
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,893
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Sleepers
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2012

1985
Rules assistance for Cat & Mouse
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cat & Mouse is a board game released in 1985 for 2 players, 2 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Henri Sala and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Memory, and Enclosure.
Be the first to have five of your pieces showing. The player who is the mouse starts first. You may move your own pieces or your opponent's. You can start a stack or place a piece on top of another. Pieces can only go 3 high. You can move pieces that are already in play, but not the piece that you opponent just moved. The winner is the first to have 5 cats or mice showing. As an alternative to playing a single game. Players may choose to play multiple games with a scoring system of 25 points for a win and 5 points for each piece not put in play at the time that the game is won. Re-implemented by: Bernini Mysterie (for 2-4 players)
Cat & Mouse supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Cat & Mouse is 2 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 Cat & Mouse for ages 8 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.
Cat & Mouse has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Cat & Mouse belongs to these categories: Animals, Movies / TV / Radio theme, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Memory, and Enclosure. 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 Cat & Mouse are: Henri Sala. 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 Cat & Mouse 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.