Alright, folks, it’s time for my review of the game that brings feline frenzy right to your table! If you’ve ever wanted to outsmart your friends while herding a chaotic bunch of cats (and maybe knock over a few cups in the process), you’re in the right spot. I played this one with my usual crowd, and let me tell you, there were more plot twists than my neighbour’s tabby has lives. Is it more a game of skill or pure cat-luck? Stick around and I promise you’ll get the full scoop—whiskers and all.
How It Plays
Setting up
Lay out the board and scatter the cat tokens all over like your real cat does with socks. Each player grabs their color set of cat cards and a starter fish token. Place the yarn balls in a pile nearby. Decide who goes first by seeing who can meow the loudest. (Or just pick randomly, but meowing is more fun.)
Gameplay
On your turn, play a card and move your cat around the board, collecting tokens and trying to grab the best catnip spots. Players can play special action cards to annoy others—like sending their cat to nap or stealing a fish. The board changes fast, and fur can really fly, so don’t get too attached to any one plan. Watch out for random events like the “Vacuum Cleaner” card. That one is the worst. Trust me.
Winning the game
The first player to collect three different cat tokens and bring them back to their basket wins. Or, if you run out of fish tokens, count up who has the most points from their cat cards and tokens. The winner gets to wear the official Cat Crown. It doesn’t come in the box, but you can make one from a cereal box if you want to be official.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Cats.
Game Mechanics and Strategy: Herding Cats, Herding Chaos
If you’ve ever tried to convince a real cat to follow your plan, you know what playing this game feels like. In ‘Cats’, each player gets a team of sneaky feline friends, and your task is to outwit your rivals and scoop up the most delicious fish before the round ends. The catch? Your cats have minds of their own. They scamper about, scaring off rivals, and sometimes—even worse—each other. This leads to a lot of groaning and, from my friend Greg, dramatic claw motions at the table.
Instead of rolling dice, ‘Cats’ uses an action points system. You pick from moves like pounce, nap, or even the dramatic hairball. You have to plan ahead, because the best fish spots fill up fast. Each turn feels like a puzzle. Do you risk stealing from a rival’s food pile, or stay safe with your own stash? I’ve seen bold moves pay off, but also some tragic feline faceplants. Me, I tried to block my buddy Mia from the tuna jackpot, but my tabby fell asleep instead. Typical.
Strategy in ‘Cats’ is all about reading your opponents. Watch out for sneaky moves—like “catnip double-cross”—which left me yowling. The game rewards planning, but a bit of chaos keeps it lively. There’s enough control to satisfy thinkers, but not so much that it gets dry or mean. If you hate games where the outcome depends on dumb luck, you’ll be happy; here, you win or lose because of your choices, not a roll of the dice.
Feeling ready to become king of the feline heap? Good. Next, let’s see if ‘Cats’ keeps us coming back or just leaves us chasing our own tails!
Replayability and Player Engagement: The Purr-suit of Fun in ‘Cats’
If you have ever played a board game more than twice just to prove you’re not a one-hit wonder, you will know what replayability means. For ‘Cats’, I wanted to see if we would feel the urge to break it out again, or just leave it to collect dust next to our old copy of Monopoly (the horror!). Well, let me tell you, it’s not just the cardboard cats that keep returning—my friends and I found ourselves grinning with each session.
Every playthrough of ‘Cats’ lands differently. One game, I’m the mastermind, corralling an odd army of fluffy heroes (and, let’s face it, making weird meowing noises), and the next, I’m surrounded by actual chaos—with fur flying from all the action cards. The secret sauce lies in the interaction. In ‘Cats’, there’s always some new sneaky move, or a surprise twist from someone who swears they’re not competitive—yeah, right, Rob. It’s light enough for new players, but plotting your paw moves still takes a bit of brainpower. For families, it’s got that rare “everyone’s laughing, no one’s crying” vibe.
Engagement? Through the roof, especially if you like a little friendly sabotage (or if you like watching your grandma try to outsmart your younger cousin—someones inner tiger always comes out). The game keeps turns quick and the action rolling, so there’s not much time to check your phone or daydream about actual cats. In short, ‘Cats’ is like an open cardboard box—everyone wants in for another round.
Stick around, because next I’ll unleash my claws and pounce right into the world of ‘Cats’ artwork and component quality!
The Purr-fect Look: Artwork & Component Quality in Cats
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish my board games had more cats,” then you’re in for a treat. The box for Cats grabs your attention right away, with the kind of wide-eyed felines that whisper, “You know you’re going to knock over a glass of water in this game.” My friend Lisa, a cat owner, spent five minutes just admiring the box before we even started playing. Safe to say, the artwork is top-notch and absolutely packed with personality.
Each card in Cats shows another fluffy friend, some mischievous, some regal, and at least one that looks suspiciously like it just stole your lunch. The artists knew what they were doing; these aren’t just generic cats. You’ll find everything from classic tabbies to chunky Maine Coons, and each has their own flavor. The colors pop without being too harsh, which is a relief to my colorblind buddy, Pete. Even better, the iconography is clear. You won’t be squinting at tiny symbols or asking, “Is that a cat or a loaf of bread?”
The rest of the components hold up just as well. The tokens feel sturdy—no chance of my dog chewing them up (well, maybe a small chance, but he’s persistent). The board sits flat, even after some overenthusiastic play. Cards shuffle easily and have a nice snap to them. Nothing feels cheap or rushed, which I appreciate after some of the flimsier games I’ve played lately.
Overall, Cats looks and feels great on the table, but all this fluff leads to the question: Does the game strike a balance between paws-on skill and purr-sistent luck? Stay tuned, fur-ther adventures are coming up…
Do Skillful Cat Wranglers Win, or Does Luck Rule the Litter?
When you play ‘Cats’, you expect some chaos. After all, cats don’t really follow the rules—even cardboard ones. But as my group sat down for another round (with real cats batting at tokens), the question clawed its way in: does skill matter in this game, or are we all slaves to the whim of the cat gods?
Let me spill some catnip: Skill does play a part. You pick which cards to play, when to pounce, and who to mess with. Sharp players spot patterns, hold onto their best moves, and wait for the purrfect moment. But luck? It’s there too. Draw a bad hand, or the wrong tile shows up, and you might feel like your strategy was just knocked off the table by a bored tabby. I saw my cousin Jenny—who wins at almost everything—get trounced by my seven-year-old nephew after he drew just what he needed three turns in a row. Jenny claimed the game was rigged, but honestly, sometimes that’s just what it’s like to herd cats.
If you love games that reward careful planning, you might hiss at ‘Cats’ when the deck turns against you. But if you’re cool with a little unpredictability and enjoy the thrill of a lucky win, then the combo works out just fine. So, do I recommend ‘Cats’? If you want a game that’s half skill, half madcap feline luck, and you don’t mind if your clever strategy gets swatted off the table—then yes, ‘Cats’ is your catnip. For all the rest: maybe try chess with your cat. (Good luck!)
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap on my time with ‘Cats’! If you love a bit of chaos, cute cats, and quick, interactive play, this one will make you purr. The charming art and sturdy bits are a win. Don’t expect to win with sheer skill, though—luck likes to steal the spotlight. If you want strategy and control, you might get hissy. But for laughs and light fun, it’s a solid pick. Thanks for reading my review—now go chase those cardboard cats!
