Staking Out Virgin Island Is Tops at Berkeley Game Store

It didn't take long for the employee the counter at Games of Berkeley to answer a Patch reporter's question on what the best-selling game in the store is.

"Settlers of Catan," she said.

Settlers of Catan originated as a board game in Germany in 1995. Created by Klaus Teuber, it has undergone many variants both digital and analog, but the orginal board game remains highly popular and has sold in the millions worldwide.

The basic version costs $39.98 before tax at Games of Berkeley, prominently located across Shattuck Avenue from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.

The game doesn't involve battles or slaying monsters. The players are virtual seafarers who land on uninhabited island and strive to settle it.

A New York Times article described the game this way: "Players compete in building cities and roads to populate a virgin island but must exchange resources if they are to succeed, adding a level of diplomacy to the game."