Settlers of Catan AR game coming soon from the makers of Pokemon GO

Niantic, the studio behind Pokemon GO, has just announced a new project in partnership with Punchdrunk: Catan – World Explorers. Just like Ingress and Pokemon GO, Catan – World Explorers is an AR (augmented reality game) that uses Niantic's Real World Platform.

The goal of the project is to turn the entire world into a giant Catan playground. Inspired by the classic board game, Catan – World Explorers will enter beta soon, Niantic revealed today.

In Catan – World Explorers, players will be encouraged to explore their surroundings in order to collect various resources specific to the board game, such as lumber, brick, wool, grain, and ore. You'll also be able to trade for those resources that you can't find in your neighborhood, which you can then use to craft so-called “building cards.”

The game will feature a multiplayer aspect that will allow players to team up to collect resources together, expand settlements, and race for victory points. Just like in Pokemon GO, these victory points will contribute to your faction's global score and your personal local game.

Those who want to know when the game will enter beta can pre-register via the official Catan – World Explorers website. We'll also keep you updated if anything major happens.