Overview

Catan: Crop Trust is a semi-cooperative scenario for the Catan base game, developed in collaboration with the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Players settle Catan while managing crop diversity. Four crop types (beans, maize, quinoa, rice) replace the desert, and players must balance personal victory point goals with the collective need to store seeds in a seed vault. If crops are lost because they are not stored, everyone can lose. The scenario adds event tokens, crop tokens on field hexes, and the seed vault display.

New Components

• 1 fields hex (replaces desert, watermarked with seed vial)
• 90 crop tokens (5 varieties)
• 41 event tokens
• 1 seed vault display
• 4 crop storage record player aids
• 1 number token “9”

Setup Changes

Follow standard Catan setup with these modifications:

• Replace the desert with the extra fields hex.
• Place crop tokens on field hexes as shown.
• Each player places 4 crop tokens of one plant type on a seed vault space in their color.
• Each player takes 7 face-down event tokens and places 1 under each of their remaining 3 settlements and 4 cities.
• Place event tokens on Longest Road and Largest Army cards.
• Robber starts on the “2” pasture hex.

Rule Changes

The core Catan rules apply with these additions:

Crop Tokens: Fields hexes have crop tokens representing different plant types. When you harvest grain (from a field hex), you may also interact with crop tokens.

Seed Vault: Players collectively store crop tokens in the seed vault to preserve crop diversity. Storing seeds is a semi-cooperative action — everyone benefits from preserving diversity, but it costs personal resources.

Event Tokens: When you build a settlement or city (or claim Longest Road/Largest Army), reveal the event token placed there. Events can be beneficial or harmful, affecting crop availability and gameplay.

Crop Loss: If a crop type is not adequately stored in the seed vault, it may become endangered or lost, reducing production for all players.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Standard Catan victory: first to 10 VP. However, if too many crops are lost from the fields, all players can lose collectively. This creates tension between personal VP advancement and collective crop preservation.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The seed vault requires cooperative investment from all players.
• Crop storage records track each player’s contributions.
• The game uses a fixed starting setup for the first game; variable setup rules are provided for subsequent games.
• All Catan base game rules apply except where modified by this scenario.

Player Reference

Standard Catan VP sources: Settlements (1), Cities (2), Longest Road (2), Largest Army (2), VP cards

New elements: Crop tokens on fields, seed vault storage, event tokens under buildings

Win condition: First to 10 VP (if crops are preserved) Lose condition: All players lose if critical crops are lost