Catan creator Klaus Teuber has died

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Teuber, the inventor of one of the most successful and influential board games of all time, died at age 70 after a brief illness.

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The official Catan website has announced that Klaus Teuber, who created the massively popular Settlers of Catan board game in 1995, has died at age 70 following "a brief and severe illness."

That popularity resulted in numerous expansions and spinoffs including card games, a dice game, a version for children, and licensed editions based on Star Trek and Game of Thrones. It also spawned multiple videogames on pretty much every platform you can imagine (even the N_Gage) including the browser-based Catan Universe, which we described as "a free opportunity to hate your friends" for hoarding grain (also available on Steam) and a VR version for Rift and Samsung Gear VR headsets.

Teuber is best known for Catan, but he also won Game of the Year awards in Germany for three other creations: Barbarossa in 1988, Adel Verpflichtet (Hoity Toity) in 1990, and Drunter und Drüber (Under and Over) in 1991. His accomplishments are even more impressive because designing games was just a hobby until 1999, when he retired from his regular job as a dental technician.

(Image credit: Twitter (Catan Studio))

"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 friend," Catan Studio said in a message shared on Twitter. "His legacy will continue to inspire and shape the gaming community for years to come.

"We encourage you to honor Klaus' memory by being kind to one another, pursuing your creative passions fearlessly, and enjoying a game with your loved ones. Klaus' impact on the world of gaming will never be forgotten."

Andy Chalk
Andy Chalk
US News Lead

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.