Play Builders Online Free with Friends

How to play Builders

1. Found two settlements with roads on a hex island, then take turns rolling two dice.
2. Every hex with the rolled number pays 1 resource to each adjacent settlement (2 to a city) — brick, wood, sheep, wheat, or ore.
3. Build with resources: a road costs brick+wood; a settlement (1⭐) costs brick+wood+sheep+wheat and must sit 2 road-steps from any other building on your own road; a city (2⭐) upgrades a settlement for 2 wheat + 3 ore.
4. Rolling a 7 skips production: everyone holding more than 7 cards discards half, and you move the robber to any hex — it blocks that hex and you steal a card from a player beside it.
5. Development cards (sheep+wheat+ore): Knights move the robber, Points are secret ⭐, plus Road Building, Year of Plenty, and Monopoly. One play per turn, never the turn you bought it.
6. Trade with the bank at 4:1, or cheaper through harbors your settlements reach (3:1, or 2:1 for a specific resource).
7. Largest Army (3+ knights) and Longest Road (5+ segments) are worth 2⭐ each and can be stolen.
8. First to 10 points on their turn rules the island.

Builders strategy

The basics that turn knowing the rules into winning games — what to do first, what to keep, what to avoid.

• Place your first settlements where the number dots are thickest — 6 and 8 pay most often — and spread them over as many different resources as you can.
• Brick and wood build roads and settlements, so they matter most early; ore and wheat matter most late, for cities and development cards.
• A city on a good number doubles its income for 2 wheat + 3 ore — usually the best value on the board once you have four resources coming in.
• Use harbours: a 2:1 harbour on a resource you produce a lot of turns your surplus into anything you want.
• Watch the robber. Eight cards in hand on somebody else's turn is an invitation; spend down to seven before the dice go round.
• Longest Road and Largest Army are worth two points each but can be stolen — take them when they are cheap, not as a plan.

Builders FAQ

Is Builders the same as Catan?

It plays like the classic: the same island of hexes, the same dice-driven production, robber, roads, settlements, cities, development cards, Largest Army and Longest Road, and the same race to 10 points. It is our own build with its own art.

Can I trade with other players?

Yes. Post an open offer and anyone at the table can accept or pass; you pick who takes it. Harbours give the usual 4:1, 3:1 and 2:1 rates with the bank.

How long does a game take?

About 30 to 45 minutes for four players.

Do I need an account?

No. Type a name and play — no signup, no download, nothing to install. Making an account is optional and only exists to keep your stats, nickname and preferences across devices.

Is it really free?

Yes, all of it. Every game on Board Game Universe is free to play, with no premium tier holding anything back.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. It runs in a mobile browser on phones and tablets as well as on a desktop — there is no app to download.

How do I play with my friends?

Start a table and send your friends the link. They open it, type a name, and sit down. Moves and table chat happen in real time.

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Add a bot to any table and it plays a proper game — useful for filling a seat while you wait for a fourth.