The Last Conformist
Irresistibly Attractive
Settlers of Catan is certainly very good. My personal favourite is Britannia, however, which isn't even German. 

Stratego is one of the few board games out there (that I've played) that is pure strategy (though I hate it cause I suck at it due to impatience and less than perfect memory).It's like Stratego, only with actual strategy.![]()
It's a good introduction for people who grew up on the boardgame mush that Milton-Bradley/Hasbro/Toys-R-Us has accustomed us to
American boargames
While it does have a few monopoly like factors its much much more strategic and a vastly superior game. That's why it is consistently ranked among the best games in the world. /steps off board game geek soapbox...Settlers of Catan: a dice-based strategy game. This is an oxymoron. Catan is Monopoly with a hex board.
Well, yes, but that doesn't make Settlers bad by any stretch.Much better German boardgames: any 18xx railway game, Puerto Rico, Caylus...
Right, and poker requires no strategy because the cards are dealt at random.Settlers of Catan: a dice-based strategy game. This is an oxymoron.
Catan is nothing like Monopoly.Catan is Monopoly with a hex board.
Haven't played any of the railway games, I found Puerto Rico kind of dull and couldn't get into it.Much better German boardgames: any 18xx railway game, Puerto Rico, Caylus...
A lot of fun the first few times you play, but I've found it depends mostly on the starting position. Haven't tried the expansions yet, might make it more interesting.
Its alright, I just played it last week and then noticed this thread. My mom said that the key is to get next to wheat because you need it for everything except roads.
I'd mostly agree there, though the enterprising settler can use a brick and wood based strategy to build a great wall of roads and shut everyone else out.All other things being equal(which they never are), my resource priorities are (from most important to least important) ore, wheat, sheep, brick, wood.
All other things being equal(which they never are), my resource priorities are (from most important to least important) ore, wheat, sheep, brick, wood.