Catan "serves as a model for solving contemporary problems such as trade imbalances, nuclear proliferation, and climate change." Huh? Catan is a GAME! You play with your friends! It is fun! Its creator was trying to improve the gameplay of Monopoly, not solve the world's problems. Why oh why must journalists strain to tie everything in with their conception of the zeitgeist.
.../what version/ of Settlers? Original Flavor gets dull after a short while, I find.