Cat Earth: A Purrfectly Good Time

Is that Godzilla? King Kong? Nope, just a giant black cat, doing what they do best: pushing valuables off ledges. 

In Cat Earth, you move kaiju kitties around a flat planet, trying to knock off the houses of your opponents. Be the only player with a house on the board and you win! Sounds simple (and it is), but is it fun? We played the game, and here are our thoughts.

Overview

Cat Earth is played by 2-4 people, and the rules are relatively simple. Players start with a set number of houses they place on one of many predefined spots on an 11x11 grid board. Each player also gets to place at least one tree, which act as an obstacle cats cannot go through. 

Players starts with two movement cards. These can be straight lines, defined patterns (two boxes one way, one another) or one of three special cards. Special cards include teleport (move a cat to an empty space). cat nip (sends a cat back to the center starting spot) or house swap (swap the positions of any two houses on the board). On their turn, the player draws one card following normal rules or two if playing the “zoomy” variant. They can play up to four cards per turn, or they can pass. At the end of their turn, they cannot have more than four cards in their hand. 

Once the movement card deck is exhausted, the cards are shuffled and another cat joins the board in the center square. There can be up to four cats in play, with the current active player choosing which one they move. 

Once all of a player’s houses are knocked off the board, they are eliminated.

Playing the game

I played through multiple games of Cat Earth, and each time we used the zoomy rules. The original seems too slow to build a hand and make any kind of move. After playing it with four individuals at Gen Con, I was a little worried how it would play with just two. However, after a game with my wife, I can honestly say it plays great with the minimum number of players. 

Movement can be challenging, depending on the cards you are dealt. Cats can move up, down, left and right. I found myself occasionally passing to draw additional cards so I could move the cat into a better position my next turn. Acquiring more cards makes it easier to move across the board when your houses are all that remain on one side. It’s also fun to watch people on their turn (or more accurately for them to watch me) flip cards in their hand before they are played to see if they can complete the move they want. 

Overall, game play is quick and simple.

My Thoughts

Cat Earth is relatively basic but fun. It’s also easy enough to make up house rules that add to the enjoyment. It is extremely replayable due to its simplistic nature. It plays in about 30-45 minutes, so it’s a great cooldown at the end of the night after a big, in-depth game. It’s perfect for the whole family, as it is easy for children to pick up the rules. Also, with the game board being about two inches high, it is satisfying to push a house off the edge of the world. The wooden components are also appreciated. 

For those looking for complexity in their games, Cat Earth is not for you. Same for those looking for any type of story in your game. Cat Earth is designed to be quick and easy fun. One of the few issues I noticed while playing is the grid on the game board can be difficult to see. I would also love to see a way to discard and redraw a hand, even if it means another cat joins the fray quicker. 

Overall, I give Cat Earth a 7 out of 10. It’s fun, easy and replayable, but lacks any type of story or in-depth decisions. That said, I know it is a game that will stay in my library and be played often.

Haiku Review

What if earth was flat
Kaiju cats destroying homes
Simple fun board game

Game Details:

Players: 2-4
Play Time: 30 min
Retail: $35
Buy it here (and help support this site)