Which Catan expansion after the base game?

3-4 players (base) Trading / building About 60-120 min

The game

Already own Catan? You're in the right place. Here is what to buy next, and the traps: the 5-6 player boxes, mixing editions, and which expansions don't play nice together.

The base game seats 3 or 4 and runs about an hour. Every big expansion needs the base game, and each one has its own 5-6 player extension.

The 5-6 player trap. A 5-6 player extension only adds seats to the box it is made for. Want Seafarers with 6? You need four boxes: Catan, the Catan 5-6 extension, Seafarers and the Seafarers 5-6 extension. Same for Cities & Knights, Traders & Barbarians and Explorers & Pirates.

6th edition (2025) vs 5th edition. The 2025 edition redid the art, the card backs and the 5-6 rules: players now take turns in pairs instead of the old special building phase. Stick to one edition: a 5th edition expansion won't blend cleanly into a 6th edition base.

Explorers & Pirates doesn't mix with Seafarers. Both use ships, but with different rules. Catan says you can't combine them. Seafarers does combine with Cities & Knights on some scenarios.

Which boxes do you already own?

Put on the table what you already have, and how many of you play.

You usually play with

3-4 5 6

Release timeline

Original years: base 1995, Seafarers 1997, Cities & Knights 1998, Traders & Barbarians 2007, Explorers & Pirates 2013. All reissued in the 6th edition in 2025.

The graph

How the Catan boxes connect, plus the mechanics. An arrow starts at the expansion and points to the box it needs.

needs another box
contains this box
part of the line
game mechanic

Depending on what you want

You want	Get
Gentle step up, new maps	Seafarers
More strategy and conflict	Cities & Knights
Lots of small variants, a 2-player mode	Traders & Barbarians
Exploration missions	Explorers & Pirates (not with Seafarers)
Play with 5 or 6	Catan 5-6, then the 5-6 box of each expansion you own

Tick your boxes at the top and the answer follows.

At the table

Box	What it brings
Catan	3-4 players. Settlers, roads, cities, the robber.
Seafarers	Ships, islands to discover, scenarios.
Cities & Knights	Knights, barbarians, commodities, longer games.
Traders & Barbarians	Scenario pack, variants, 2-player rules.
Explorers & Pirates	Missions, exploration, pirate lairs.
5-6 player extensions	Two more seats for one specific box each

Compatibility

Box	Needs	Players
Catan	standalone base	3-4
Catan 5-6 Player Extension	needs base	5-6
Seafarers	needs base	3-4
Seafarers 5-6 Player Extension	needs base + 5-6 + expansion	5-6
Cities & Knights	needs base	3-4
Cities & Knights 5-6 Player Extension	needs base + 5-6 + expansion	5-6
Traders & Barbarians	needs base	3-4
Traders & Barbarians 5-6 Player Extension	needs base + 5-6 + expansion	5-6
Explorers & Pirates	needs base	3-4
Explorers & Pirates 5-6 Player Extension	needs base + 5-6 + expansion	5-6

Scenario boxes such as Legend of the Sea Robbers (needs Seafarers), spin-offs and the Starfarers line are outside the picker.

FAQ

What's the best Catan expansion after the base game?

For most groups, Seafarers first: it adds ships and islands without changing the core much. If you want more strategy, go for Cities & Knights.

Do I need the 5-6 player extension to play an expansion with 6?

Yes, two of them. You need the Catan 5-6 extension plus the 5-6 extension of that expansion. For Seafarers with 6, that's four boxes in total.

Can I mix the 6th edition with older Catan boxes?

Not cleanly. The 2025 6th edition changed the art, card backs and 5-6 rules. Stay with one edition, or be ready to adapt.

Can I combine Explorers & Pirates with Seafarers?

No. Both have ships but with different rules, and Catan says they can't be combined.

Can I play Catan with 2 players?

Traders & Barbarians includes a 2-player variant. The base game alone is made for 3 or 4.

Who publishes Catan in English?

Catan Studio, for CATAN GmbH. Designer: Klaus Teuber.