El Poblador is a fully functional clone of the iconic board game Settlers of Catan, designed to run directly in your terminal. Developed by vicho in Go, this game captures the thrill of resource management, trading, settlement building, and strategic blocking of opponents.
While it successfully mirrors all the central mechanics of the original game, it lacks the tactile experience of moving physical game pieces. El Poblador accommodates 3-4 players, making it ideal for those who want to gather around a laptop or PC for some gaming fun.
Navigating the terminal-based user interface (TUI) involves using the arrow keys for movement and the Enter key to confirm actions. Esc is used to cancel, and number keys allow players to switch perspectives among participants. A handy feature is that games can be saved at any point, enabling players to resume their sessions later, which adds flexibility for those with busy schedules.
For now, the game supports local multiplayer exclusively, but an online multiplayer functionality is planned for future updates, alongside enhancements that closer align it with the original game’s mechanics.
If you’re intrigued by TUIs or a fan of the resource-gathering genre, El Poblador is a fresh take on the beloved game, albeit under a different name due to trademark considerations.
Installation Guide for Ubuntu
To install El Poblador, ensure you have Go set up on your system. Open your terminal and execute the following command:
sudo apt install golang-goNext, install El Poblador from its official repository with:
go install git.sr.ht/~vicho/el_poblador@latestAnd to launch a new game with three players, use the command:
~/go/bin/el_poblador new Joey Elijah ScottFeel free to replace the names with your chosen players. For a fourth participant, simply add another name.
El Poblador is released under the EUPL v1.2 license, with its source code available on sourcehut. Users can also find official builds to download, as the creator encourages community-driven packaging of the game.