Designed by: Aza Chen
Cat Box is a simple abstract game of… collecting cats. In boxes.
At the start of the game each player will be dealt a secret identity card, that will either be one of the five cat colours, or the somewhat rogue chiwawa. A single cat card is placed in the centre of the table, and all players are dealt another (double-sided) cat card, then the game begins. On your turn, you simply add a card to the growing collection of cats in boxes in the middle of the table, overlapping either a quarter or a half of any card in the current set-up. You can use the face-up side of any other player’s card, or the reverse side of your own. Whichever card is used, that player receives a replacement, and the game continues.
What you’re trying to do is twofold: have the most cats showing of your assigned colour (your secret identity) showing when the cards run out – every cat is worth a point – and also have the biggest grouping of same-color cats, as the biggest group of all the players also scores an additional point per cat. If your secret identity is the chiwawa, you’re trying to maximize the empty boxes.
So placement is key: you want to further your own cause, and break up any groups the other players are working on. The game continues until the cards are all played, and the player with the most points wins.
It's more spicy than the artwork leads you to think. Your plans are forever being scuppered in the ongoing tactical battle.
Low to moderate, depending on if you have analysts at the table.
Low to moderate. Each turn you have several options of which cards to lay, and a growing number of places to put them.
There's not a whole lot of variety here, but cards ensure a degree randomness.
2-5
Players
6+
Years
15-30
Mins
Sam says
A strange combination of cutesy artwork and head-scratching play. I'm not sure how much the 'secret identities' bring to the game, as it's very hard to play (or play 'well') without giving away which colour cat you are. Quite sweet in a way, but for us a bit too repetitive.