From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in CATAN?

For the beginner setup, the oldest player starts. For variable setup, everyone rolls both dice; the highest roller starts setup and takes the first regular turn after setup.

Read the publisher’s rulebook

Rule details

In variable setup, the second placement round runs back in the opposite direction. The player who began setup places their second settlement last, then begins the game.

If there’s a tie

The cited starting-player instruction does not specify a tie-break. We don’t infer one.

Source & edition

CATAN — Game Rules & AlmanacCATAN Studio / CATAN GmbH · Page 4, Turn Overview; page 12, Set-Up Phase and Round Two note; page 13, Starting Set-Up for Beginners; page 15, credits · Checked 2026-09-23

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