The Best Cat Board Games

Written and then updated by Charlie Pettit

Cats. They may knock everything off of the shelves with some delight, try to con you into extra food helpings, and bring all sorts of creatures into the house as a gift, but they’re human-kinds other best friend, and so here’s ten of the best cat games. We can’t promise that these games won’t be swiped off the table, but they might gain more feline favour than most. 

Calico 

No cat board game list could be without Calico, and that's why we're starting with it. The cover is as endearing as the game, as the cosy looking cat snoozing on the quilt represents exactly what you’ll want to do, in sewing the cosiest quilt to attract the cuddly cat. You’ll have quilt boards and patch tiles and kittens, and putting the right combination of tiles onto the board awards you cats. Calico is a fun little game, letting you emulate that feeling of owning a cat and looking at them sleeping so peacefully (before charging around the house like a bull in a china shop upon waking - not emulated within the board game thankfully!).  

Buy Calico on Amazon

A Game of Cat and Mouth 

 

A Game of Cat and Mouth is a bonkers-in-the-best-way kind of game, which in fact is a great description for most Exploding Kittens games. It can’t even be described simply, as it’s a mixture of pinball, air hockey, and those basketball games you get at the arcades. Housed in a magnetic briefcase like case that becomes the board, you’ll use a magnetically attached paw to fire balls through the mouth or nose of a plastic cat in the centre, winning your turn if you knock the nose out or fire the teeth or balls onto your opponent’s side. Sure, it’s simple to play, and one that the whole family can get behind in tournament mode, but it’s not one to underestimate, as this cute game brings out the competitive side of everyone. 

Buy Cat & Mouth on Amazon.

 

Kittin 

Kittin from Alley Cat Games is one of those pocket games (should you have pockets to begin with) that offers way more than its size suggests. This tiny tin contains a wealth of somehow adorable cat meeples, and the game challenges you to create the structures dictated on the card to build a fantastical cat tower, that has to stay standing by the end. It may not be that ‘fat cat’ Eurogame that has you sucked in for hours, but there’s something delightful in stacking tiny kittens. A purr-fect for grown up cool cats and younger kittens alike.  

Buy Kittin by clicking here

 

Cat in The Box

Cat in the Box is a trick taking game, that has been on the awards circuit, winning or nominated for everything from the Golden Geeks to the As d'Or. It's been labelled as a game that the fans of trick taking games need to have in their collection, as it's got some innovative changes – a bid mechanic namely – that freshen up the genre and lead to a really creative game. Commentary around it often refer to Schrodinger's Cat (and for good reason!) but don't worry - you only need to know as much about the topic as your friendly neighbourhood kitten does, so don't let that stop you from playing!

Buy Cat in the Box on Amazon

 

 

 

Magical Kitties Save the Day

 

If you have ever thought RPGs are intimidating, you should take a look instead at Magical Kitties Save the Day, an RPG in a box designed with a younger audience in mind. You'll create your adventure with your players cats whose traits to roll against are cute, cunning, and fierce. With a ton of cat like adventures at hand, and some fun upgrades to pick up, cat loving families will love this RPG. 

 

Buy Magical Kitties Save the Day on Amazon

Isle of Cats 

There have been legends, but no one believed they were true. Ancient, wise, fierce and playful cats, just beyond the reaches of Squall’s End where you reside. When they turn out to be true, it becomes a race against time because the armies of Vesh Darkhand are approaching to destroy the islands. These noble creatures need saving, and that’s where you come in, finding cats and taking placing them into the ship, trying to keep them together, and gain as many points as you can. It’s as easy as herding cats. 

Buy Isle of Cats on Amazon

 

 

Cobra Paw

 

If you’ve ever seen a cat swatting something breakable (because it’s always something breakable) and been impressed by the lightning-fast method of doing so – and also that look that tells you it was absolutely deliberate – you may want to learn some ninja moves of your own. Enter Cobra Paw. Containing tokens of varying symbol combinations that are somewhat reminiscent of dominos, when you roll the dice, you’ll seek to be the first to grab the tile with the same symbol. You just need to be faster than your opponents, so channel your inner ninja cat. 

Buy Cobra Paw on Amazon

Cat Café 

If you go to a cat café, you want to see cats. One at minimum, the whole café worth of cats being the actual goal. How are you going to achieve this? Well, you’re going to need cat toys, lots of them, well placed, to lure them to your side. That’s how Cat Café tells us to approach the issue that is, with this roll and write. This is the snoozing cat of cat games, something just delightful in itself, but a slight chance of claws depending on how competitive you are.  

Buy Cat Cafe on Amazon

 

MLEM: Space Agency

MLEM: Space Agency is a fun game from design legend Reiner Knizia. It's a mixture of push your luck and dice rolling, with catstronauts shooting off into space! You'll be deciding whether to stay in the rocket, with the hope of reaching outer space, or play it safe by getting off the rocket, and hoping the fellow players will fail. While it's light, and so suitable for a big audience, it's still super fun, appealing easily to all kinds of gamers. Plus, who knew we had a gap in our game themes for cats in space? Well, no longer!

Buy MLEM: Space Agency on Amazon

 

Exploding Kittens

 

It may be the original, but there’s a reason you think of this game when we mention cat games. Once a record breaking Kickstarter, this bonkers little card game packs a punch despite its tiny packaging. With artwork from the Oatmeal, you’ll find each card contains a little humour, leaving you smiling at your hand of cards before you even begin. Then, it's dog eat dog (cat eat cat?). Diffuse the bomb and you’re safe (for now!) but you’ll need to make sure you have another diffuse card to hand, or can pass off the bomb to your other players. And if you think that won’t happen, you’re going to enjoy slamming down a NOPE card at the perfect opportunity when your fellow player thinks they got away with it, and that really is a joyful experience. 

Buy Exploding Kittens on Amazon

 

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This article was featured in issue 50 of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here – or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

Sometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products.