Catan Studio has announced Catan Zip, a portable version of the classic settler game that swaps the familiar hexagonal board for a pad of 50 unique paper maps you draw on with a pen. It arrives on May 1 for $25.
This is not the same as Catan: On the Road, the card game announced earlier this year. Zip is a full Catan experience rebuilt from scratch for portability. Instead of shuffling resource cards, players use punchboard tokens. Instead of building a modular hex board, you tear off a fresh map from the included pad and draw your roads, settlements, and cities directly onto it. A self-contained dice roller rounds out the package, and everything fits in a zipper pouch small enough for a backpack.
Each of the 50 maps features a different island layout, so the game stays fresh long after you have worn through your first few sheets. The format is designed for road trips, camping, picnics, or anywhere a table full of hexes would be impractical. It plays 3-4 players in about 60 minutes, keeping the same core experience that has made Catan one of the best-selling board games of all time.
If your group has been looking for something to play on holiday without hauling a full box, Zip looks like a smart option. Pre-orders are open now on the Catan Shop.
Sources: Catan Official | ICv2
