
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,035
- BGG rating
- 5.4
Moustache Smash
- 3–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2014

2017
Rules assistance for The Cat Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Cat Game is a board game released in 2017 for 3–99 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 16 and up. It was designed by Nick Hayes and Dustin DePenning and its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil.
Description from the publisher: The meow-ment is here: introducing The Cat Game – a hiss-terical drawing game for cat people (and regular people)! Play solo or divide into two teams and catfight your way to victory. For individual play, select a card from CATegories like fLICKS (movies), PURRsons & PURRfessions (famous people, characters or job titles) or CAT-tivities (actions). Use the erasable drawing board to sketch out each clue – with one cat-veat: you must use a cut-out of a furry feline in each drawing! The first player to guess five clues wins! For large groups, the stakes are raised! Two teams simultaneously battle it out, sketching cat-centric clues in a race to collect 20 points. Only now, players can claw back extra points by guessing the opposing teams clues as well! The fur may fly but fun will definitely be had once you get your paws on The Cat Game!
The Cat Game supports 3–99 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 The Cat Game is 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 The Cat Game for ages 16 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.
The Cat Game has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
The Cat Game belongs to these categories: Animals and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil. 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 The Cat Game are: Nick Hayes and Dustin DePenning. 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 The Cat Game 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.