Garrett Costello
Dynasty breaker. City builder. Robber enthusiast. The first person in ten years to make Mark shuffle the cards back into the box in silence.
The Citation
For outstanding achievement in settling, city building, and the strategic, borderline-personal placement of the robber, the Committee names Garrett Costello the 2026 Catan Player of the Year.
Highlights of the Reign
- Ended the Nougier Dynasty. Ten years of Mark. Zero years of Mark. Historians will call this the Great Turnover.
- Read the board like a balance sheet. Counted the pips, took the 6s and 8s, and left everyone else to fight over the 12.
- Mastered the polite trade. "Happy to help you out" was never, at any point, helping you out.
- Moved the robber with purpose. Always onto the leader. Coincidentally, that was usually Mark.
- Accepted the title with grace, then bought a domain and built a website about it.
Acceptance Speech
"I'd like to thank the dice, the ore, and most of all Mark, who spent ten straight years showing me exactly what winning looks like. I took notes. Kris, you were there too." Garrett Costello, 2026 Player of the Year
Defending the Title
The Player of the Year will defend the crown in 2027. Challengers are reminded that the Hall of Fame's tips page is free, and that reading it carefully may lead to a strong second-place finish.
Committee disclosure: the Committee consists of Garrett. The Committee has reviewed this page and finds it fair.