- We're collecting costumes and stashing catnip.
That's right, it's Cat Lady from AEG.
(upbeat music)
This cat cradling card game pits two to four feline fans
in a competition to see who can own the most cats.
And get them fed.
And give them toys.
And put costumes on them.
Also, apparently, there's catnip in this game.
(laughing)
Now set up begins with the game cards.
Depending on the number of players in your game,
remove any cards with a number in the top right
that exceeds your player count.
If you have less than four players,
also remove two random cards.
Now we're setting up for a four player game,
so we'll be using all of the cards.
Shuffle the deck and deal nine cards face up
in a three by three grid pattern.
Place the main deck nearby face down.
Next, shuffle the stray cat deck
and deal three stray cat cards below the grid.
Finally, place the wooden cat token
and the wooden food cubes in a supply nearby.
The player who owns the most cats in real life
gets the pleasure of taking the first turn.
Now the player counter clockwise from them
will take the cat token
and place it next to one of the rows or columns of the grid.
Now game play occurs in turns proceeding clockwise.
On their turn, the active player may take
an entire row or column of three cards from the grid.
However, they may not take the row or column
where the kitty cat token has been placed.
Now after taking their cards,
the player then moves the cat token to that row or column,
effectively blocking it from the next player's turn.
Then the active player refills the entire row or column
with the three cards drawn from the main deck.
At any time during their turn,
a player may play a lost cat or a spray bottle card.
But more on those in a little bit.
Now after the active player has completed these steps,
play continues clockwise around the table.
So, let's take some time and look at the cards
that you can acquire while playing this game.
Now when you take a cat card,
place it up in front of you.
Each cat has a name, a name,
a color, either black, orange, white,
or a combination of those,
victory point awards, and food requirements.
Now at the end of the game,
your cats need to be fed in order
to gain the victory points listed.
Any unfed cats result in minus two victory points
per malnourished feline,
so get that food!
Now these cards come in four different types:
chicken, tuna, milk, and wild,
which can act as any kind of food, really.
If you take a food card,
instantly discard it and take the cube
of the matching color from the supply.
And you'll keep these until the end of the game
when you assign them out to your kitty cats.
Now one note of caution that no one likes a hoarder,
so players with the most leftover food
after feeding thine kitty cats will lose two victory points.
Costumes, now when you take one of these cards,
keep it hidden in your hand until the end of the game.
As noted on the card, the player with the most costumes
receives a bonus six victory points.
And any players without costumes
will suffer a minus two victory point penalty.
Catnip, ha ha!
Now you also keep these cards
in your hand until the end of the game.
Now if you only have one catnip at the end,
you lose two victory points.
However, if you have two or three catnip,
you score one victory point per fed kitty cat.
And if you've got four catnip, hoo hoo,
two points per fed cat.
Yeah!
Toys, when you take a toy card,
add it to your hand until the end of the game.
You do gain victory points based on the number
of different toys that you have,
and you can score multiple sets.
Lost cat cards, once acquired and placed into your hand,
may be used at any time on your turn.
Discard two lost cat cards and take one reward,
either a face up stray cat card,
or just a solid two victory points.
Now stray cats are not refilled
from the stray cat card deck,
so you only get three per game.
Spray bottles are also added to your hand
when acquired and may be discarded during your turn
in order to move the little wooden kitty cat token.
Now this allows you to block the next player in a new way,
but it also helps you by revealing
some previously blocked options as well.
Now extra lost cat cards and spray bottles
aren't worth any points at the end of the game,
so make sure you use them, okay?
Now the game ends once a row or column must be refilled,
but no cards remain in the deck to draw.
The players will feed your cats by assigning food,
and the player with the most leftover food
will lose two victory points.
Any unfed cats result in minus two victory points
per unfed cat as well,
but then players will add up your points
for all your fed cats,
your costumes, catnip, toys, and more.
The player with the highest score wins.
And that, everybody, is Cat Lady.
I'm Ivan Van Norman,
and you can watch me and my friends hoard these cats,
as well as some other awesome cats, on Game the Game,
right here on Geek & Sundry.
See you then.
(upbeat music)