Settlers of Catan
Theme: Build roads, towns, & cities on the Isle of Catan
Company: Mayfair Games 
Type: Board
# of Players: 3 - 4
Grade: 

Ken says: Other than Magic: The Gathering, Settlers was the gaming sensation of the '90's. The concept is fairly simple. Use the resources found on the island (consisting of sheep, wheat, ore, brick, & lumber) to build roads, settlements, and finally cities. At the beginning of each player's turn, he or she rolls two dice and sees which resource may be collected by all the players. If a seven is rolled, every player with more than seven resource cards in their hand must discard half of them. And the player who rolled the dice may place the "robber" in any land hex (except the desert) and collect one card from any other player (just one) who has a settlement or city adjacent. This also denies any resource gain from that area on subsequent rolls.
A player may initiate a trade. He or she can trade with fellow players or with the "bank" at a rate of four identical cards to one. However, if that player has settled on a port, he or she can trade at three to one. Some ports specialize in a particular resource. For example, if a player has settled on a brick port, they can trade two brick cards for one. 
Each accomplishment earns points, the first one to reach ten points wins. Other ways of earning points include purchasing resource cards. A card may contain a building, such as a university or church, that earns one point. Or, if you purchase the most army cards (more than three), you earn two points. Also, the player with the longest road (more than five sections) earns two points. 
Adding to the uniqueness of the game is the map, which consists of individual island hexes surrounded by ocean & harbor hexes. These hexes are shuffled and placed randomly before the game begins, insuring a new experience every time.

Pros:  Great  player interaction & a random board set up provides for constant play.  And let's not forget about the expansions.

Cons: While the randomness factor of the die rolling can be of concern (two or three rolls of the same number in a row can really give the advantage to a player with resources located there), it's not enough to be bothersome. So, if you're one of the thirteen people on this planet who hasn't bought this game yet, go for it.