Catan: Explorers & Pirates is the fourth major expansion for The Settlers of Catan, featuring five scenarios based on three missions.

The expansion differs from the base game in three ways. First, it features three islands instead of one, with two initially unexplored. Players build ships to explore new lands, earning resources for discoveries. Second, port settlements replace cities, providing one resource and two victory points. Third, players receive one gold when receiving no resources during production rolls.

The five scenarios are:

• Land Ho! Explore and settle new islands (Introductory scenario)
• Pirate Lairs! Battle pirates and capture their lairs (One mission scenario)
• Fish for Catan! Players fish deep waters to feed Catan’s people, earning VPs for their catches and capturing pirate lairs. Beware of pirates demanding tribute! (Two mission scenario)
• Spices for Catan! Find fish and spices, trading with Spice Islands’ inhabitants for sailing knowledge. (Two mission scenario)
• Explorers and Pirates! The final scenario combines all previous missions – exploring, fishing, fighting pirates and trading spices. (Three mission scenario)