How To Play: Cats

Are you ready to outsmart your friends, steal their favorite cats, and maybe knock a few fish off the table? Then you’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll give you an easy-to-follow outline of the rules for Cats, plus the best strategies for winning. I’ve played this game so many times with my friends that my brain now thinks in cat meeples.

Overview

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 4 Player Boats
• 150 Cat Tiles
• 85 Fish Tokens
• 40 Rare Treasure Tiles
• 10 Oshax Tiles
• 120 Discovery Cards
• 47 Lesson Cards
• 36 Rescue Cards
• 18 Family Cards
• 4 Reference Cards
• 1 Cat Bag
• 1 Score Pad
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Cats: Rules Summary

Setup: Let’s Get Ready to Herd!

1. Hand each player a boat board and some fish tokens. Spread the big Isle of Cats board in the middle.

2. Put all colorful cat tiles in the bag and shake it like you’re making popcorn. Then, draw and place the cats on the island spots.

3. Shuffle the cards and deal a set to each player.

4. Set up treasures, lesson cards, and Oshax tiles nearby.

Gameplay: Cat Chaos Unleashed

1. Each round, everyone drafts cards, picking and passing to build a handy hand. This is where the troublemaking begins.

2. Players spend fish to rescue cats and use cards for surprises or baskets. Each cat placed must touch another tile or start in the right spot.

3. As you fill your boat with cats, fit them Tetris-style—no flipping or stacking allowed, you rascal!

4. Play continues until the bag’s gone or the boat’s full. You’ll run out of space before you run out of laughs (or groans).

Winning: Who Rules the Isle?

1. After the last round, add up all points from families (matching color cats touching), lesson cards, and treasures.

2. Don’t forget to subtract points for empty rooms. Trust me, it hurts if you missed one spot!

3. Highest score takes the crown as Supreme Cat Wrangler (and gets to meow at losers).

Special Rules & Conditions: The Wild Cat-nundrums

1. Some lesson cards change everything—read out loud before the game so nobody gets bamboozled halfway through.

2. Oshax cats are wild and can join any family color. Use them wisely or watch your friends use them better.

3. If you get stuck, check the handy rulebook (or, like me, blame the cat for eating it).

Best Cats Strategies

How To Play Cats: Master the Art of Drafting

Pick Cats That Fit Your Boat

Always watch your boat’s layout. Draft cards that actually fit the spaces. Picking a random orange cat card when you only have blue rooms left is a classic blunder. Instead, focus on matching shapes and colors to your needs.

1. Check your boat space before drafting.
2. Draft cards that match your available rooms.
3. Leave tricky shapes for later rounds if you can.

Block Opponents’ Best Moves

If you see your friend grinning at a certain card, swipe it! Sometimes, stealing a great card is better than picking the one you want. This prevents others from filling their boat too easily.

1. Notice what cats your friends need.
2. Draft those cats if you don’t need them.

Think Ahead for Future Rounds

Don’t just live in the moment. Draft cards that set you up for big combos next turn. I once ignored this, and my boat looked like a patchwork mess. Plan ahead so you don’t end up like me, sitting in last place.

1. Grab cats that combo with coming rounds.
2. Use wild cards for flexibility.

Mastering Your Fish: The Key to Cat Domination

Watch Your Wallet!

Fish act as money, and boy, do they vanish fast! Always count twice before spending. If you go broke, you’ll watch the perfect cat slip away to your smug friend.

Buy Cats With Purpose

Don’t blow fish on the first cute cat you see. Prioritize what helps your boat most. Here’s how:

1. Save for expensive, high-point cats.
2. Grab bargains when they fit your plan.
3. Think before you splurge on baskets.

Fish for Lesson Cards

Lesson cards can seem pricey in fish, but they build future points! Weigh each one and snag those that work for your endgame. That’s a pro tip I learned after losing to my grandma. Again.

Swindle Friends With Trades

Sometimes a trade can net you more fish or cats. Don’t be shy—make weird barter proposals. Last game, I got two fish and a laugh by trading away a cat I didn’t need!

Remember, learning How To Play cats means knowing when to take risks with your fish. Spend wisely and watch your friends beg for leftovers!

Crack the Code: Maximizing Room and Set Collection in Cats

Fill Every Room Like a Pro

Empty rooms lose you points faster than my cat steals my seat. So, always keep an eye on your boat layout. While playing, I placed cats the wrong way and ended up with a sad four-point loss! Never again.

1. Plan where each cat fits best.
2. Cover big spaces with long cats first.
3. Patch corners last with small cats.

Set Collection = Points Bonanza

You’ll want to collect cat families and rare treasures. If you ignore sets, you’ll regret it, like me after forgetting dessert. So always track which color cats you need and grab treasures that fit your empty corners.

1. Snatch cats of the same color to build families.
2. Prioritize sets over single cats.
3. Grab treasures to fill gaps and finish sets.

Synergy with Lesson Cards

Lesson cards can boost both your sets and filled rooms. How To Play cats includes many sneaky lesson cards, so always check if one helps fill a tricky spot or finish a family.

1. Draft lesson cards that fit your collection plan.
2. Score bonus points for unique room or set combos.

Ready to Rule the Feline Seas?

Well, that’s the end, folks! You now know more about How To Play cats than my cousin Jim, who once tried to train his actual cats to play—let’s just say the cards did NOT survive. When you use these tips, you’ll spot sneaky moves, fill your boat with whiskers, and outscore your friends (unless they read this guide too). May your fish never run out, and your cats never fall off the table. Happy gaming, cat captains!

Want to know what we think of Cats? Read our detailed review of Cats here