Navigating new land: The world of Catan coming to Netflix

The Settlers of Catan has forged a new alliance: the popular board game is being adapted into Netflix programming.

Asmodee, the company responsible for games like Ticket to Ride and Exploding Kittens, has partnered with Netflix to bring the world of Catan to the small screen via scripted and unscripted programming.

“Anyone who has played Catan knows [that] the intense strategy and negotiation at the core of the game has endless opportunities for some serious drama,” said Jinny Howe, head of scripted series, U.S. and Canada, for Netflix.

Created by Klaus Teuber in 1995, Settlers of Catan is a multiplayer board game in which players build settlements and cities on the island of Catan, collecting and trading resources while navigating new landscapes. The game has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages, according to a release. Under the new partnership, Netflix and Asmodee are turning the island into “an epic new storytelling universe.”

“Millions of people [have been] enjoying Catan since it was created, and for many it remains a gateway to modern board gaming,” Thomas Koegler, CEO of Asmodee, said in a news release. “It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone’s homes.”

Upcoming Settlers of Catan programming will join Netflix’s slate of game-to-screen stories, including Arcane, Castlevania, the upcoming Assassin’s Creed series and the Gears of War film.

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