BOARD GAME ROCK STARS

5 Game Designers Who Changed the World

- Jesse Tannous

If there were a Hall of Fame for board game designers, the five individuals showcased in this feature would, hands down, be inducted into it. While there are many others who would also be worthy of this list, it is hard to deny the standout status of these particular designers. Our chosen individuals were selected based on the overall impact their games have had on the gaming industry, while also acknowledging outstanding personal achievements. We were particularly focused on those we thought helped gaming break into mainstream culture.

These extraordinarily talented individuals, each in their own right, deserve to be considered as “rock stars” of board game design.

#1 Klaus Teuber

DON’T SETTLE FOR AVERAGE— One of the top contenders goes to Klaus Teuber, the creator of Catan (formerly titled The Settlers of Catan). This is the board game that makes it possible for players to compete at establishing the most successful colony on a fictional island called Catan.

Over the years, Catan has been so popularized that some have said it could even replace the notoriety of the game Monopoly. And when you take into account that Catan has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide since its publication in 1995 — it’s feasible.

Teuber created The Settlers of Catan in his basement during the eighties while he was escaping from a profession that he had become increasingly disillusioned with.

Teuber dreamed that his board game might someday make him enough money to support his family while doing what he loved to do.