The creator of the internationally renowned Catan board game, Klaus Teuber, has died aged 70.

German-born Mr Teuber died on 1 April after a "short and serious" illness, his family said in a statement.

More than 40 million copies of Catan have been sold since it came onto shelves in 1995, and it has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Catan Studio described him as a "kind and selfless human being" and "inspirational leader" in a statement.

The company encouraged fans to honour Mr Teuber's memory by "being kind to one another, pursuing your creative passions fearlessly and enjoying a game with your loved ones".

The game of Catan, originally known as The Settlers of Catan, sees players compete to colonise the fictional island of Catan.

They can do so by building settlements and roads using resources that can be traded to gain control of the island.

Catan was Mr Teuber's second board game, his first - Barbarossa - was released in 1988 and did not enjoy the same success.

Before he forayed into creating board games, Mr Teuber worked as a dental technician.

He told the New Yorker in a 2014 interview that he had "many issues with the profession" and "developed board games to escape".

Catan Studio said his "impact on the world of gaming will never be forgotten".

More on this story