Catan board game creator, Klaus Teuber, dies at 70

Klaus Teuber, a dental technician from Darmstadt, presents his game "The Settlers of Catan", Friday, Sept. 29, 1995, in Frankfurt, Germany. Teuber, creator of the hugely popular Catan board game in which players compete to build settlements on a fictional island, passed away on April 1, 2023 after a short and serious illness, according to a family statement. He was 70. – Photo: AP Photo/Bernd Kammerer

Klaus Teuber, creator of the hugely popular Catan board game in which players compete to build settlements on a fictional island, has died after a brief illness, according to a family statement. He was 70.

The board game, originally called 'The Settlers of Catan' when introduced in 1995 and based on a set of hexagonal tiles, has sold tens of millions of copies and is available in more than 40 languages. It has spawned dozens of spinoffs and new editions, including electronic versions, not to mention products related to the game.