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Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition
- 2–5 players
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Owl About
2019
Rules assistance for Owl About
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 15–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Owl About
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Owl About is a board game released in 2019 for 3–6 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Tom Matsuoka and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
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About the game
In the trick-taking game アウルアバウト (Owl About), lazy owls are competing to not be the tribal leader, as they do not want to have to work hard every day. The cards in the game are suit-less and range from 1 to 10, with each card having two to four copies, and a few cards also having a "night" version. In general, the highest card will win the trick and players must play a card that is equal to or higher than the card that has the highest speed value played in the trick if they can. Each card has a special effect, but only the effect of the card that wins the trick is activated. Some of the effects include reversing the order, such that the lowest card will win future tricks; passing the lead to another player; or giving a trick won to another player. The lowest ranked cards also have abilities that trigger when the highest value cards are present in the same trick which increase their rank. At the end of a hand, the player with the most trophies will earn that many points, with most tricks being worth 1 trophy. All other players will earn points equal to the difference between the winning player's trophy count and their own. Play continues until players reach a specified victory point count, and the player with the least points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Uesama Games (上さまゲームズ)
Questions and answers
Owl About supports 3–6 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 Owl About is 15–30 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 Owl About 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.
Owl About has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Owl About belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. 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 Owl About are: Tom Matsuoka. 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 Owl About 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.