Netflix just gave up three papers, a brick, a wheat, and a buttload of money in exchange for the rights to turn the world of Catan into a series of films and TV shows, both scripted and unscripted. Why? Because Catan (formerly known as The Settlers of Catan) is one of the most recognisable board games ever.
Don’t blame Netflix here. It’s the streamer’s job to seek out those properties that’ll garner some attention, even if the idea isn’t a good one. The guilt lies with Asmodee, a “global leader in tabletop gaming known for games like Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, and Exploding Kittens,” who partnered with Netflix to develop adaptations of one of the most successful and recognisable board games of the last thirty years.
Settling for mediocrity
If you’re unfamiliar with the lore of Catan, that’s because there isn’t any. There’s the game’s basic premise, which sees settlers (that’s the players) attempt to dominate the world of Catan by building roads, settlements, and cities — gathering resources and trading them away to make that possible. But the actual story? That’s up to Netflix.
Specifically, Netflix hopes to turn the board game into “an epic new storytelling universe.” God help us all. It’ll do so by developing not one, but several projects (both live-action and animated) for the small screen. Here’s hoping that we eat our words and Netflix churns out something on the same level as Arcane.
Read More: Spotify and Netflix partner up to usher in the streaming giant’s podcast era
“We knew landing this deal would be as game-changing as a well-placed settlement, so we decided to pool our resources across series, features, animation, and games and show Asmodee the full power of Netflix when we work together. Hardcore ‘Settlers’ are going to lose their minds, and new fans will finally learn just how important a sheep trade can be,” said Netflix’s Jinny Howe.
No actual talent is attached to any of the projects yet, though we do know that the Catan universe will be produced by Darren Kyman from Asmodee, Pete Fenlon from Catan Studio (an Asmodee studio), and Klaus Teuber’s (the original creator of The Settlers of Catan) sons, Guido and Benjamin Teuber, with Roy Lee from Vertigo Entertainment also producing.
