When I noticed Ael playing Catan Online yesterday, I told her “You know, we actually have a version of that game.” Well, nothing would do except immediately pulling it out and setting to work.

The Settlers of Catan Card Game has been sitting on our game shelf for years, since last time my wife and I tried to play it, we kept messing up the play by not having read the rules properly. It’s 10 and up, so I had my doubts about Ael’s ability to play. However, those were quickly dispelled when I wondered aloud about how to know when we’d won, and Ael promptly chimed in, “It’s when you have 12 or fewer points, Daddy!” Yes, she’d read and retained the rule book while waiting for me to get in gear.

So, we spent parts of the weekend playing it. I’m not sure how long a game is supposed to take, but we spent several hours getting to 8 and 6 points, respectively. She took her setbacks much more philosophically than I expected, although she wasn’t thrilled when my Arsonist burnt down her lumber mill. We’ll definitely be playing this again, and I want to introduce her best friend to the game, too.