One of my favorite board games is set to make its XBOX Live Arcade debut. For anyone who hasn’t played it, Settlers of Catan is absolutely the height of analog (board) games. Developed by game genius Klaus Teuber, SoC is simple enough to be fun for first-timers and complex enough to be enjoyed after playing it every day for weeks, something I may have done in college.
The seemingly infinite variety and enjoyability of the game comes from a dynamic hexagonal board that is literally different every time you play and its heavy reliance on player interaction. That’s why it will be perfect for XBOX Live Arcade, playing on a simple user interface and leaning on the ability to play ranked competition. This makes me want an XBOX 360 bad.

There’s an interview with the creative director of Big Huge games, the developer of Settlers of Catan for the Arcade. Find it “here”:http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/22/off-the-grid-interviews-brian-reynolds-of-big-huge-games/ (thanks Mike)