat?

I tried a hardcore no-trading game of Catan with my usual group last Friday. We made a rule that you could only trade with the bank or ports, not with each other. I figured it would be faster and more strategic. Instead, my friend Jen spent the whole night blocked on resources because she was stuck with brick and sheep. She got so frustrated she threw a dice at the table and said she'd never play again. I learned that some games need the negotiation or you bring out the worst in people. Has anyone else had a house rule backfire like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_flores842mo ago

Threw a dice at the table? That's wild, man. No trading at all sounds like a fast way to make people hate the game.

morgan.joseph2mo agoMost Upvoted

Threw a dice too back in my first session and learned real fast that it kills the mood. We switched to a house rule where you can trade resources but not points, and it helped a ton. People still get salty sometimes but at least they feel like they got a fair shot. The key is letting folks negotiate their own deals even if it slows things down a bit. Keeps everyone engaged and less focused on the dice gods.