We LOVE this game! It is an excellent mix of skill (mostly) with a little chance thrown in. We mostly play with adults but we can even dumb it down and play with my 7 year old (though I would recommend buying the kid version if that is your regular plan - which we have too and love). We like Catan as well and they are similar style. A typical game takes about an hour with experienced players; a little more time if you are new at it. It doesn't take long to learn but you want to keep playing because you learn new strategies each time. It does take up a large amount of space to play it and the spot has to be stable and flat because otherwise little trains go everywhere. You need a decent score keeper to make it easier on everyone.