Welcome to my review of Cats, a game where you wrangle adorable felines and maybe get scratched by a bit of luck. I played this one with friends, and trust me, herding real cats might be easier. But does it live up to its purr-fect promise or cough up a hairball? Let’s find out!
How It Plays
Setting up
First, chuck the board on the table and deal everyone their own cat cards. Put the rest in a pile. Give out the scoring tokens and make sure someone (not the cat) has the rules handy.
Gameplay
On your turn, you play a card from your hand and try to collect sets of cats. Some cards let you steal cats from others (expect hissing sounds and fake outrage). Each player draws back up so you’re never empty handed, and the chaos continues. Don’t forget to keep snacks out of paw’s reach – real cats love board games too much.
Winning the game
When the deck runs out, count up those sweet points from your sets. The person with the highest score is the ultimate Cat Collector, and gets to gloat in the politest way possible (extra cat-ear headbands optional).
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Cats.
Are the Cats Cute? Let’s Talk Artwork and Theme!
Okay, first off: I have played a lot of board games with animals. Sometimes you get pigs. Sometimes you get dragons. Sometimes you get a weird goat that looks like someone’s dad. But in the game ‘cats’? Oh man, you get CATS. Actual, proper, whisker-twitching, nap-stealing cats all over the place. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the art. My friend Tom, who judges games almost only by the box, immediately yelled, “Look at that cat’s face!” There’s a lot of variety. You’ve got fat cats, thin cats, lazy cats, and a tabby who looks like he’s plotting to steal your sandwich.
The cats are not only cute, they’re downright charming. Every time I picked a card, I’d say, “Look at this grumpy furball,” or, “Aw, this one’s sitting in a box!” One of my friends—who claims to be ‘not a cat person’ (I know, I know)—even admitted the cats are adorable. The illustrator has obviously spent time with real cats, because they’ve nailed every little detail: the head tilts, the attitude, the giant eyes that say “feed me now.” I even caught myself meowing during the game, which led to instant regret, but hey, that’s how into it I got.
If you bring this game to a family night, I guarantee someone will say, “I want a cat just like that.” On the artwork and theme alone, this game is a win for anyone who likes cats, or just cute things in general. But do those fluffy felines make this a balanced game? Or is it just luck if your tabby takes home the bacon? Let’s sneak into the next section: Skill versus luck balance!
Skill or Luck: Who Really Runs the Cat Show?
Let’s talk about the furriest elephant—I mean, cat—in the room: is this a game for smart strategists, or just lucky furballs? After a few matches with friends (and one cousin who takes rules too seriously), I can say that Cats does its best to give you control, but there’s still some randomness lurking in the shadows, kinda like my own kitty plotting to attack my feet at 3:00 a.m.
Most of your moves involve picking cards or tiles to collect cats, and there’s definitely room for clever planning. You need to watch what other players are doing, and try to block them from nabbing the fattest, fluffiest cat before you do. I’ve had moments where I felt like a feline genius, setting up chains of moves that had my friends groaning in envy. But honestly? Sometimes you just get unlucky. The perfect cat might not show up when you need it, and no amount of genius can help you if your luck is as bad as mine was that one game where I ended up with only hairless cats. No offense if you like those, but I prefer my felines like my toast: fluffy.
If you love games that reward skill but can accept your fate when luck strikes, you’ll have fun. Cats is not a total luck-fest, and clever play pays off more often than not. Pretty soon, we’ll find out if this game has you purring together or spitting and hissing in the next section: Player interaction—are we talking cozy cuddle pile, or alley cat brawl?
Player Interaction: Are These Cats Playful or Fierce?
Let me tell you, player interaction in Cats is a wild catnip party! When we all sat down and started playing, I thought, “How vicious can a game about adorable felines really get?” Well, let me say, there is more friendly sabotage and sneaky behavior here than when my old tabby knocked my sandwich off the table just to assert dominance.
Cats wants you to pay attention to every whisker twitch your friends make. You can set traps for each other, steal spaces, and sometimes just get in the way for the joy of it. You never feel too targeted or bullied—which is a relief, because my family turns into a pack of alley cats if a game gets too nasty. But you do have to keep your eyes open. Twice I caught my friend Jess making a face like she was about to swipe my hard-won cat tokens. The game rewards you for thinking ahead, reading people, and timing your moves just right. Make the wrong choice and you’ll be hissing at yourself for the next round!
Despite all the sneaky fun, Cats feels way more like friendly playground mischief than a back-alley fight. The cats on the cards might look cute and innocent, but trust me—they’ve got claws. We laughed more than we argued, and no one flipped the table (though my cat did try).
Curious if Cats will stay fresh for game night or shed its fun too soon? I’ll tell you in the next section about replay value—and if you should paws before buying.
Replay Value: Do the Cats Still Purr After Game #5?
I’ve played Cats enough times that even my real cat now judges me from the couch. After all this, does the game still shine, or does it cough up a hairball after a few rounds? Short answer: Cats still has some nine lives in it, but there’s a catch (or should I say, a cat-ch?).
The game’s replay value is tied to its variety. There’s a good mix of card actions, and the cats you collect always end up with funny, random powers. My friend Becky managed to create a cat army that ignored all the traps. I, uh, lost to my own overconfidence and a failed catnip gamble, but that’s a story for another time. The game changes depending on who’s around the table—some of us go full chaotic kitten; others try to build a furry masterpiece.
But—yes, there’s a but—after maybe ten plays, you’ll have seen most of what the base game offers. Without expansions or homemade house rules, things can feel a bit the same. The cats remain cute, but you stop arguing over the best cat name and start checking your phone between turns. If you want a game that keeps surprising you for years, Cats might run out of steam a bit sooner than you’d like. But if you’re after a light, funny game to bring out at game night, it’s a win.
Would I recommend Cats? Yep! Just don’t expect it to become your forever favorite—unless you are, in fact, an actual cat.
Conclusion
If you want a board game that oozes cuteness, gives you some chances to out-smart your friends, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, Cats is a great choice. It’s fun for most groups, but the luck factor and some sameness after repeat plays might bug the super-competitive types. Still, we had loads of laughs and arguments over which cat was the fluffiest, so I call that a win. This wraps up my review—now if you’ll excuse me, I think my cat is sitting on the rulebook again.
