Here follows the story of Jacques van Zyl and his mission to Germany to trade, build, and settle his way to victory.
By Jacques van Zyl on 16 November 2024
Board games have always been my favorite activity when I clock out for duty or when the weekend starts. For a long time, Cluedo and Monopoly were the first games to be dusted off, followed by 30 Seconds. If we wanted to spice up the evening, UNO was grabbed with additional house rules.
This was the reality until I crossed paths with Catan.
The 2023 Cape Town Comic Convention was the start of my Catan adventure. I’m a comic book movie and horror cinephile and always go dressed up as either a comic book villain or a horror movie character.
On Friday, the 28th of April 2023, I rocked up as Ghostface and walked through the convention, looking at all the stalls and activities. I found myself at the tabletop area, where one of the Unplug Yourself staff members, Aqeelah Davis, reached out to me and invited me to join her for a game of Catan.
I immediately thought, “Why not? It won’t hurt to play one game.” I had seen the game before but never had the chance to properly learn the rules and play. However, that first game got me hooked. Where others may see a board with pieces, I saw patterns and mathematics coupled with both strategy and risk management.
Before I knew it, I had played enough games to earn prizes from the prize wall at the Unplug Yourself area. I went home and introduced my friends to Catan, and it quickly became our favorite game.
At social gatherings, we would have our own mini-tournaments, and in the absence of expansions, we occasionally combined a few base games to create our own version of Mega Catan. Many board games are played, but Catan remains top of the list. A few of my friends have even entered the Catan league events this year as well.
The first official tournament I entered was the National Feeder event that took place at Durbanville Games during August 2023. I didn’t do too well but appreciated the opportunity to participate.
I then joined the Catan Club at Durbanville Games and brought my friends along for the journey as well. In 2024, I started working at Unplug Yourself events, such as the Festival of Games and the highlight of the year, Comic Con Cape Town.
At these events, I taught others how to play board games, including Catan. I was responsible for the Catan prize wall at Comic Con Cape Town, which was a huge honor for me. It gave me the chance to help new players go home with a little bit of magic in the form of Catan.
I registered for the Catan leagues in August. The league events took place at Durbanville Games and The Warren in Somerset West.
I managed to be at the top of the log at The Warren during the first league day event. In total, I participated in 9 league day events and played 27 games.
I ended up in 6th position on the national list and received my invitation to participate at Nationals.
On 9 November 2024, at Nationals, I survived the initial three rounds and secured a victory in the Top 16 face-off, guaranteeing my seat in the Top 4.
I went into the final match with one commitment: to give it my all. Among the Top 4 were Luryk Nadel, Tyrese Sias, Lisa-Marie Bodington, and me, competing for the opportunity to go to Germany.
Luryk, Tyrese, and Lisa are truly amazing players who gave it their all, even up to the very end. I genuinely look forward to meeting them on the board again.
I achieved a victory and the opportunity of a lifetime: to represent South Africa at the Catan World Championships.
In 2025, I will fly to Germany and face the best Catan players from all over the world.
I feel there is still so much to write about this story, and I can’t wait to continue the Catan journey. I want to invite you, the reader, to join me as I trade, build networks, and settle my way to the top, aiming to become a competitive player on a global level.
It won’t be easy, but the adventure will be worth it. I hope to contribute more to the Catan community, expanding our circle and encouraging more players to join us. I would love to see more players reach this level.