Couple's Game Night Ends Marriage Counselor Referral After Competitive Catan Session

A married couple's weekly board game night has resulted in a referral to a marriage counselor after a game of Catan revealed what both parties describe as "trust issues that the robber merely exposed." The incident began when Linda Settler placed the robber on a hex adjacent to her husband Mark's primary settlement, blocking his wheat production during a critical building phase. "It was the strategically optimal move," Linda explained. "He had eight victory points. I had six. The robber goes on the leader. That's not personal, that's game theory." Mark disagreed. "She looked me in the eyes and placed the robber on my wheat. We've been married for eleven years and she blocked my wheat. How do you come back from that?" The situation escalated when Linda subsequently refused a trade that Mark described as "fair" and Linda described as "insulting." The proposed exchange — one sheep for one ore — was rejected on grounds that Mark's ore production was already strong. "She knew I needed ore for a city," Mark said. "She denied me the ore because she wanted to watch me not build a city. That's not Catan. That's cruelty." The game ended with Linda winning at ten victory points, a result Mark has described as "hollow" and Linda has described as "complete and total." Their counselor, who has reportedly dealt with Catan-related disputes before, has suggested they try cooperative games. The couple has since purchased Pandemic, which they played once before arguing about whether to treat disease in Europe or Asia. The counselor's next suggestion was jigsaw puzzles.