SETTLE FOR MORE
William Cavaretta went from unwrapping Catan for Christmas to being crowned world champion. The master Settler considers how victory can land on the lucky roll of a die
“I never quite imagined that I would one day be the world champion of a game which has been pretty much a hobby of mine since being introduced to it,” says William Cavaretta.
About five years ago, Cavaretta opened a fresh copy of The Settlers of Catan given to him for Christmas by his family. It was a familiar introduction to the gateway game, and Cavaretta quickly found himself enthralled by the legendary Euro.
“After playing with my family for a while, I wanted more, and found that I could play online and anytime of the day or night,” he says, describing his Catan ‘addiction’. “For a short time, I just played the basic Catan game, but after trying out the other expansions and scenarios, I was definitely hooked. I used to watch experienced players play online all the time, and often times, the experience was as if I was playing. That led into me playing against those players and building my skill up. From there, I started competing in online tournaments and doing really well.”