- BGG rank
- BGG #16,351
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Prosperitea
- 3–6 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,537
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Cantankerous Cats
2014
Rules assistance for Cantankerous Cats
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 20–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
Rules assistant for Cantankerous Cats
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cantankerous Cats is a board game released in 2014 for 2–6 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Aven Gonzalez and Elise Spacek and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,224
- BGG rating
- 6.7
CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives
- 2–6 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,443
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Munchkin Disney
- 3–6 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,885
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Munchkin Disney DuckTales
- 3–6 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,618
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Axe-A-Lot-L
- 2–6 players
- 15–25 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,331
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Munchkin Tails
- 3–6 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,740
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Beasty Bar
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,170
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Exploding Kittens: Party Pack
- 2–10 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,037
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Trash Pandas
- 2–4 players
- 15–20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,056
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Exploding Kittens
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,609
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Happy Little Dinosaurs
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,184
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Exploding Minions
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2021
About the game
You are a cat. You live in a house. You share this house with your pet Hoomin. You goal is to lavish this Hoomin with Affection while causing Mischief elsewhere in the house. The first cat to score 9 Mischief points wins the game! --- Cantankerous Cats is a light weight, competitive card game centered around the feline propensity for mischief, cunning, and Schadenfreude. Players follow a basic Draw 3, Play 2 format with the ability to attack and interrupt other players. While a game with new players tends to be very polite and rigid; seasoned players will find a faster, brutal game that rewards clever use of hand management, probability, and cunning. The game now features THREE ways to play: "Kitten" for families and party gamers | "Basic" for casual players | "Advanced" (formerly Standard) for tournament level play. All rules can be downloaded here on BGG or from the publisher's website.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Mentha Designs
Questions and answers
Cantankerous Cats supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Cantankerous Cats is 20–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Cantankerous Cats for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cantankerous Cats has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cantankerous Cats belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Humor. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cantankerous Cats are: Aven Gonzalez and Elise Spacek. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cantankerous Cats as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.