I just read the instructions for Catan prior to playing it for the first time with my family. The game is so popular I figure it must be good, but good grief it sounds boring: resources, lumber, pasture, grain, ore, domestic and maritime trade, dull, dull, dull.

Well, that was exactly halfway between fun and tedious. The "robber steals half your cards if you have more than 8" rule is perfect for making younger players cry. We might modify or suspend that rule next time we play.

The 5-player version has a rule that between turns, everyone is allowed to build whatever they want with the cards they have (no trading). It cuts down on robbing and shortens the game.

But that rule also can make the game long if your players aren't good at knowing whether they are going to build (or if people wander to the bathroom when it's not their turn: but we did institute a "not present no extraordinary build" rule for that case).