A variety of games like Settlers of Catan offer similar strategy or trading opportunities with their own unique twists. Titles like Machi Koro and Bohnanza are easy to pick up and play but offer some depth. Games like Concordia and Terra Mystica add interesting elements of complexity and eliminate randomness.

The Settlers of Catan is the perfect board game to open up a wider world of options to many players, but actually deciding where to go next can be difficult. With every passing year, the array of great board games becomes even more dizzying, and it's easy to become paralyzed by choice.

The simplest method might be to take a look at what games share some similar features and point of appeal to Catan and picking something that aligns with any personal favorite aspects of the Catan experience. Some games build on the same core elements for something more complex,...