Catan Creator Klaus Teuber Dies At 70

Klaus Teuber has passed away on 1 April 2023 at the age of 70 years old.

The late Teuber was best known as a professional board game designer. Four of his games won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) award: Barbarossa (1988), Adel Verpflichtet (1990), Drunter und Drüber (1991) and The Settlers of Catan (1995).

The Settlers of Catan — later rebranded as Catan — was first published in Germany in 1995. Inspired by tales of Viking exploration, the non-violent experience gathers players together on a remote island, where they must use communication, negotiation, and even cunning to win. More than 40 million copies have been sold in more than 40 languages.

The statement on the official website reads:

The Teuber family announces with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that their beloved husband and father has passed away at the age of 70 on April 1, 2023, after a brief and severe illness.

At this time, the Teuber family respectfully requests the chance to bid farewell to their loved one in private and to be allowed the space they need to grieve.