In Catan, players try to settle on the island of Catan and use the resources on it (grain, wool, brick, ore, stone) to create the strongest state. Players construct roads, settlements, ports, and cities, and they must also defend their resources and their state from robber attacks. The goal of the game is to reach 10 victory points as quickly as possible. At the start of the game, players use the hexes from the box to assemble a map of their choosing, which is different and unique every time, adding variety to the game. Then, on the hexes, numbers are distributed according to a random process, and players begin to colonize the island they've created. During the game, players collect various resources, which they then use to develop their state. When a player builds a settlement, they receive 1 victory point, and upgrading a settlement to a city yields 2 points. In the game, 2 victory points are additionally awarded to the player with the longest road and to the player with the largest army. The goal of the game is to accumulate 10 victory points as quickly as possible.