11 Top Cat-Themed Games You’ve Got To Try (2024 Update)
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You may be surprised by the sheer volume of cat-themed board games available on the market. If you’re looking for a cat-themed game, you have plenty of options!
That said, not all of these games are good. In fact, some are pretty bad, and you probably wouldn’t make it through a single game. Sometimes, board game designers plop some cats on their game, but the game doesn’t actually have anything to do with cats.
Luckily for you, we reviewed the best cat-themed games below.
The 11 Cat-Themed Games
1. ThinkFun Cat Crimes
Cat Crimes is a logic-based game that directly involves cats. This game takes about 10 minutes to complete, making it one of the shorter options on this list. Each game revolves around a challenge card, and you can do as many challenge cards as you’d like.
The biggest pro of this game is the artwork. It’s fun, and the dual-layered board sets this game apart from lower-quality options. However, the fully assembled characters cannot fit in the box without being disassembled each time. It’s a small headache, but the assembly can feel a bit much when the game is so short.
The rulebook is straightforward to follow. With some explaining, you can even play this as a family with some younger children. It’s pretty fun figuring out which cat is where and who committed the “crime.”
Currently, there are no add-ons. Therefore, once you read all the challenge cards, the game loses its replayability (until so much time passes that you don’t remember them). Hopefully, this will change in the future.
2. The Isle of Cats
Of all the games on this list, Isle of Cats is easily one of the best options. It’s a bit more expensive but still cheaper than most “adult” board games. The main point of this board game is to rescue cats, so it has a pretty large appeal. Each cat has a unique tile and also has a family. You have to fit each tile on your boat and keep the family together.
You score points by rescuing cats, finding treasures, and performing similar tasks. There are many supplements to this game, allowing you to expand it to up to 6 plays.
3. Calico
Calico is very loosely based on cats. There is a cat on the front of the box, and the game is named after felines. However, the gameplay and theme itself aren’t as cat-based as many of the other board games on this list.
In the game, your main goal is to build a quilt and collect buttons, which will attract cats. The player with the most cats at the end of the game wins. Each quilt has a specific design you’re supposed to follow, and the buttons add a touch of sweetness to the game. However, the main purpose of the game is to build a quilt with the chance of a cat showing up—not fully about cats, as you may expect.
The artwork is easily the best on this list. The cats look like realistic cats, just like on the front of the box. However, the other components are a bit cartoonish, which can make the game a bit wonky at times.
The gameplay is very simple, but it is best for older kids. It’s more of a laid back, aesthetic game than a fast-paced game. There is little player interaction, and it’s more about playing your best game than competing against other players directly. It’s a simple puzzle game, but it doesn’t offer anything drastically new.
4. Kookipets Nasty Cat Card Game
If you’re looking for a cat-based card game, consider Kookipets Nasty Cat Card Game. This cat-themed deck comes with 54 cards and rules for four different games. Each game is pretty straightforward, and most are obvious remakes of older games (like Old Maid, for instance). It’s a great option for kids, especially if they’re like most kids and like to switch games a lot.
The artwork is great and varied. There are 25 different cat personalities that are referred to as “Catitudes.” These different personalities are what create the four included games. Of course, as just a set of cards, this game is pretty cheap.
5. Cat Ladies of Maple Street
Simply put, this game is about “collecting” cats, just like a “cat lady.” Each player tried to build the best deck of cards to collect the most cats and, therefore, win the game. You play as one of the four interesting cat ladies. You use the in-game currency to buy more cats as you collect more cards.
The game rules are pretty straightforward. However, it is billed as a 12+ game, so it isn’t the best option for children. There is some reading involved, and it may be difficult to play unless the child can read at the appropriate level.
Furthermore, the whole concept of using coins to buy cards and then hearts to buy cats can be a bit complex. It’s absolutely an adult game. However, it’s still pretty simple and easy to learn. This isn’t a game you need to play a few times to figure out.
6. Cat-Tastic Board Game
Cat-Tastic teaches children how to care for real cats. It’s a simple dice-rolling game where you move your character across a board. It’s a bit like Monopoly in the board setup but not in the actual playing of the game. Each space will cause you to gain or lose money, adopt a cat, or pull an event card. Each event usually requires you to pay a particular business, which is often another player.
At the beginning of the game, each player chooses a business or two to own. These are all cat-centered businesses, like a groomer. The exact number of businesses each person gets depends on the number of players. (Games with fewer players end up with more businesses per player.) The businesses will cause different effects with event cards, and they may even cost money to maintain.
During the game, you can purchase more businesses. The game is over once someone gains six hearts.
7. CATastrophe
For families with older children, CATastrophe is a fairly simple game that can be a lot of fun. You start the game as a cat with nine lives. Throughout the game, you will lose lives until there is only one cat standing, the one who wins the game. The rules are exceptionally easy to follow, and each game takes about 30 minutes (though that may be lengthened to 45 minutes as everyone gets better).
The game is completely cat-based. For instance, you’ll get and use “curiosity” cards and dice to participate in cat-themed mini-games. There is a bit of strategy involved, which is why we recommend it for older children. However, even a 10-year-old can easily grasp the fundamentals.
8. Here, Kitty, Kitty
Here, Kitty, Kitty is another cat accumulation game. However, this time, you can adopt stray cats or steal kittens from other players. The premise of the game is there are tons of different cats in the neighborhood, and you want to own all of them (but so does everyone else).
Everyone has a property board, which includes a yard, porch, and house. At the end of the game, you’re rewarded points for cats in different areas of your property or absolutely no points if they’re in your yard. There are 40 cat miniatures in all, which are placed on the communal board at the beginning of the game.
During each turn, you can play cards you have in your hand, attract cats to your yard, or take other actions. Cards unlock certain actions, such as moving multiple cats, making opponents give you cats, or even attracting cats of a certain color to your property.
The game keeps going until the last card is drawn from the deck. At that point, everyone has a last turn, and then points are tallied.
9. Cat Chaos
Cat Chaos is an extremely straightforward card-swapping game. You win by collecting sets of cards, and you collect sets of cards by swapping with other players (while also trying not to give them too many sets). It’s very straightforward, though the strategy can easily get a bit complex. Therefore, we recommend it for older children and laidback adults.
This game is extremely casual. It only takes a few minutes to start playing, and the rules are about as straightforward as they get. This isn’t Monopoly, where you’re going to spend hours strategizing and playing. The artwork is easily one of the best parts of the game, and each card includes a cat-based pun on a famous person’s name.
However, many did report that the game feels a bit like a child’s game at times, and there isn’t much appeal for adults. It’s a game that can’t figure out exactly what age group it wants to be involved in.
10. Cat Lady
Cat Lady is another straightforward card game that is centered around cats. This time, you’re collecting food, toys, and other cat-related items to please your family of cats, which grows throughout the game.
This game is fairly short. It only takes about 20 minutes for two players to get through it, though it may take a bit longer for games with more people. Throughout the game, you’ll accumulate more cards, which come in several different types. Some are new cats, which indicates what food they need. They also give you victory points for feeding them, so collecting them is pretty important.
You’ll also collect costumes, catnip, and other objects, which reward you victory points in different ways. On top of having cards, the game also has a set of blocks and cat figurines, which you’ll collect from the cards you draw.
In the end, this game is pretty simple, and the complexity only comes from the specific cards you get.
11. Cat Bingo
As the name suggests, this game is traditional bingo, only cat-themed. The game features 64 different breeds of cats from around the world. These breeds are called out, and you cover the breeds on your card just like in any other bingo game.
The main draw of this game is the cat theme. However, it is just bingo. If you don’t like bingo, you probably won’t like this game, either. The art is very nice and quite realistic, though it still looks clearly painted. The same company makes several other bingo games of different themes, as well.
Conclusion
Cats are a pretty popular theme, so you can find tons of board games that at least feature cats in their artwork. Some of these games are fairly similar to games you may already be familiar with but dressed up in cat-themed clothing. Other board games are completely based on a cat’s temperament and stereotypes. In some games, you even try to collect cats!
There are tons of family-friendly cat games out there, as well as games that are pretty complicated. Therefore, you should find something for any age group or style of gamer.
- Also see: Best Apps for Cats: Games, Health & More
Featured Image Credit: Madhourse, Shutterstock
