
- BGG rating
- 6.9
The Settlers of Zarahemla Mini-Expansion
- 2–4 players
- 2003

2003
Rules assistance for The Settlers of Zarahemla
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Settlers of Zarahemla is a board game released in 2003 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Klaus Teuber and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, and Dice Rolling.
The Settlers of Zarahemla is a re-implementation of Catan themed around The Book of Mormon. Players try to contribute the most to the land of Zarahemla by building settlements, cities, roads, and helping construct the temple. On each turn dice are rolled to determine what resources the island produces. Players collect these resources (cards) - wood, grain, brick, water, or stone - to build up their civilizations to get to 12 victory points and win the game. Game play is similar to Settlers of Catan, but players can add a stone to the temple by paying one brick and one stone. The player who contributes the most stones gains 2 extra victory points. A turn consists of possibly playing a development card, rolling the dice, everyone collecting any resource cards based on the roll and position of settlements (or upgraded cities) unless a 7 is rolled, turning in resource cards (if possible and desired) for improvements, trading cards at a port, and trading resource cards with other players. If a 7 is rolled, the active player moves the robber to a new hex tile and steals resource cards from other players who have built structures adjacent to that tile. Points are accumulated by building settlements and cities, having the longest road and the largest army (from some of the development cards), from having made the biggest contribution to building the Zarahemla temple, and gathering certain development cards that simply award victory points. When a player has gathered 12 points (some of which may be held in secret), he announces his total and claims the win. Rather than having individual hexes like Catan the game has five separate strips of hexes. These are double sided so it is still possible to construct different board configurations. Expanded by: The Settlers of Zarahemla Mini-Expansion (2003) Belongs to the Catan Series.
The Settlers of Zarahemla supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Settlers of Zarahemla is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Settlers of Zarahemla for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Settlers of Zarahemla has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Settlers of Zarahemla belongs to these categories: Ancient, Religious, and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Settlers of Zarahemla are: Klaus Teuber. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Settlers of Zarahemla as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.