Settlers of Catan creator Klaus Teuber dies at 70

Klaus Teuber, the creator of the Settlers of Catan board game, has died.

He was 70 years old.

In a statement, Teuber’s family said he died suddenly after a brief illness.

“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 statement, posted on the Catan website, read.

The board game’s social media accounts also commemorated the man.

“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.”

“Klaus’ impact on the world of gaming will never be forgotten.”

Born in the German city of Rai-Breitenbach in 1952, Teuber began designing board games in the 1980s while working as a dentist.

“It was, for me, a little bit like a holiday to be at home and to develop games and, for me, to create my own worlds,” he told NPR in 2020.

He debuted Settlers of Catan in 1995 in Germany as Die Siedler von Catan. The game, which players build settlements and trade resources on a fictional island, came to the U.S. a year later soon became Teuber’s full-time job and a family business.

Teuber left his dentistry practice when he “felt like Catan could feed me and my family,” he told New York magazine in 2014. “I never expected it would be so successful.”

The game has since sold millions of copies and has been translated into more than 40 languages. It’s also inspired a number of spinoffs and updated editions.

With News Wire Services