If you’ve ever wanted a table full of chaos, fur, and players hissing about stolen victory, my review of Cats is for you. I’ve wrangled my friends (and a few snacks) for several absurd game nights to see if this feline frenzy is a keeper or just another hairball in the board game world. Grab your whiskers and a comfy seat—here’s what you need to know before you pounce on this game!
How It Plays
Setting up
First, toss the box on the table. Watch as cats immediately sit on the lid. Shoo them away and give each player their cat tokens and a player board. Shuffle the deck of cat cards and place it in the middle. Put the food tokens and fish tokens nearby, unless your real cat wants to snack on them—then guard them with your life.
Gameplay
On your turn, draw a cat card and see which action happens. Sometimes you steal fish from others. Sometimes you chase a toy or nap (just like my buddy’s tabby, Muffin, who conspires against me every time). Most turns, you try to collect sets of fish, toys, or catnip—and mess with your friends in the process. Expect a lot of meowing and harmless betrayal.
Winning the game
The game ends when the card pile runs out or a player collects a secret combo first. Everyone tallies up points for their fish, toys, and special cats. Whoever has the most points wins! They get bragging rights—and maybe first pick of the comfiest chair.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Cats.
Whiskers, Claws, and Clever Moves: Game Mechanics and Player Interaction in Cats
Let me get straight to it: the game ‘Cats’ has more twisty moves than a real cat trying to fit inside a cardboard box. Each player starts with their own group of feline friends, ready to outwit the opponent—or at least knock some game pieces off the board when you’re not looking (cats, am I right?).
The rules are simple on paper, but like herding cats in real life, things get wild quick. You use action cards to leap, pounce, or swipe at rival cats. The real fun starts when players try to outthink each other. I once tried to hoard all the ‘Fish Snack’ cards, only to watch my buddy Dave steal them with a ‘Cat Burglar’ move. I won’t lie, I sulked. He purred.
Cats is not a game for control freaks though. If you can’t handle some unpredictability, think twice. The card draws can flip the state of play in a snap. Is this fair? Not always. There’s always that one pal (here’s looking at you, Tina) who lucks her way to victory, while your best-laid plans go up in fur. I wish there was a bit less luck and a bit more strategic depth. It’s not broken, but I’ve seen my share of annoyed faces when the ‘Perfect Pounce’ card undoes everything.
Interacting with other players boils down to alliances, betrayals, and loud meowing. Negotiating deals is encouraged, but don’t trust anyone. Cats are sneaky, and so are your friends. The game keeps everyone involved, even if the randomness sometimes claws at your dignity.
Next up, let’s see if the game’s artwork is as pretty as a basket of kittens… or as rough as a hairball on the carpet.
Artwork and Component Quality: Cat-tastic or Cat-astrophe?
If you love cats and cardboard, well, you’re in for a treat. The artwork in ‘Cats’ is basically a shrine to our furry overlords. Each card has its own illustrated cat, and let me tell you, these aren’t just lazy doodles. One of my friends actually paused the game to ask if the artist was a secret cat whisperer, because those little faces have more personality than my flatmate on a Monday morning. The color palette? Bright enough that I had to shield my eyes, but honestly, it matches the chaos of herding actual cats.
The game comes with chunky cat tokens. I gave one to my real cat and lost it under the fridge immediately. The cardboard is thick enough to survive your average snack spill, but if your cat sits on the box, well, may the odds be ever in your favor. The rulebook has adorable illustrations, but there was one page with a drawing so cute I forgot what I was reading. Typical cat distraction.
One complaint: the box insert is about as useful as a cat flap in a submarine. All the little cat bits ended up mixed together after one enthusiastic shake. So expect some chaos, both feline and cardboard.
Next up, I’ll tell you whether this game has the nine lives of replay value or if it’s more like a cat nap—over before you know it!
How Many Cat Naps Until You’re Bored? Replay Value & Variety
When it comes to replay value, ‘Cats’ surprised me like a kitten in a laundry basket. At first, I thought it might get old fast, but after a dozen plays with my crew (and one very real, judgmental tabby named Pickles watching on), it still manages to keep tails wagging. The cards shuffle up different each time, so no two rounds are exactly alike. If you’re aiming for the purr-fect score, you’ll find yourself trying new tricks and combos each session. I played with friends who somehow always become more competitive when cats are involved—one even wore a cat onesie for ‘thematic immersion.’ True story.
The player powers add a dash of variety too, as does the random order in which cat cards come up. I love that different strategies pop up depending on which cats you recruit. Sometimes you’re playing the sneaky alley cat, sometimes the pampered Persian. Of course, if your group is the kind that cracks the same jokes every time (guilty), you’ll find new fun in the way the game encourages playful sabotage. My only small gripe: if you play too many times in a row, you might see a little of the magic wear off, especially if your group figures out the ‘meta.’ But give it a week, bring out snacks, and somehow it’s fresh again.
So, is ‘Cats’ the catnip of the board game world in terms of replayability? Pretty close. Next up: will strategy claw its way past luck, or is this game just chasing its own tail?
Is “Cats” a Clever Cat or a Clumsy Kitten? Strategy vs. Luck Unleashed
When it comes to board games, I like my wins to be earned, not handed to me like a cat knocking over a glass of milk just because it can. With “Cats,” the big question is: Are we masterminding our way to victory, or just chasing our own tails hoping for the best?
Let me tell you, the balance is a bit wobbly. Sure, you can plan and scheme, much like a real-life feline eyeing a suspiciously empty box. There are choices—should I grab that juicy point card or block someone else’s evil plan with my sneaky cat? That stuff feels pretty good.
But, hoo boy, luck pounces all over this game. The random draw of cards means some rounds you get the perfect combo, and sometimes you feel like you’ve adopted a herd of hairless cats with no claws. Even the most strategic cat whisperer can lose to the player who pulls that one game-breaking card. I saw it happen. My friend Tom, who can barely remember his own cat’s name, pulled a last-minute win because of a lucky card. My competitive streak is still recovering.
If you like games that give you a solid shot at steering your fate, “Cats” might leave you feeling like you’re herding…well, you know. I need more paw-sitive control in my games, so I can’t fully recommend it for folks who dislike randomness. But if you like a bit of chaos, or you just enjoy looking at cute cats, you might find it purr-etty charming!
Conclusion
Cats is a blast if you like chaos and laughing at unlucky friends—just like herding real cats! The art is adorable, the pieces are chunky, and it’s easy to get going. But luck runs the show a bit too often, so if you want pure strategy, this isn’t your purrfect match. My group had fun, but we all agreed: if you hate randomness, you’ll lose your mind. If you want a lively, silly romp, though, give it a go. That wraps up this review—go pet a cat for me!
