Number of Players: 2-4 players

Components:

• Game board depicting a sea with islands and surrounding waters.

• Pirate ship tokens (different colors for each player)

• Pirate lair tokens (different colors for each player)

• Resource tiles (wood, molasses, cutlasses, gold)

• Die with numbers and special symbols

• Building cost tiles (showing resource costs for ships and lairs)

• Ghost Captain token
  

Objective:  Be the first player to build all seven of your pirate lairs!

Getting Ready:

1. Choose Your Color:  Each player selects a color and takes the corresponding pirate ship tokens (8) and pirate lair tokens (7).

2. Set Up the Board:  Place the game board in the center of the playing area.

3. Turtle Time:  In a 2-player game, use the side of the board with only 2 turtle isles. In a 3 or 4-player game, use the side with 4 turtle isles.

4. Ghost Captain's Quarters: Place the Ghost Captain token on Spooky Island.

5. Resource Rundown:  Shuffle the resource tiles face down and place them in a draw pile next to the board.

6. Building Costs: Each player takes their building cost tile showing the resource cost (wood, molasses, cutlasses) for building ships and lairs.

7. Starting Resources: Each player receives one wood and one molasses tile from the draw pile.
   

Let the Adventure Begin!

1. Youngest Pirate Starts: The youngest player begins the game and takes a turn. Turns proceed clockwise.

2. Roll the Die!:  The first action of each turn is to roll the die. The die has numbers (3, 4, 5) and special symbols:

   • Numbers: Each number corresponds to a specific island type on the board (e.g., 3 = Treasure Caves = cutlasses). If you have a pirate lair next to an island of the rolled number, you earn a resource tile of that type (e.g., rolled a 3, get a cutlass if you have a lair next to a Treasure Cave).

   • Anchor:  This symbol allows you to move one of your pirate ships to any empty ship space on the board.

   • Gold Coin:  If you roll the gold coin symbol, you can take one resource tile of your choice from the draw pile.

3. Building Time! (Optional):  After rolling the die, you can choose to build a ship or a pirate lair (depending on your resources) as long as you have the required resources according to your building cost tile. You can build on your turn only if you have a ship next to an empty ship space or a lair next to an empty lair space on the board. Pay the required resources to the discard pile to build.

Trading with the Marketplace:

• If you don't have the resources you need to build but have extras you don't need, you can attempt to trade with the marketplace (the resource draw pile). Simply offer one of your resource tiles back to the draw pile and take a new resource tile in exchange.

Trading with Fellow Pirates (Optional - Ages 8+):

• In games with players aged 8 and above, you can also negotiate trades with your fellow players. Offer them one of your resources in exchange for a resource you need. Remember, both players must agree to the trade for it to happen.

Beware the Ghost Captain!

• Whenever the die roll doesn't show a number (anchor or gold coin symbol), the Ghost Captain might cause trouble! Move the Ghost Captain token one island clockwise around the board. If the Ghost Captain lands on an island where you have a ship, you must discard one resource tile of your choice!
  

Winning the Game:

The first player to successfully build all seven of their pirate lairs wins the game and is declared the ultimate pirate captain!

Additional Notes:

• CATAN Junior is a fun and interactive game that encourages resource management, strategic thinking, and friendly competition.

• The game is designed to be relatively quick, with an average playtime of 30-40 minutes.

• The simplified rules and shorter playtime make it a perfect introduction to strategy board games for younger players.