7. Settlers of Catan

Gee willakers, what can I really say about Settlers? Like so many other gamers would admit, this is the game that was ultimately my gateway into the multi-player, family game hobby. Before Settlers, I was pretty much devoted to my two-player abstracts and thought they were the only games worth playing. Two online friends, Ben Baldanza and Stephen Tavener, were the first to really clue me in on the German Gaming Scene. They first turned me on to Settlers and from then on I was hooked.