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Are "three way" trades allowed in Catan?

Board & Card Games Asked on January 22, 2021

My basic understanding is that all trades must involve the player whose turn it is.

Alice, whose turn it is, has ore and wants wheat. Bob wants ore and offers brick, which is not acceptable to Alice. Carol wants brick, and is willing to give wheat for it. So a three way trade would have Alice sending ore to Bob, Bob sending brick to Carol, and Carol sending wheat to Alice. Put another way, Alice gives ore to Bob and receives wheat from Carol.

Would such a trade be permitted under the rules? Looked at one way, Alice has dealt with both Bob and Carol. Looked at another way, there was a Bob to Carol leg (Bob sends brick to Carol) that did not involve Alice.

That is unless Alice first trades ore for brick with Bob, then brick for wheat with Carol. Can these two trades be made "simultaneous" through an "escrow" type arrangement? Or is this feature only reserved for say, "house rules?"

One Answer

No (or yes, depending on how you define a single trade).

The person whose turn it is can trade. Each trade is with that person and one other person.

If you can accomplish what you need in a series of trades, you're welcome to try. But any promise of future trade is non-binding: your later trading partner may legally decline the trade when it comes time.

Rules:

Important: Players may only trade with the player whose turn it is.

Also note that each trade has to involve a card from each player in the trade. You can't just give a card away for nothing in return.

So in your example:

  1. A trades ore to B in exchange for brick.
  2. A trades brick to C in exchange for wheat.

This is legal, but it is two separate trades.

There are no escrow rules: C is free to decline the trade after trade 1 has happened.

Answered by L. Scott Johnson on January 22, 2021

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