Settlers of Catan on a Microsoft Surface table
We’ve mentioned before some very cool things being done with the Microsoft Surface table, and at PAX the Catan folks were showing off Settlers of Catan. While I didn’t get to play a full game, I did watch some other players trying it out and then fiddled with it for a few rounds on the very last day just before they kicked everyone out. The game uses little physical shields that hide your resources from the other players, and also optional clear acrylic dice that have chips that the table reads when you toss them. Each player’s menu can be repositioned and moved around, and all of the fiddly parts of the game (distributing resource cards, trading in cards to build things, etc.) have been automated. However, you still get a bit of the tactile feel of the game because placing settlements and roads still requires dragging the piece to its proper place. There were also a few issues with the screen depending on the light source—it sometimes interpreted shadows as finger-touches—but overall this incarnation of Settlers of Catan was pretty eye-catching and well-implemented.
One nice thing about the digital version is that there aren’t any bits to lose, but I think I might miss the little wooden bits. It’s sort of a moot point anyway, because the tables aren’t generally available to the public for purchase yet.
Jonathan H. Liu
Jonathan H. Liu is a stay-at-home dad in Portland, Oregon, who loves to read, is always up for a board game, and has a bit of a Kickstarter habit. I can be reached at jonathan at geekdad dot com.