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Beginner's Guide to Qiatan Island

Learn the fundamentals — resource gathering, building, trading, and how to earn your first victory.

What is Qiatan Island?

Qiatan Island is a real-time multiplayer strategy game inspired by the classic board game Catan. Players compete to settle an island by gathering resources, building roads and settlements, and trading with each other. The first player to reach the victory point goal wins the game.

Your First Game

Joining a Game

Head to the lobby and either create a new game or join an existing one. You can invite friends directly or add AI bots to fill empty slots. Once everyone is ready, the host starts the game.

The Setup Phase

Each player places two settlements and two roads in a snake draft. Your first settlement determines your starting resource income, so choose wisely! Look for intersections that touch multiple high-probability numbers (6, 8, 5, 9) and diverse resource types.

Tip: A balanced start with access to at least 3 different resources gives you the most flexibility in the early game.

Resources

There are five resource types in Qiatan Island: Brick, Lumber, Wool, Grain, and Ore. Each hex on the board produces one type of resource when its number is rolled.

  • Brick + Lumber — needed for roads and settlements (early game expansion)
  • Grain + Ore — needed for cities and development cards (late game power)
  • Wool — used in settlements and development cards

Building

Spend resources to build structures that earn you victory points and expand your territory:

  • Road (1 Brick + 1 Lumber) — extends your network. You need roads to reach new settlement spots.
  • Settlement (1 Brick + 1 Lumber + 1 Wool + 1 Grain) — placed at intersections. Worth 1 VP.
  • City (2 Grain + 3 Ore) — upgrades a settlement. Worth 2 VP and doubles resource production.
  • Development Card (1 Wool + 1 Grain + 1 Ore) — a random card from the deck with powerful effects.

Trading

Bank Trading

You can always trade 4 of the same resource to the bank for 1 of any other resource. If you have a settlement on a 3:1 port, the rate improves to 3:1. A 2:1 port gives you a 2:1 rate for that specific resource.

Player Trading

On your turn, you can propose trades to other players. Negotiation is key! Offer resources your opponents need in exchange for what you're missing.

Winning the Game

The game ends when a player reaches the victory point goal (usually 10 VP). Points come from:

  • Settlements (1 VP each)
  • Cities (2 VP each)
  • Longest Road award (2 VP)
  • Largest Army award (2 VP)
  • Victory Point development cards (1 VP each)
Pro tip: Keep track of other players' visible victory points. Hidden VP cards can surprise everyone — including you!