Catan: Cities & Knights 5-6 Player Expansion

Muster a grand army of knights, fortify your metropolises against relentless barbarian raids, and expand your realm alongside up to five other leaders in the expanded version of Catan’s deepest, most tactical expansion.

Catan: Cities & Knights 5–6 Player Extension (published by Catan Studio) scales up the rich, strategic complexity of Cities & Knights for larger game nights. Moving away from simple resource trading and settlement building, this expansion adds layers of military preparation, city development, and economic progression. The primary gameplay objective centers on comprehensive civilization building: players invest in city improvements across Science, Politics, and Trade to earn powerful Progress Cards, build City Walls to protect their resources, field and promote active Knights to defend against the shared barbarian fleet, and race to reach 13 Victory Points.

The primary mechanical hurdle stems from balancing collective defense with cutthroat individual growth under increased player density. With 5 to 6 players, the barbarian horde grows substantially stronger with every city built across the island. Players must cooperate to field enough active knight strength to repel the invasion, as failing to do so results in the least-defended player’s city being pillaged and downgraded back to a settlement. To keep games moving briskly with larger groups, the expansion utilizes the Special Building Phase (or Paired Players turn structure), allowing off-turn players to build or activate knights between turns. Designed for 5 to 6 players aged 12 and up, sessions play out over a deep, engaging 90 to 120 minutes. Victory demands tactical timing, shrewd commodity trading, and claiming Metropolises before rival leaders shut you out.

Game Specs at a Glance:
Age Range: 12+ Years
Publisher: Catan Studio
Play Time: 90-120 Minutes
Player Count: 5-6 Players
Complexity: Medium-Heavy (Hand Management, Modular Board, Dice Rolling, Route Building, Trading, Variable Player Powers)

What's in the Box?

• Additional Player Pieces in 2 Colors
• 2 City Improvement Development Trackers
• 18 Commodity Cards
• 2 Defender of Catan Victory Point Cards
• 2 Player Turn / Paired Player Markers
• 1 Extension Rule Sheet