experiment 7 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

February 3, 2021

Enjoy Catan VR on Oculus Quest Tomorrow

It’s been a big week for Oculus Quest news with revenue updates and the roll-out of App Lab, its new distribution channel. Among all of this Experiment 7 has revealed that the board game gem Catan VR is ready to launch on Oculus Quest.

Making the announcement over on its Discord channel, Experiment 7 has confirmed the Oculus Quest version of Catan VR will feature all the same content from previous versions of the virtual reality (VR) board game plus some extra goodies to further enhance the experience.

The studio notes there will be “additional private matchmaking functionality” but didn’t state what that would entail. This will only apply to the Oculus Quest version as the developer went onto add: “All other versions are still compatible for standard play – and we’re looking at the feasibility of porting the the private matchmaking updates to other platforms.”

Catan VR for Oculus Quest will also include a new room called ‘The Study’, new high-resolution textures and board animations; 90 Hz Mode for Oculus Quest 2, a higher-res display mode providing 1832p on Quest 2, and updated network and voice stability. Because of all these extra improvements Experiment 7 states: “The Quest 2 version is definitely the best version in performance, detail, and clarity that we’ve ever made.” So that’s something to look forward to.

Experiment 7 brought the classic board game onto VR platforms back in 2018, originally supporting Oculus Rift and Gear VR followed by Steam and then PlayStation VR. Designed for up to four players, in Catan VR you play a settler who needs to establish colonies on the island of Catan. To do so you’ll need to acquire resources to build towns and roads whilst engaging in trade with other players. The end goal is to grow large enough to gain the ten victory points required to win.

Catan VR will be available on the Oculus Quest platform from Thursday, 4th February retailing for $14.99 USD. It’ll support cross-buy on the Oculus Store so if you already own the Rift version then you own the Quest edition as well. For further updates on the latest Oculus Quest releases, keep reading VRFocus.

June 24, 2019

Board Game Catan VR Coming to PlayStation VR Tomorrow

Traditional board games work surprisingly well in virtual reality (VR) like Tabletop Simulator for example. Another good example is Experiment 7’s VR adaption of strategy game Catan, originally launching Catan VR for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR last year. Today, the studio has revealed Catan VR will be coming to PlayStation VR tomorrow.

Catan VR - Screenshot

The original Catan is one of those legendary board games most fans of this form of entertainment should’ve tried at least once. With over 30 million copies sold, tactics are at the heart of its gameplay, no matter if you’re playing the physical version or the VR one.

Designed for up to four players, Catan VR is about taking on the role of a settler, needing to establish colonies on the islands of Catan whilst acquiring resources to build infrastructure and roads and engaging in trade with other players, all with aim of growing large enough to get the ten victory points needed to win. Depending on your settlements location you’ll gain different resources which can then be used to build useful items, or you can trade with players for required resources. However, there is a myriad of things going on so be careful not to get robbed.

While Catan VR is ideally suited to online multiplayer between friends, Experiment 7 has also included a single-player mode with different AI players to help hone those skills. “We worked directly with Klaus Teuber and his team of incredible game designers to develop AI players that both provide challenging tactical opponents at every difficulty level, but also express the canonical personalities that have made other versions of Catan so compelling,” says Experiment 7 Founder, Geoffrey Zatkin on PS Blog. “For example, if you want to fine-tune your strategy with a more relaxed opponent, Mary Anne is a friendly player who just wants to build roads and have a good time. On the other hand, Jin will provide an aggressive challenge that will help you hone your skills for higher end play.”

Catan VR - Screenshot

On every other system Catan VR is on the title supports cross-play functionality for maximum player reach and diversity. It’s unclear if the PlayStation VR version will also include this. VRFocus will find out and report back with further updates.

June 16, 2018

Catan VR Releases Onto Steam

Fans of board games can rejoice as a new way to take part in classic tabletop title Catan has launched on Steam. Adapted from the classic German boardgame The Settlers of Catan, developers Experiment 7 have finally released the experience to Steam users.

Catan VR was originally announced back in 2017, where plans to bring the classic board game into virtual reality (VR) were revealed. The title was previously made available through the Oculus Store for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.

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Players of Catan VR will be able to enter into a virtual environment where a virtual representation of the board game island is represented, though with a few VR, interactive twists. Players will be able to play a few rounds of Catan with friends, or take on AI opponents that have been taken from the board game itself.

The VR environment that you enter has been crafted to look like a rustic inn, wheat sways from beyond the windows and clouds roll gently over distant mountains while mandolin music drifts through the air.

Online match-making is available, so if you lack enough friends to play, you can seek out the worldwide Catan VR community to fill those empty slots if you don’t fancy playing against the AI. For those who do end up playing against the AI, the AI personas have been designed with guidance from Catan creator Klaus Teuber to correctly fit the feel of the game.

If you want to play with your friends, its no problem if they use a different VR system to you, since cross-play is supported between HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, so any combinations of those can all play together.

CatanVR_Screenshot3

Catan VR will is available now on Steam for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and windows Mixed Reality devices from the 13th June, 2018. The title costs £11.39 (GBP) but is currently having a special launch discount making it only £7.63 until the 5th July, 2018.

For news of other new and upcoming VR content, keep checking back with VRFocus.

April 4, 2018

VR Board Gaming Comes Alive With Catan VR

Experiment 7 are the masters of virtual reality (VR) board games, having initially launched Magic Table Chess followed by Dungeon Chess. Last month saw the team release their next immersive experience Catan VR for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. VRFocus caught up with Experiment 7 to discuss the new title and more.

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Catan VR arrived on the first day of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018, with attendees able to play it on not only Oculus Rift and Gear VR but also upcoming standalone headset Oculus Go. The event was the first time Oculus had demoed its new head-mounted display (HMD) to the public whilst confirming that Catan VR would be one of the launch titles for the device.

A joint project between Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Asmodee Digital and Experiment 7, Catan VR remains true to the classic, but optimised for VR gameplay. Players take the role of settlers who need to establish colonies on the islands of Catan, acquiring resources to build infrastructure and roads whilst engaging in trade with other players, all with aim of growing large enough to get the ten victory points needed to win.

Featuring both single-player and multiplayer online modes, up to four people can play against one another in cross-platform gameplay, with Oculus Rift players having the added bonus of two hands compared with Gear VR and Oculus Go’s single controller.

Catan VR - Screenshot

Speaking to Demetri Detsaridis, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Experiment 7, VRFocus found out that the launch was delayed due to Oculus Go enabling the team to polish the title further whilst adding additional features like hand gestures to make the experience that bit more interactive and fun. Other options include being able to change the masks other players can see and swapping the environment if the classic look (seen above) isn’t to your liking.

Available on the Oculus Store for Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift, priced at £7.99 GBP and £10.99 respectively, VRFocus will continue its coverage of Experiment 7 and its latest VR projects.

March 23, 2018

‘Catan VR’ Launches with Cross-play for Rift and Gear VR, Headed to Oculus Go

Based on Klaus Teuber’s popular board game Settlers of Catan (1995), the VR version of Catan is available now on Oculus Rift and Gear VR, and will be a launch title for Oculus Go. The game features cross-play multiplayer, and is said to be coming to more VR platforms in the future.

Described as “true to the classic but optimized for virtual reality,” Catan VR was developed by VR studio Experiment 7 in partnership with Klaus Teuber and his sons Guido and Benjamin, along with the Catan and Asmodee Digital teams. The board game takes place in a virtual room with views of the island of Catan itself through the windows.

Speaking to Gamesbeat last year, Experiment 7 managing director Demetri Detsaridis explained how VR offers a different experience to other digital versions of the game. “When you have the entire field of view in front of you – and Catan is on a big table – the pieces get to be larger than life,” he said. “The ‘screen’ is enormous. You can do cool things like have sheep run around or have water flow or have wheat blowing in the breeze without it looking like you’re peering into the inner workings of a wristwatch.”

Classic Catan AI opponents are available for single player, and the game supports cross-platform multiplayer with friend invites and matchmaking. For now, the game is playable on Oculus Rift and Gear VR, and will form part of the launch line-up for the Oculus Go. The game was playable at GDC 2018 this week, with Rift and Go devices at the same table, as seen during Tested‘s Oculus Go video. Additional platforms are said to be on the cards, but Experiment 7’s previous titles have not jumped beyond Rift and Gear VR yet, despite Dungeon Chess (2017) being confirmed for PSVR many months ago.

Originally due to launch in late 2017, Catan VR is the third release from Experiment 7, who specialise in bringing board and tabletop games into their ‘Magic Table’ platform, an immersive environment designed for ‘social presence’ that supports cross-platform multiplayer. The team’s long-term goal is to attract other developers to the Magic Table platform. Their first game Magic Table Chess (2016) introduced the concept, followed by the Dungeons & Dragons-themed Dungeon Chess.

“The first time I saw Catan on the Magic Table, I was fascinated by what VR has to offer,” said Teuber. “The game I made in our living room with my family 25 years ago in Virtual Reality? It’s incredible. I never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

The post ‘Catan VR’ Launches with Cross-play for Rift and Gear VR, Headed to Oculus Go appeared first on Road to VR.

March 21, 2018

Catan VR Has Released For Oculus Rift and Gear VR

The long awaited virtual reality (VR) version of the popular board game The Settlers of Catan has now released.

Catan VR Screenshot 01

Catan VR was announced last year with the aim of bringing the classic board game title to the VR platforms and today it has finally released for Oculus. Players, both new and old, are invited to experience the award-winning Catan gameplay now in a whole new way.

Catan VR offers players a chance to sit down at a virtaul table and play a round or five of The Settlers of Catan with friends, enemies or AI opponents that are designed to fit the look and feel of the title. Should you want to play against friends that can be done over a local network or by connecting together online to start matches over the internet, with the option to use matchmaking to fill slots. This also offers multiplayer matches against other players from all over the world meaning the world-wide Catan community can compete to see how is the best player in the world.

Catan VR Screenshot 02

Catan creator Klaus Teuber, commented on the release saying: “The first time I saw Catan on the Magic Table™, I was fascinated by what VR has to offer, the game I made in our living room with my family 25 years ago in Virtual Reality? It’s incredible. I never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

Thanks to Catan VR, players are able to watch their matches evolve before their eyes as in-game environments are animated with life for the first time. Watch clouds roll over the mountains, islands take shape and wheat sway in the wind thanks to the immersive power of VR. Once more, Catan VR also supports cross-play between Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR meaning no matter which platform you are using, you will be able to play with friends with ease.

Currently available on the Oculus Store for Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift, priced at £7.99 (GBP) and £10.99 (GBP) respectively. Their are plans to bring Catan VR to additional VR platforms in the future and developer Experiment 7 will release more details on these closer the time.

VRFocus be sure to bring you more on Catan VR in the future so stay tuned for more.

December 1, 2017

‘Catan VR’ to Launch Free Closed Beta Soon, First Images Emerge

Famous board game The Settlers of Catan (simple called ‘Catan‘) is coming to VR soon, and you could get a chance to play it before anyone else in the closed beta.

Created by Experiment 7 in conjunction with Asmodee Digital, and Klaus and Benjamin Teuber, Catan VR is headed to Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR sometime soon (including cross-play).

While there’s still no precise launch date, you can now sign up for the closed beta. The game is said to offer all of the classic gameplay of the original with the added benefit of player vs. AI as well as online gameplay.

With the news of the impending beta, the studio has also released several images of the game, revealing a little more about what to expect.

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We’ll be going hands-on at some point, so check back soon for our impressions.

In the announcement trailer, game’s original inventor Klaus Teuber said he was “fascinated by what VR has to offer,” and that he “never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

VR game studio Experiment 7 also created Magic Table Chess and Dungeon Chess, two fantasy-based VR chess game for Oculus Rift.

Experiment 7 says additional VR platforms are to follow, possibly meaning HTC Vive users will get a crack at it too.

The post ‘Catan VR’ to Launch Free Closed Beta Soon, First Images Emerge appeared first on Road to VR.

November 30, 2017

Catan VR’s Closed Beta Sign-up is now Live

If you enjoy the odd virtual reality (VR) boardgame or two then you’ll have probably been keeping an eye on developer Experiment 7 and its upcoming title Catan VR which the studio announced work on in September. Scheduled to launch this holiday season, the studio has now opened a call for players to sign up to a closed beta.

A joint project between Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Asmodee Digital and Experiment 7, Catan VR remains true to the classic, but optimised for VR. Gameplay involves players taking the role of settlers who need to establish colonies on the islands of Catan, acquiring resources to build infrastructure and roads whilst engaging in trade with other players, all with aim of growing large enough to get the ten victory points needed to win.

CatanVR_Screenshot3

Featuring both single-player and multiplayer online modes, up to four people can play against one another, whether they happen to be on Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR. They are the only two headsets confirmed so far but Experiment 7 has said additional VR platforms will follow.

“The first time I saw Catan on the Magic Table, I was fascinated by what VR has to offer,”Catan creator Klaus Teuber previously said. “The game I made in our living room with my family 25 years ago in Virtual Reality? It’s incredible. I never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

The Catan VR closed beta is free to sign up to, simply head to the Experiment 7 website and enter an email address.

The studio specialises in VR boardgames having already released Dungeon Chess and Magic Table Chess for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Catan VR and Experiment 7, keeping you up to date with the latest announcements.

September 2, 2017

Settlers of Catan Trades Cardboard for VR

Settlers of Catan, often known by players simply as Catan, is one of the most successful German boardgames. First published in 1995 in Germany, it has since seen its popularity around the world explode, with more than 22 million copies in 30 languages have been sold. Now Catan Studio and Asmodee Digital are brining the classic board game into virtual reality (VR).

A joint project between Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Asmodee Digital and VR developer Experiment 7 has been formed to bring the the tabletop experience to VR in the most entertaining manner possible, while still remaining true to the original game.

Gameplay in the classic boardgame involves players taking the role of settlers establishing colonies on the islands of Catan, building settlements and road, acquiring resources and engaging in trade, aiming to get their settlements large enough to get the ten victory points needed to win.

In Catan VR fans of the original boardgame and new players alike will be able to watch a Catan settlement come to life in VR. Players will be able to set up games against other players all over the world, or even play against Catan personalities.

“The first time I saw Catan on the Magic Table, I was fascinated by what VR has to offer,” said Catan creator Klaus Teuber. “The game I made in our living room with my family 25 years ago in Virtual Reality? It’s incredible. I never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

Catan VR will be coming to Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR. A release date of ‘Holiday 2017’ has been set, though a specific date has not been confirmed, nor has a price point been set.

VRFocus will bring you further information on Catan VR as it becomes available.

September 2, 2017

Catan VR Board Game Adaptation Coming To Rift And Gear VR This Holiday

Despite the odds I’ve never actually played a game of Settlers of Catan, one of the world’s most renowned and most popular board games. One winter when I was in college my roommates, one of my roommate’s girlfriends, and I were all basically snowed in at our apartment with nowhere to go and they played Catan for what felt like an eternity. Over and over. I was too busy raiding in some MMO probably, but I’m fully aware of the excitement and rivalry the game inspires.

Soon, fans will be able to enjoy Catan like never before: from within the immersive realm of virtual reality. You can see a brief teaser announcement trailer below that doesn’t show any actual screenshots or game footage:

The game was announced today at PAX West during a VR panel. Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Asmodee Digital and VR developer Experiment 7 are all teaming up for the project. You might remember the name Experiment 7, because they’re the folks behind the Magic Table Chess game and platform.

“The first time I saw Catan on the Magic Table™, I was fascinated by what VR has to offer,” said Catan creator Klaus Teuber in a prepared statement. “The game I made in our living room with my family 25 years ago in Virtual Reality? It’s incredible. I never imagined actually stepping into the world of Catan when we first started making cut-outs and dreaming about exploring new lands.”

Catan VR is set to release this holiday for Gear VR and Rift with “additional platforms to follow” according to the press release. Are you a big fan of Catan? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!

Tagged with: Catan VR, experiment 7