Catan Scenarios: Frenemies

Description

"Catan Scenarios: Frenemies" satirizes insincere altruism in Catan, rewarding "helpful" actions with Favor Tokens while enabling ulterior motives that harm rivals. Key mechanics include: - *Altruistic actions* Players give resources to laggards, move the robber to safe spots, and connect roads to neighbors' networks. - *Favor Tokens (FTs)* Guilds reward noble behavior with roads, development cards, random resources, preferential trades, or Victory Points. - *Ulterior motives* "Helping" others often worsens their position, maintaining self-interest amid fake goodwill. - *Expanded player support* 2023 German re-release includes tokens for 5-6 player games. Catan Scenarios: Frenemies is a satirical expansion for Catan that flips traditional competition into a facade of altruism during a time of supposed goodwill. Players engage in seemingly noble acts—distributing resources to struggling opponents, relocating the robber to isolated, harmless areas, and linking roads to neighbors' infrastructures—to earn Favor Tokens from various guilds. These tokens provide diverse boons like building roads, drawing development cards, gaining random resources, securing better trades, or even direct Victory Points. However, every generous gesture hides an ulterior motive, allowing players to sabotage rivals under the guise of friendship, ensuring self-serving dominance persists despite the scenario's theme of beneficence. The 2023 German re-release equips the expansion for 5-6 players with sufficient components.