EXIT: Adventures on Catan - Uncategorized Thames & Kosmos - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Board Game / Puzzle Game
Brand	Thames & Kosmos
Model	EXIT: Adventures on Catan
Number of Players	1 to 4
Age Recommendation	12 years and up
Game Type	Cooperative escape-room style puzzle
Game Duration	Approximately 60–90 minutes
Difficulty Level	Moderate
Language	English (Instructions)
Dimensions (Box)	27.5 x 27.5 x 5.5 cm
Weight	Approximately 500 g
Power Source	None (no batteries required)
Primary Functions	Puzzle-solving, teamwork, deduction, and critical thinking
Maintenance	Store in a cool, dry place; avoid exposure to moisture or direct sunlight
Safety Warning	Contains small parts; choking hazard for children under 3 years
Spare Parts	Not available individually; game components are not sold separately
Reparability	Not repairable; replace game if components are lost or damaged
Additional Notes	Part of the EXIT series, based on the Catan universe. One-time use due to puzzle mechanics (cards and components are marked).

Frequently Asked Questions - EXIT: Adventures on Catan Thames & Kosmos

How many players can play EXIT: Adventures on Catan?

The game is designed for 1 to 4 players. Solo play is possible but requires more focus.

What is the recommended age for this game?

The recommended age is 12 years and older due to complex puzzles and small components.

How long does a typical game session last?

A game session typically takes between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the players' experience and puzzle-solving speed.

Is the game replayable?

No, the game is not replayable because many components (like cards and riddles) are altered or marked during play. It is designed as a one-time experience.

What is the difficulty level?

The difficulty is moderate. Some puzzles are challenging, but the game includes hints to help players progress.

Do I need to know Catan to play this game?

Familiarity with the Catan board game is not necessary, but it adds thematic enjoyment. The puzzles are standalone.

Are batteries required?

No batteries are required. The game is entirely analog, using cards, puzzles, and a decoder wheel.

What is included in the box?

The box contains: 88 cards, 1 decoder disk, 2 strange parts, 1 book, and an instruction manual.

Can I play with more than 4 players?

The game is designed for up to 4 players. Larger groups could play in teams but may not have enough components for everyone to be equally involved.

Is there a time limit?

No official time limit, but the recommended playtime is 60–90 minutes. Players can take as long as they need.

USER MANUAL EXIT: Adventures on Catan Thames & Kosmos

CATAN.

CERTIFICATE

Congratulations!

The following players

on

in

successfully explored Catan. You have uncovered all of the secrets of the island. What an impressive achievement!

To do it, the players required

They used a total of help cards.

This earned them stars in the assessment!

The coolest riddle was

The best part of the game was

and

Find more information about the CATAN board game at catan.com

CATAN.

Adventures on Catan

For 1-4 players, ages 10 and up

START PLAYING WITHOUT READING THE RULES!

with the free

KOSMOS

Would you like to have the game explained to you without reading the rules? Then download the free Helper App.

CAUTION: You are not allowed to look closely at the game materials before starting the game! First, read this rulebook together out loud and carefully follow all of the instructions.

If you are already an experienced EXIT player, you only need to read the blue text in this rulebook!

What's the game about?

Times are tough, and life in your village is getting harder than you ever imagined it could be. One day, visiting sailors tell you about the beautiful and fertile island of

Catan. They speak with admiration about its lush vegetation and the variety of resources that the island produces. Seeking a better life, you decide to set off with a few friends to explore this new land and, hopefully, settle down there.

What will await you as you discover the terrain and encounter the people of Catan? Will you manage to build a new and better life in this foreign land?

Your exciting adventure begins as you set off for Catan.

Every copy of this game is packaged with the greatest care. Unfortunately, mistakes can happen from time to time. Before playing, please check to make sure that all the materials are present. If anything is missing, do not start playing and contact us. See contact info on page 7.

KOSMOS

IMPORTANT: Do not open the sheets yet, and do not look at the front sides of the cards. Wait until the game instructions tell you that you are allowed to do so.

Game materials

97 Cards

30 Help cards
33 Answer cards
25 Riddle cards
9 Helpers of Catan cards

1 Decoder disk

8 Foldouts

12 Strange items
16 Resource tokens

(2x Brick, 2x Wood,

5x Wool, 4x Wheat, 3x Ore)

Two-piece ram standee

X token
Pencil

7 Roads

Landscape

In addition, you will need writing implements (ideally a ball-point pen, a pencil, and an eraser), one or more sheets of paper, a pair of scissors, and a watch (ideally, a stopwatch). As an alternative, you can use the digital timer with the atmospheric soundtrack. Just select the game in Kosmos Helper App and click on the hourglass.

Game setup

Assemble the two-piece ram standee as shown.

Hint: You will need a little more table space for this EXIT game than usual.

Now place the strange items, the resource tokens, and the foldouts at the edge of the table. Make sure that the

STOP signs on the foldouts are face up.

Sort the cards into three piles in accordance with what is written on their back sides:

Riddle cards (A to Y)
Answer cards (1 to 33)
Help cards

Be sure not to look at the front sides of any of the cards yet.

Sort the help cards according to their symbols. Place cards with the same symbol on top of one another, with the “1st Clue” card on top of the “2nd Clue” card, and the latter on top of the “Solution” card. Then place them at the edge of the table.

New: This EXIT game has nine Helpers of Catan cards. Place these cards in a stack. Make sure that the card with the heading “Helpers of Catan” is on top of this stack.

Where is the game board?

This game has no game board! You will have to figure out for yourselves what you need to find in the game and what the locations look like. At the beginning of the game, you will only have the decoder disk and the “Start” foldout available to you.

As the game continues, you will add riddle cards and other items — either to be found in illustrations or referred to in the text. Whenever this happens, you can take the corresponding items and look at them. In this game, you will find the riddle cards alphabetically from A to Y.

Example:

You see riddle cards A to E on the START foldout. You may immediately

take these cards from the deck and look at them.

You may only look at an answer card after you have entered a code on the decoder disk and have been directed to a corresponding answer card.

You may also only use the strange items when you are explicitly told that you have found them. Until then, they must stay on the edge of the table!

Course of play

Your goal is to uncover all of the secrets of the island of Catan — the faster the better! That would definitely be easier if your progress weren’t being impeded by riddles at every turn!

IMPORTANT: You can write on, fold, or tear the materials ... All of this is allowed, and sometimes even required. You can only play the game once — after which you will know all the riddles, and you won't need the game materials any longer! This enables the game to contain the most interesting variety of riddles.

Solve the riddles in order as the game progresses. Each riddle is assigned a symbol, and you can only advance if you are able to find the correct three-digit code. When you see a riddle, take a close look at all of the corresponding foldouts and the riddle cards. Put your heads together and try to solve the riddle and figure out the three-digit code. Then, enter this code on the decoder disk.

On the outer edge of the disk, there are ten different symbols pictured. Each symbol stands for a riddle and one of the codes you are looking for. Pay close attention to which symbol is shown on the cards and on the foldouts! If you think you have cracked one of the codes, enter it under the corresponding symbol on the decoder disk. A number will then appear in the viewing window of the smallest wheel of the disk. This number indicates the number of the answer card that you are then allowed to look at.

Example:

You believe that the code 123 is the solution to the riddle with the symbol.

Enter this combination of numbers under the symbol on the decoder disk.

In the little window, you will see the number — of the answer card that you are then allowed to take from the stack and look at. Here it is 23.

→ Is the code incorrect?

If so, the answer card will tell you that.

Double check that you entered the code that you intended under the correct symbol. If that doesn't help, take another look at the riddle to see if you can come up with a different code.

→ Is the code possibly correct?

In that case, you will get an answer card with an overview that looks like the card on the left.

Where can you see the symbol?

On the answer card with an overview, you will find an example image for each riddle arranged in order. Each riddle is marked with the corresponding symbol.

In this example, the rudder of the ship is marked

with the symbol. Look for the rudder with the symbol on the answer card with an overview. It will then direct you to another answer card.

In this example, you are directed to answer card 2.

Take this card from the stack. Only this second answer

card will tell you if the code is really correct.

→ Is the code really correct?

If so, the second answer card will tell you how to continue. You will find one or more new riddle cards that you are allowed to immediately take from the stack of riddle cards and look at.

→ Is the code actually incorrect?

Well, in that case you will land on a second answer card with an Check the number code sequence and compare the symbol on the decoder disk with the symbol on the riddle cards. If the code is still wrong, take another look at the riddle to see if you can come up with a different code.

IMPORTANT: You must solve the riddles in order!

IMPORTANT: You must solve the riddle in your words. In other words: You can only continue to the next riddle if you have cracked the previous code and the game tells you that you are allowed to proceed!

Don't forget!

The riddles are depicted in order on the answer cards with an overview — starting in the left column from top to bottom, and then continuing down the right column.
Whether right or wrong, return all answer cards to the answer card stack when you are told to do so.
All codes can be solved logically. You shouldn't just try entering all possible combinations into the decoder disk.

1.2.

Need help?

The game can provide you with assistance if you get stuck. For each code, there are three help cards that can be recognized by the symbol on their back sides.

In addition to giving you an initial useful clue, each “1st Clue” help card also tells you which game materials you must have found in order to be able to solve the corresponding riddle.

The “2nd Clue” help cards will give you more concrete assistance in finding a solution to the corresponding riddle.

The “Solution” help cards will tell you the proper approach and give you the solution to the riddle.

Don't be shy about using help cards if you get stuck. Place all used help cards in a face-up discard pile.

When does the game end?

The game ends when you have solved the last riddle and uncovered the secrets of Catan. A card will tell you that.

Assessment

Solving all the riddles is a great achievement! If you also want to assess how well you did with the riddles, you can take a look at the table below. When calculating the number of help cards used, count only the ones that gave you new hints or solutions!

< 60 Min.

< 90 Min.

≤ 120 Min.

120 Min.

No 1 - 2 3 - 5 Help Cards Help Cards Help Cards Help Cards

10 Stars

9 Stars

8 Stars

7 Stars

9 Stars

8 Stars

7 Stars

6 Stars

3-5

Help Cards

8 Stars

7 Stars

6 Stars

5 Stars

6 - 10

6 Stars

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

10

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

The game begins

What are you waiting for? Start the stopwatch or timer! You may now open the "Start" foldout. We hope you have a lot of fun with EXIT® – The Game: Adventures on Catan!

Kosmos and the authors thank all the test players and rule reviewers.

The authors: Inka & Markus Brand live with their children Lukas and Emely in Gummersbach, Germany. They have published many children's and family games together and won numerous prizes.

EXIT® concept: Ralph Querfurth,

Sandra Dochtermann (Kosmos)

Cover illustration: Martin Hoffmann

Illustration: Claus Stephan, Eric

Hibbeler, Alexandria Neonakis,

Naomi Robinson, Michael Menzel

Title graphic: Fine Tuning

Graphics: Sensit Communication GmbH

Technical development: Monika Schall

Editing: Ralph Querfurth

English text editing: Ava Tessitore,

Hannah Mintz

WARNING! Contains a functional sharp point!

Do not injure yourself!

© 2025 Franckh-Kosmos

Sun," and the CATAN Brand Logo are

registered trademark properties of

CATAN GmbH (catan.com) in various

territories of the world.

All rights reserved.

Printed in Germany

© 2025 Thames & Kosmos, LLC,

Providence, RI, USA

Thames & Kosmos® is a registered

trademark of Thames & Kosmos, LLC. All

rights reserved.

Distributed in North America by

Thames & Kosmos, LLC.

Providence, RI 02903.

Phone: [phone]

Web: thamesandkosmos.com

Distributed in United Kingdom by

Thames & Kosmos UK LP.

Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HE.

Phone: [phone]

Web: www.thamesandkosmos.co.uk