# Catan Organizers

> Printed card trays and compact piece cases that keep resource decks, roads, and buildings organized on the table.

Canonical page: [Catan Organizers](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/catan-organizers/>)

Project date: 2020–2021

Updated: 2026-10-13

Category: Tabletop accessories

Status: Physical builds

Tags: 3D printing, CAD, Product design, Tabletop games

- **My work:** Organizer design, printing, and fit revisions
- **Objects:** Card trays and covered player-piece cases
- **Construction:** Printed trays, fitted channels, and separate covers

## In short

I designed and printed card trays and covered player-piece cases for the board game Catan. The trays keep shared decks visible and accessible during play, while the cases store each player’s roads, settlements, and cities afterward. I revised the holders and covers to fit together, so matching versions and piece dimensions matter when printing a set.

![Catan resource and development cards arranged in connected black and white printed card trays.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/catan-organizers.BjzwxP_I_1zlUX0.webp>)

Printed trays holding the game's resource and development decks.

## Overview 

I designed and printed these organizers for the board game Catan’s cards and player pieces.

The card trays keep the shared decks together during a game, and the covered cases store each player’s roads, settlements, and cities.

## Card trays 

The trays give each resource and development deck (the game’s shared card decks) its own slot. The cards stay visible and accessible during play, with black and white printed sections arranged together on the table.

## Player-piece case 

The compact case separates the pieces into:

-   Parallel channels for roads.
-   Spaces for settlements and cities, the game’s buildings.

Opening it gives a quick view of the whole set. A separate cover closes the case for storage.

### Matching holders and covers 

I made several holder and cover revisions, including V2 and V3 (version 2 and version 3). Each cover needs to fit its matching holder.

## Design and fit 

I used the game pieces to check the fit of the printed holders.

The computer-aided design (CAD) close-up shows a road sitting in its channel, and the assembled case shows the roads and buildings loaded together.

For a different edition of Catan, check the piece dimensions before printing a full set of cases.

## At the table 

The trays hold the shared decks during play; the cases collect each player’s pieces afterward. I also made [dice boxes and rotating life counters](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/tabletop-dice-boxes/>) for other tabletop games.

My work here is the organizer design and printing. The game pieces and artwork are from Catan.

## FAQ

### What do the organizers hold?

The card trays hold resource and development decks. Covered player-piece cases have channels for roads and spaces for settlements and cities.

### Do all holder and cover versions fit together?

Each cover needs its matching holder. The designs went through several revisions, including V2 and V3.

### Will they fit a different edition of Catan?

Piece dimensions should be checked before printing a full set of cases for a different edition. The holders were checked against the game pieces used for this build.

## Build photos

![A compact white printed case with fitted spaces for gray roads, settlements, and cities.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/catan-piece-case.BrhoJW8N_16tvrg.webp>)

A player-piece case with separate positions for roads and buildings.

![CAD detail of the piece holder showing a red road piece seated in its channel.](<https://devanmetz.com/_astro/catan-case-cad.EsUeHcDA_Z6JujV.webp>)

A design view of the road storage channel during development.

## Related reading

- [Dice Boxes & Life Counters](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/tabletop-dice-boxes/index.md>)
- [Rigid Heddle Loom Accessories](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/rigid-heddle-loom-accessories/index.md>)
- [Ring and Jewelry Organizer](<https://devanmetz.com/portfolio/ring-organizer/index.md>)