Cat in the Box Deluxe Edition

Bought this for my cousin. It’s a fun game, not too complicated, and has a nice science twist. It’s pretty well made - by a good board game publisher.

This is a fun card game that is quick and easy to play so it can be a party game, yet has enough complexity that, like backgammon, paying attention to strategy does make a difference. It is set up to have 2 to 5 players. The game mechanics worked well for us with four players and we think it will work well for the other numbers of players.The unique aspect to this card game is that although there are four suits as in games for typical playing card decks, the Cat in the Box game cards only have numbers with no suit shown. The players declare a suit as they play a card and place a marker on a board to show that card as played so it is used only once in each game. Scoring involves both tricks taken and how markers are placed on the board.We looked at a YouTube video to learn how to play because we couldn’t get our heads around the rule book instructions on declaring a suit when playing a card. However AFTER we had played two hands, the rule book seemed straightforward.

Love this board game, the components, the design, the size, perfecto for travel. Arrived quick and in perfect conditions

This is one of the most strange card games out there. It is hard to explain. I will try but you will have to play it to understand. This is a trump card playing game. Red is always trump. There are four colors. However, in your hand your cards have numbers but none have colors. You get to decide what color they are but the trick is you can't use the same number twice for the same color. So if you have two twelves and use one of those for blue that means you have to use the other twelve for green, red, or yellow. If some else beat you to it and all the 12s are used for the rest of the colors then the 12 you have in your hand is now useless.

I love how much "game" there is with this one, even though it comes in such a small box. The player pieces are a nice resign with science graphics on them, the main game board has slots to more adequately hold the pieces when they are played, and the nod towards science history is a fun touch. The graphics and board quality are decent as well. I have only partially played through at this point, and need to watch a couple of more tutorials, however, it definitely has a decent amount of fun factor, and all of the elements in the game box bring something to the table. Overall, I am content with the quality and value of this game.

This is a a really great trick taking game. I don't often buy trick taking games. I find a deck of cards is typically sufficient to scratch that itch (pun intended), and I'm able to save on shelf space.However, with Cat in the Box, the twist of not knowing your suit at the start of your hand makes this one distinct and worthwhile hands down. The games ends up being a combination of a trick taking and hand management game. In a round, you are trying to play high cards and take tricks, as well as trying not to cause a paradox. A paradox is basically having cards left but unable to play them. These dual objectives require you to pay attention to what others are doing to keep your options for your next move open. This creates some fun interaction and chatter. Where as, deck based trick taking games can be quiet and predictable once you've deduced your opponents cards. In Cat in the Box, you cannot know until it's played.The big downside is that the rule book doesn't explain how to play very well. We had a difficult time figuring out the rules. If it simply tried to explain the core mechanics up front e.g."If you've played Spades, you've played a version of Cat in the Box. A few similarities* Red is trump.* You can't lead trump suit until it's broken.* If you break suit, you are saying I don't have any, and can't play that suit for the rest of the hand."Instead the rule book tried to explain the core game play and how to use the tokens/player card to track your hand at the same time. It's not a big deal, just watch a video on how to play first.

This is one of my favorite games. It’s Euchre-esque but with a twist. If you like trick taking games you will like this. It’s an easy game once you get the hang of it. Give it a try!

My family enjoys playing this game. Its quick to learn. Can play upto 5 players. Its very small and easy to store away. Doesn't take up much space and its easy to travel with as well