10 Games Like Catan You Can Play in Your Browser
You have four sheep, no wood, and a neighbor who refuses every trade. That tense, chatty bargaining is what makes Catan special. If you want more of it without setting up a board, plenty of games like Catan run in a browser. This list covers the closest matches, from hex-tile trading games to long-running resource strategy worlds, with how each plays and who should try it.
Key takeaways
- Colonist is the closest browser match, with a hex board, dice-driven resources, roads, and trading.
- Travian, Tribal Wars, and Ikariam keep the resource-and-settlement loop but play out over weeks.
- Forge of Empires and Elvenar are gentler city builders that still lean on trading goods.
- The official Catan Universe app is a download, so these are the best catan alternatives for a browser tab.
What makes a game feel like Catan
Catan, first published in 1995 as The Settlers of Catan, built its reputation on a few ideas. You collect resources from the land around your settlements, you trade with other players to fill the gaps, and you spend those resources to expand. The Wikipedia entry on Catan covers its history in more detail.
We picked games that share at least two of those ideas: resource production, trading, or settlement building. Some match the board almost exactly. Others take the economy and stretch it across a persistent online world.
Quick picks
| If you want… | Play this |
|---|---|
| The closest thing to a Catan board | Colonist |
| Resource fields and village growth | Travian: Legends |
| Island trading | Ikariam |
| A relaxed builder with trading | Elvenar |
| Deep empire strategy | Freeciv-web |
| A quick hex-board duel | Hex on Dinogame |
1. Colonist
Colonist (colonist.io) is a multiplayer browser game built around the same core loop as Catan. If you are searching for settlers of catan online, this is the one most players end up on.
How it plays: Players place settlements on the corners of a hex map, and each dice roll produces resources from the matching tiles. You trade with other players or the bank, then build roads, settlements, and cities to reach the target score. Controls: Mouse or touch to place pieces, open trades, and roll. Why it fits: It recreates the board, the dice, and the haggling. Best for: Catan fans who want a full game in about the length of a lunch break.
2. Travian: Legends
Travian is a long-running browser strategy game from Travian Games, set in a world of ancient tribes. You start with one village surrounded by fields of wood, clay, iron, and crop.
How it plays: Upgrade your resource fields, build up the village center, and found new villages as you grow. A marketplace lets you trade resources with other players, and alliances matter as much as armies. A server round runs for weeks or months. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: Its four resources and settlement expansion feel like Catan stretched over a season. Best for: Patient players who enjoy checking in a few times a day.
3. Tribal Wars
Tribal Wars is a medieval browser strategy game from InnoGames. You manage a village that produces wood, clay, and iron, and you grow it into a network of villages.
How it plays: Build up production, raise troops, and join a tribe of other players. Trading resources between your own villages and with allies is a big part of keeping everything growing. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: The wood, clay, and iron economy is a close cousin of Catan’s brick, lumber, and ore. Best for: Players who like the competitive, diplomatic side of Catan.
4. Ikariam
Ikariam is a browser strategy game from Gameforge set on islands in an ancient Greek-style world. Each island specializes in one luxury good, so trade is built into the game from the start.
How it plays: You build a town, gather building material, and work toward goods such as wine, marble, crystal glass, or sulfur. If your island lacks a resource, you trade for it or set up a colony elsewhere. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: Uneven resources across islands push you to trade, much like a Catan board where no one has everything. Best for: Players who love the trading table more than the fighting.
5. Grepolis
Grepolis is another InnoGames browser title, also set in ancient Greece. You build cities on islands, gather wood, stone, and silver coins, and earn favor from the Greek gods.
How it plays: Expand from one city to many, balance production with defense, and coordinate with an alliance. Ships matter because your neighbors are across the water. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: Island settlements and resource management echo Catan’s island setting. Best for: Players who want a little mythology with their economy.
6. Forge of Empires
Forge of Empires is a browser city builder from InnoGames that takes your city through historical eras, starting in the Stone Age. It mixes building, research, and trading.
How it plays: You place buildings on a grid, collect coins and supplies, and produce trade goods. A market lets you swap goods with other players, which is often the fastest way to unlock the next technology. Controls: Point and click, with drag to place buildings. Why it fits: Trading goods with neighbors to advance is the heart of Catan’s economy. Best for: Players who prefer building over battling.
7. Elvenar
Elvenar is a fantasy city builder from InnoGames where you lead a city of elves or humans. It is one of the calmer catan alternatives on this list.
How it plays: Grow your city, produce goods, and trade them with neighbors and fellowship members through the trader. Your city produces some goods cheaply and others at a cost, so trading fills the gap. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: Its economy rewards fair trades and planning, not just fighting. Best for: Relaxed players who want a slower, friendlier pace.
8. OGame
OGame is a space strategy game from Gameforge that has run in browsers since the early 2000s. You manage planets that mine metal, crystal, and deuterium.
How it plays: Upgrade mines, research technology, and send fleets to colonize new planets. Trading and alliances help you fill resource shortfalls. Controls: Point and click. Why it fits: It is Catan’s three-step loop of collect, trade, and build, set in space. Best for: Sci-fi fans who like long-term planning.
9. Freeciv-web
Freeciv is a free, open-source strategy game inspired by Sid Meier’s Civilization, and Freeciv-web is the version that runs in a browser. It is the deepest pick here.
How it plays: Found cities, work the tiles around them for food, production, and trade, and research your way through history. You can play solo against AI rivals or with other people. Controls: Mouse plus keyboard shortcuts. Why it fits: City placement on resource-rich land is the same decision as placing a Catan settlement. Best for: Strategy fans with time to spare. Our list of games like Civilization goes deeper on this style.
10. Hex (play it on Dinogame)
Hex is a two-player connection game played on a diamond-shaped board of hexagons. It has no resources, but it shares Catan’s hex grid and the race to claim space before an opponent does.
How it plays: Each player tries to link their two sides of the board with an unbroken chain of stones. Blocking matters as much as building, much like cutting off a rival’s longest road. Controls: Click a hex to place a stone. Why it fits: It is a short, sharp taste of hex-board strategy. Best for: A quick game between longer sessions.
Board game vs online strategy game
The picks fall into two groups. Colonist and Hex are session games: you sit down, play, and finish. Travian, Tribal Wars, Ikariam, Grepolis, Forge of Empires, Elvenar, and OGame are persistent worlds that keep running when you log off.
Persistent games capture the economy of Catan but not its pace. Many of them are free to play with optional purchases that speed things up, so set a budget of time, not just money, before you dig in. If you want a finished game in one sitting, start with Colonist.
How to pick the right Catan alternative
- For the same board: Colonist.
- For trading above all: Ikariam or Forge of Empires.
- For long-term empire building: Travian, Tribal Wars, or Freeciv-web.
- For a calm pace: Elvenar.
- For five minutes: Hex.
For more tabletop classics that run in a tab, see our guide to the best browser board games.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play Catan online for free?
Colonist lets you play a Catan-style game in a browser for free. The official digital edition, Catan Universe, is a downloadable app for PC and mobile rather than a browser game.
What is the closest game to Catan?
Among browser games, Colonist is the closest, with a hex board, dice-based resource production, trading, roads, and settlements. Travian and Tribal Wars are the closest in feel among persistent strategy games.
Are there games like Catan for one player?
Yes. Freeciv-web lets you play solo against AI civilizations, and the persistent games such as Travian and Elvenar can be played at your own pace without joining a group.
What type of game is Catan?
Catan is a strategy board game built on resource management, trading, and area expansion. It is often described as a gateway game because it introduced many players to modern European-style board games.
Build your next settlement
The best games like Catan keep the thrill of a good trade and a smart expansion. Try Colonist for the board, Ikariam for trading, or Freeciv-web for a long campaign. When you want something with zero bargaining, the Chrome Dino game is one jump away.
