Project Pitch

Overview

For my IGB400 project, I would like to create an online multiplayer game in the style of popular board game Catan by Klaus Teuber, first published in 1995, with my own personal twists. The game will be made in Unity and playable from the browser using a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection system.

Summary of Catan

Catan is a turn-based game typically played with 2-4 players that takes place on a hexagonal grid, where each tile contains a certain resource. Players act as settlers and can place down settlements in the corners between each tile, and roads between the edges. Each tile contains a number between 2-12, and on a player’s turn they roll two dice. Every tile on the grid containing the number on the rolled dice grants resources to all players with settlements connected to the tile. Players can then use these resources to continuing developing their settlements, gaining victory points in the process. Typically, the first player to reach 10 victory points wins the game.

The game is targeted primarily towards a casual/social audience with a hint of competitiveness. In terms of the player experience, Catan aims to invoke a sense of strategy by rewarding players that make calculated decisions, but also an element of anticipation from the randomness of the dice. My game should therefore also target a similar audience and player experience; however I would like to enhance the sense of strategy by introducing and changing mechanics to introduce layers to the game’s complexity.

Portfolio Reflection & Industry Relevance

My past and current projects have exposed me to a wide variety of skills and knowledge that I need as a programmer, however my I currently lack experience with network programming and game state synchronisation. Due to the prevalence of multiplayer games in the modern-day games industry, I believe that I would benefit remarkably from undertaking a project where I can learn the fundamentals of such a skill. In fact, in 2025, 72% of video gamers in the United States were recorded to play with others online or in-person, up from 65% in 2020 (Clement, 2025). Additionally, several job offerings currently exist within the games industry where network programming is either a required skill, or a part of the job title itself. Whilst these job openings may be in different programming languages or game engines that I am familiar with, I believe that by simply learning the foundations of network programming through this project, I would develop skills which I can later build upon and transfer to larger titles. Source: gamejobs.co

Scope Considerations

Art and assets

As a programmer, my skills at creating game art are more limited than some of my peers in the other majors. However, I do have some experience with creating basic sprites and icons using Figma from my work in IFB103 and AWIC Constructopia which will be more than sufficient for a Catan-style game which primarily consists of simple 2D shapes and images. In the worst case, there are several free asset packs online that I can make use of.

Feature set

At its core, a game like Catan does not require many mechanics to be implemented to achieve minimum viable product (MVP). A complete gameplay loop would consist of:

• A turn system
• Players with resource inventories
• Simulated dice
• A basic map
• The ability to place roads and settlements
• Score tracking

At this stage in my development as a programmer, I would consider myself proficient enough quickly and efficiently implement these in a singleplayer context, allowing me to spend more time learning and developing the systems needed to convert the game into multiplayer. Under the assumption that I am expected to put 12 hours a week into this project, I believe that it would be possible for me to produce an MVP in as little as 3-4 weeks, leaving ample time to playtest, polish and add additional features to the game. Such features might include:

• Player and bank trading
• The robber mechanic
• Custom maps
• Additional structures and resource types
• The ability to destroy roads or settlements
• Different gamemodes
• AI opponents

Personal Motivations

Whilst not directly linked to my portfolio, I believe that having my own personal interests align with my project will not only keep me motivated but ultimately produce a higher quality piece of work to showcase. Studies in the past have shown that happy employees are 13% more productive (Bellet et al., 2019). I have always liked strategy games like Catan and as of recently have been playing an online alternative to the game, Colonist, with my friends. From my time playing, I have noticed some (in my opinion) shortcomings to the game’s design which I would be able to address and playtest in my own version of the game. In addition, I would have far greater control over game balancing than what Colonist currently allows, which intrinsically motivates me further.

Portflio Showcasability

By making the game playable on a web browser, I am ensuring that the game is accessible as possible for both recruiters and my target audience. Whilst the multiplayer requirement may hinder a recruiter’s immediate ability to play the game, I believe that its accessibility will greatly improve my game’s playability at any showcasing or networking events I may be a part of.

Other Project Considerations

C++/Unreal Engine Experience

Whilst many studios are currently seeking developers familiar with C++ and/or Unreal Engine, I believe that the project’s relatively short timeframe and the novelty of a new engine would hinder my ability to produce something worthy of showcasing on my portfolio. In comparison to Unity, Unreal Engine’s documentation is less accessible and harder to quickly reference, further reducing the scope of what would be achievable. Whilst I think I should definitely pursue experience with Unreal/C++ in the future, the learning curve makes it unattractive for the limited scope of IGB400.

Unity DOTS

Whilst the DOTS paradigm would improve my understanding of performance optimisation and parallel programming, I believe that the experience I would gain out of creating a Unity DOTS project would not be as valuable or transferrable as what I would get out of a networking project.

Graphics/Shader programming

Whilst I find this topic incredibly interesting and there is also a respectable demand for graphics programmers in the industry, I believe that similar to an Unreal Engine project, shaders are incredibly complex and the learning curve for this project would be too steep for the limited time I have to work on this project.

References

Bellet, C., De Neve, J.-E., & Ward, G. (2019). Does employee happiness have an impact on productivity? Saïd Business School Working Paper 2019-13. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3470734

Clement, J. (2025, June 16). Share of video gamers in the United States who play with others online or in-person from 2020 to 2025. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1340241/us-video-gaming-with-others/

Colonist [Web]. (2017). https://colonist.io/

Teuber, K. (1995). The settlers of Catan [Board game]. Kosmos.