7 Virtual Board Games That Feel Like Catan (But Go Even Further)

For many of us, Catan was the first time a board game felt like a small, living world: dice clacked, resources shuffled, and suddenly you were bargaining for brick like your life depended on it. If you’ve exhausted the island’s coastal real estate and want that same mix of resource tension, expansion and player interaction — but in other skins — here are seven well-made digital board games like Catan.

1. Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride channels Catan’s “collect resources, build routes” satisfaction in a cleaner, more direct way. You gather colored train cards and spend sets to claim rails across a map, trying to complete secret tickets while blocking opponents. It’s simpler than Catan in some ways, but the strategic choice of where to expand and whom to choke off feels just as delicious. The digital editions are polished and great if you want a shorter, calmer match that still rewards forward planning.

2. Carcassonne

Carcassonne swaps dice and resource tiles for tile-laying and spatial puzzles. You place landscape tiles and drop meeples to claim cities, roads or fields; the board grows piece by piece into a shared tapestry. If you like the territorial jockeying of Catan — the part where every placement matters — Carcassonne gives you that in every turn, only tighter and often quicker. It’s a lovely palate cleanser between longer Catan sessions.

3. Machi Koro

Machi Koro is basically Catan’s playful cousin who keeps the “roll-and-collect” heart but makes it punchier. You build a town by buying establishments that trigger on dice results and crank up income even during other players’ turns. It’s fast, cheeky and often volatile, which makes it ideal when you want the thrill of lucky rolls without the heavier negotiation. Don’t expect deep diplomacy here; expect pace and laughter.

4. Stone Age

If you want a more tactile resource race with a dash of luck, Stone Age hits home. It’s a worker-placement game where you send tribespeople to collect wood, stone, gold and food, and dice determine yields. That balance of planning your placements and hoping for a good roll mirrors Catan’s blend of strategy and chance. The digital version respects the board game’s rhythms, and it’s satisfying when a risky placement pays off.

5. 7 Wonders

7 Wonders is less about blocking and more about optimizing a civilization engine across three ages. You draft cards simultaneously, convert resources, and build wonders for points. If resource management and long-term planning are your favorite bits of Catan, 7 Wonders will appeal: every pick affects your future options, and efficiency matters. It’s brisk, smart, and scales well for larger groups.

6. Concordia

Concordia is where Catan players who prefer less luck and more planning migrate. Often called “Advanced Catan,” it’s about expanding trade networks across the Roman world, managing a hand of personality cards that dictate actions, and squeezing value from resource exchanges. There’s elegance in how little randomness affects the outcome; if you want a purer strategic contest that still rewards map control and expansion, Concordia is a quiet masterpiece.

7. Scythe: Digital Edition

Scythe is a step up in scope — grander, denser, and gloriously atmospheric. It combines resource production, area control and engine building in a 4X-lite package set in a dieselpunk 1920s. The feel of building an economic engine and expanding your territory will remind you of Catan’s best moments, but Scythe asks more of you in terms of multi-layered strategy and longer attention. Play it when you’re in the mood to sink into an immersive campaign rather than a casual match.

Final thoughts

You don’t have to pick a single “best” game here — they serve different moods. Want something quick and social? Try Ticket to Ride or Machi Koro. Crave pure spatial strategy? Carcassonne or Concordia will do you proud. Hungry for grander, slow-burn strategy? Scythe or 7 Wonders are waiting. Each brings a slice of Catan’s core: choices about resources, careful expansion, and the delicious tension between planning and luck.

Which one will you try first? Tell us about your favorite Catan moment in the comments, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more recommendations and play tips.

If you’re a parent, check these 7 video games for kids’ birthday parties.