Summary
It’s a heartfelt journey filled with meow-gical moments that will leave you smiling and strategizing long after the last cat is rescued.
Players: 1-4 players
Gametime: 60-90 minutes
Gameplay
Set Up the Game
- Lay out the game board depicting the island, making sure all players can easily reach it.
- Shuffle the cat tiles and draw seven of them, placing them face up on the island spaces with baskets. These are the initial cats you can rescue.
- Place the lesson cards (tiles with various lessons) face up nearby.
- Set up the fish cards and baskets, placing them within reach of all players.
- Give each player a player board, a boat tile, 8 baskets, and a score marker.
- Choose a starting player.
Draft Cat Tiles
- The game is played over five rounds, each with several turns.
- During each turn, players draft cat tiles from the face-up tiles or the draw pile.
- To draft a tile, you must pay fish cards with the matching color to the fish cost shown on the tile.
- Place the drafted cats on your player board, trying to arrange them to fill rooms on your boat effectively.
Use Lesson Cards
- Lesson cards represent goals you can achieve to score points.
- Spend fish cards to acquire lesson cards, placing them face up in your play area.
- Try to fulfill the conditions on the lesson cards by the end of the game to earn points.
Rescue Cats
- To rescue cats, pay the fish cost shown on the basket space on the island where you want to place the cat.
- Place rescued cats on your player board, aiming to cover rats and match colors to score points and prevent penalties.
- Ensure you have enough baskets to cover rats if needed.
Score Points
- At the end of the game (after five rounds), calculate your score:
- Score points for rescued cats, lesson cards, and any room bonuses.
- Deduct points for uncovered rats and lesson card penalties.
- The player with the most points wins!
Here is a video from Rodney Smith teaching us how to play The Isle of Cats
Review
Fellow cat enthusiasts! “The Isle of Cats” isn’t just a board game; it’s a feline frenzy, a whisker-filled wonderland, and a purr-fectly delightful voyage into the world of cat rescue. It’s like having a box of kittens come to life on your tabletop, and the result is nothing short of magical.
From the moment you lay eyes on the game, you’re greeted with a charming island, cat tiles galore, and a boat eager to be filled with these adorable furry companions. But don’t be fooled by the cuteness—beneath the surface lies a game of strategic depth that can keep you hooked for hours. The heart of the game lies in drafting cat tiles, each with its own unique quirks and personalities. Want to chase rats away or collect fish with a magnetic personality? It’s all here! And the real art? Arranging these cats on your boat to maximize points without leaving any rats uncovered. It’s a puzzle within a game, and it’s utterly addictive. Strategy in “The Isle of Cats” is like herding cats—sometimes it’s unpredictable, but that’s where the fun lies. Balancing your love for fluffy companions with efficient use of your fish cards, smart lesson card choices, and careful cat placement is the key. And keep those baskets handy; rats can be pesky!
Difficulty: Medium
Likeness: 82%
Purchase
You can purchase The Isle of Cats on Amazon here