Beloved tabletop game Settlers of Catan is making the transition from analog to digital, as a virtual reality version of the game was announced by VR game developer Experiment 7. In a collaboration between Experiment 7, Catan Studios, and Asmodee Digital, Catan VR will make its debut later this year.
First released in 1995, the long-lived strategy game creates a gameplay experience of building settlements and cities, trading, connecting outposts, surviving obstacles, and racking up victory points as settlers of a new land. Catan VR, according to Experiment 7, will be “true to the classic, but optimized for virtual reality.” In a statement posted to the Catan website, the developer wrote, “Catan VR allows tabletop fans and new players alike to experience the best-selling board game in a fresh, fully immersive format.”
While Catan VR‘s announcement trailer doesn’t show us any gameplay, Experiment 7 has given a couple of details. In the game, players will be able to face off against more players from around the world, or play against “Catan personalities.” Catan VR will offer “beautiful in-game environments and cross-play functionality.”
Of special note in the big announcement is the presence of Catan‘s creator Klaus Teuber and his son Benjamin, both of whom weighed in on the project. Klaus Teuber stated, “The game I made in our living room with my family twenty-five years ago in virtual reality? It’s incredible.”
Catan VR has no official release date yet, and will be available for the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear.