This is the part where I point out that Settlers of Catan is based on the 1982 game Survive! which is much more playable with small children. Especially since after you spend ten minutes building up the game board, you get to destroy it. It's also sociologically useful because (A) players who cooperate invariably beat players who compete (B) players who get one VIP off the island can beat players who get six nobodies off the island which says a lot about social priorities. I play Catan? But it's like Bridge - you have fun so long as nobody takes things seriously. As soon as someone starts to get good at Catan everyone has to get good at Catan and then it all becomes about board layout with the actual gameplay being an inevitability. Survive? Survive your ass can get eaten by a shark.