Comparison

Catan Classic vs Root Board Game

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Catan Classic

Engage in a classic board game of trading, building, and settling. Compete with up to four players online or against AI opponents. Expand your gameplay with purchasable expansions offering new scenarios and mechanics.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer
  • AI opponents with unique strategies
  • Trading and resource management
  • Expandable gameplay with DLC
  • Original rule set
  • Game statistics
  • Comprehensive tutorial
Features
Read full description

"Catan", the legendary strategy game provides gaming fun anytime, anywhere. True to the original game, you can compete with up to four players for the most settlements, the longest roads and the largest army. You can trade with each other and claim the precious land with all its resources. The game allows you to challenge other Catan fans online via cross-platform multiplayer to prove your strategy skills or play against the AI: Various computer opponents, each with their own individual characteristics, will prove themselves worthy competitors: the pirate Jean, who knows no compromise, Vincent the merchant, who never allows himself to be cheated, Sean the knight, who takes what is rightfully his... The popular Catan expansions "Seafarers", "Cities and Knights" and two new special scenarios are available as In-App purchases. The complete Seafarers expansion includes more than 10 additional scenarios with an extensive campaign. Become Harbormaster, discover new islands and extra game elements like ships, gold fields, treasures and pirates. Ahoy! The Cities and Knights expansion introduces various new gameplay mechanics that add even more variety to Catan. Invest new trade goods in city improvements to build one of the three metropolises of Catan – but beware of the barbarians attracted by Catan’s new wealth! You’ll need your best knights to fend them off! C&K contains a short campaign and 7 challenging maps. Exciting adventures await you in the two new scenarios "Enchanted Land" and "The Great Canal". Vanquish dragons and bag their treasures or build a canal to help barren grain fields bloom once more. Features: - Available languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese - Original "Settlers of Catan" rule set - Update 4.0+: Synchronous online multiplayer games - Smart computer opponents with individual strategies - Scrollable game board including zoom option - Freely combinable game settings - Game statistics - Comprehensive tutorial - Seafarers LITE: New scenario "The 4 Islands" and two additional game variants - Cities and Knights LITE: Test the new expansion in the scenario “The first Island” - 3 different graphic sets to choose from ***** Catan FAQ: Question: An expansion seems gone after an update or reinstallation of Catan or after restoring the device? Answer: Don’t worry! Your initial purchase is already saved in your iTunes account. You can restore your InApp purchases by selecting the restore-option in the Catan IAP menu. Question: I lost my campaign progress after reinstalling, updating or restoring my device. Is there any way to restore it? Answer: When saved games can’t be automatically restored, we’ve integrated a cheat code: In the campaign mode go to select player and enter „CatanWarp*“ (* = 1–15) as your player name and confirm. Exit the game via the home button and restart it. The campaign can now be continued from the specified level number (1–15). Levels up to the specified number will be unlocked in the custom game mode as well. Question: Are dice rolls really random? Answer: Of course! All dice rolls are 100% random and not modified in any way. We’re avid Catan players ourselves. We’ve played the iOS version hundreds of times while developing the program. There have been times when we won and lost a few games in a row because of the dice - just like when playing the board game! ***** Questions or suggestions for improvements: Mail to ios@usm.de We are looking forward to your feedback! For more information on news and updates: www.usmgames.com or visit us on www.facebook.com/UnitedSoftMedia and twitter.com/USM_News *****

About

Root Board Game

Experience a digital adaptation of a popular tabletop board game. Engage in strategic woodland warfare as 2 to 4 players vie for control of a vast wilderness, leading diverse factions to victory.

Highlights
  • Digital board game adaptation
  • Adventure and war gameplay
  • 2-4 player battles
  • Faction control mechanics
  • Wilderness exploration
Features
Read full description

Play the digital adaptation of the beloved tabletop board game. Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast wilderness. The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods. Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

Screenshots

Catan Classic4 screens
Root Board Game4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Root Board Game at 77% against Catan Classic's 25%. Root Board Game also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 months). Catan Classic's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Catan Classic costs $4.99 and Root Board Game $9.99 up front. Catan Classic sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Root Board Game sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Root Board Game holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 5.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Catan Classic's written reviews are positive against 77% of Root Board Game's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Catan Classic ships an update every 5 months, Root Board Game every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Catan Classic versus Root Board Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCatan ClassicRoot Board Game
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating3.7 (11K ratings)4.9 (5.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.8% of reviews77.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11K — better5.9K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#15#14 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size840 MB505 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperUnited Soft Media Verlag GmbHDire Wolf Digital

Customer experience

Catan Classic

All ratings10,594 ratings
Positive67.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative24.0%
Written reviews828 reviews
Positive24.8%
Neutral17.0%
Negative58.2%

Root Board Game

All ratings5,424 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews397 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral8.6%
Negative14.4%

User reviews

Catan Classic

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast gameplay
  • 👍 Faithful to the board game
  • 🎮 Enjoyable AI opponents
  • 🕹️ Customizable settings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🧠 Unfair AI behavior
  • 🎲 Questionable dice rolls
  • 💰 Expensive expansions
  • 🔍 Difficult to see the full board

Root Board Game

From 5.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
  • 🎨 Charming visuals and animations
  • 🕹️ Smooth gameplay
  • 🧠 Helpful tutorials for learning the game
  • 🕹️ Great way to practice and learn the game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹️ AI could be improved, makes questionable decisions
  • 🕹️ Lack of undo button frustrating
  • 🕹️ Replaying opponent moves can be tedious
  • 🕹️ Animations can be slow, need option to speed up

Bugs and requests

Catan Classic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to reconnect to online games
  • Freezing when placing the robber
  • Disappearing resources and progress
  • Inconsistent login and account management

Requested features

4 requests
  • Online multiplayer improvements
  • More game modes and scenarios
  • Better UI optimization for newer devices
  • Ability to save and resume games

Root Board Game

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes during gameplay
  • Issues with async game notifications and state
  • Bugs with specific faction mechanics (e.g. Vagabond)

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add undo button
  • Implement option to skip/speed up opponent moves
  • Include expansion factions and maps
  • Add match history and player stats tracking
  • Improve async game notifications and stability
Show 1 more
  • Add more customization options for game setup

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Catan Classic

One-time5
  • The new scenarios$1.99
  • Catan - The Islands$1.99
  • The Seafarers$4.99
Show 2 more
  • Cities & Knights$4.99
  • All-expansions Bundle$9.99
6 purchases

Root Board Game

One-time6
  • The Clockwork Expansion$5.99
  • Exiles & Partisans & Vagabonds$7.99
  • The Riverfolk Expansion$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Root: The Underworld Expansion$9.99
  • Root: The Marauder Expansion$9.99
  • Hirelings & Landmarks$9.99

Questions

Is Catan Classic free?
Catan Classic costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Root Board Game free?
Root Board Game costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Catan Classic or Root Board Game?
Root Board Game is rated higher. Catan Classic averages 3.7 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Root Board Game averages 4.9 from 5.9K ratings.
Do Catan Classic or Root Board Game have ads?
Neither Catan Classic nor Root Board Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Catan Classic or Root Board Game?
Catan Classic ships an update every 5 months, and Root Board Game every 4 days. Most recently, Catan Classic was updated on October 26, 2026 and Root Board Game on October 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Catan Classic or Root Board Game?
Catan Classic currently peaks at #15 in the App Store charts, and Root Board Game at #14. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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