Cat and Mouse

Players: 2
Time: 15-30 minutes
Ages: 7+
Requires a standard 52-card deck of cards

A battle between a Cat and a Mouse.

Two-player, asymmetric, cutthroat. Played with a standard 52-card deck of cards.

One player's the Cat, the other player's the Mouse. The Mouse lays traps for the Cat in secret, and the Cat tries to figure out what they are and take them down.

Whoever plays the better mind games wins!

Includes printable rules and reference cards for each player.

Quotes from Players

"Fun and quick."

"Light bluffing elements... fairly straightforward to learn."

"Do you know what I have? You should know what I have."
-Mouse player

"This is a blind scratch in the dark, under the bed, looking for the mouse."
-Cat player

Influenced by

The iocane powder scene from The Princess Bride, Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right, Tom and Jerry, Love Letter, and Werewolf.

How to Print

1. Download either the B&W (black and white) or Color PDF of the rules.
2. Ideally print on slightly thicker paper than usual, so the rules will be easier to handle.
3. Print double-sided, flipping on the long edge. If your printer has the option, set "Preserve Layout" to "No."
4. Cut the printed page in half, shortwise (fold it in half first to easily find the halfway point). That should leave the rules on one half, and the reference cards on the other half.
5. Take the rules (from the top half) and fold them in half, so they form a booklet. The "Cat & Mouse" logo should be on the first page.
6. Cut out both reference cards (from the bottom half) along the bold, black lines. The reference cards are two-sided. One card is for each player.

That's it! Now you're ready to play Cat & Mouse with printed rules. Enjoy! :)

Special thanks to playtesters:

Julia Leone, David Leone, Vito Sauro, Louisa Sauro, Crutcher Bros., Charlie Berggren, Deanne Leone, Rich Leone, Ben Leone, Gabby Leone, Erin Shadowens, Andrew Jelinek, St. Paul Board Game Group

Contact

Direct all questions and feedback to me@alexjleone.com.

Title art by Louisa Sauro