Play Catan Expansions Free Online: Cities & Knights and More

Play All Catan Expansions Free Online

Want to play Catan expansions for free? Most online platforms charge for expansions like Cities & Knights. But Settlr gives you access to all expansions at absolutely no cost.

Available Expansions on Settlr

Cities & Knights Expansion (100% Free)

The most beloved Catan expansion transforms the base game into a deeper strategic experience.

New Mechanics:

Knights

• Hire knights to protect your cities from barbarian invasions
• Activate knights by spending grain
• Promote knights through three levels: Basic → Strong → Mighty
• Move knights to strategic positions on the board
• Chase away the robber using your knights

Barbarian Attacks

• Barbarians advance toward Catan with every roll of the event die
• When they arrive, players must defend with their knights
• Cities without protection are pillaged and downgraded
• The player who contributes most knights earns Defender of Catan points

City Improvements

Build three types of improvements for your cities:

Progress Cards

Unlock powerful cards through city improvements:

• Trade Cards: Resource manipulation and trading advantages
• Politics Cards: Knight and defensive abilities
• Science Cards: Building bonuses and special abilities

Metropolises

• Achieve level 4 in any improvement track to build a metropolis
• Metropolises are worth 2 extra victory points
• Only one metropolis per improvement type exists
• Opponents can steal your metropolis by surpassing your level!

Extended Player Counts (Free)

5-6 Player Extension

• More players, more competition
• Extended board with additional tiles
• Special building phase between turns
• Perfect for medium-sized groups

7-8 Player Games

• Epic Catan experiences with large groups
• Massive boards with tons of resources
• Extended gameplay for party settings
• Unique to Settlr - not available on most platforms!

Why Expansions Are Usually Paid (But Free on Settlr)

Most online Catan platforms use a freemium model:

• Base game is free
• Expansions cost $5-15 each
• Or require monthly subscriptions ($3-10/month)

Over a year, playing expansions elsewhere could cost $36-120.

Settlr takes a different approach: everything is free, always.

How to Play Expansions on Settlr

Step 1: Create or Join a Game

Visit settlr.io and start a new game.

Step 2: Select Your Expansion

When setting up the game, choose from:

• Base Game (3-4 players)
• Base Game + 5-6 Players
• Cities & Knights (3-4 players)
• Cities & Knights + 5-6 Players
• 7-8 Player variants

Step 3: Invite Friends

Share your game code with friends or open it to public matchmaking.

Step 4: Play!

Enjoy the full expansion experience at no cost.

Cities & Knights Strategy Tips

New to the expansion? Here are some tips:

1. Protect your cities early - Hire at least one knight before the first barbarian attack
2. Balance your improvements - Don't focus on just one track
3. Commodities are valuable - Cities on high-probability commodity hexes are powerful
4. Knights can move - Use them defensively AND offensively
5. Watch the barbarian track - Know when attacks are coming

Compare Expansion Access

Start Playing Expansions Free

Ready to experience Catan expansions without paying a dime?

Play Cities & Knights Free on Settlr

All expansions. All player counts. Always free.