Microsoft 's Internet Explorer team has announced it has helped to launch a free web-based version of the classic board game Settlers of Catan called Catan Anytime. The game was made in collaboration with Catan, Mayfair Games and Bontom Games.

Microsoft states the game was made using the latest HTML5 web coding standards combined with built-in chat and access to Microsoft's own Skype messenger along with Twitter: It added:

Internet Explorer truly believes in the open and interoperable web, and therefore we focused on delivering a game that simply works on the web without bias of what device, OS or browser players' choose to use. Together we created a game that is light and renders easily on devices ranging from smartphones to PCs and anything in between.

The game requires four friends to play, which puts them in the roles of settlers who must gather resources to build roads and towns. Catan Anytime uses turn-based asynchronous gameplay, along with auto-trade and auto-roll. If you leave a game, you can stay connected via email notifications.

Microsoft plans to release the entire Catan Anytime ruleset during GamesCon in August so the rules are the same as the classic Settlers of Catan. What do you think of Microsoft bringing this classic game to the web in this way?

Source: Microsoft