Klaus Teuber, the creator of the hugely popular board game Catan, has died.
Teuber died on 1 April after a “short and serious” illness, according to a family statement. He was 70 years old.
The multiplayer board game, originally called The Settlers of Catan, was introduced in 1995. Since then, it has sold tens of millions of copies and is available in more than 40 languages.
Catan has spawned dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions. Recently, the game saw a monumental boost in sales in the first five months of the pandemic.
A statement posted on the German-language Catan website reads: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the Teuber family announces their beloved husband and father Klaus Teuber passed away at the age of 70 on April 1, 2023 after a short and serious illness.” The family requested privacy.
A statement from the Catan studio team on social media added: “While Klaus’ contributions to the board gaming industry are immeasurable, we will remember him most as a kind and selfless human being, an inspirational leader, and most importantly, as a friend.”
Teuber was born in June 1952 in the German town of Rai-Breitenbach and worked as a dental technician in the Eighties.
In a 2014 interview with The New Yorker, he recalled that he started designing board games in his home basement.
“I had many problems with the company and the profession,” he said. “I developed games to escape. This was my own world I created.”
He eventually left his dental technician job in 1998 when he felt “like Catan could feed my and my family”.
Teuber had previously admitted that he never thought the game would go on to become as successful as it did.
In Catan, players use five resources to build their colonies and settlements: wood, grain, lumber, brick, and ore.
The Catan studio team urged fans mourning Teuber to “honor Klaus’ memory by being kind to one another, pursuing your creative passions fearlessly, and enjoying a game with your loved ones”.
Additional reporting by Press Association
