Matthew BaileyToday we’re going to be looking at Cats Knocking Things Off Ledges, a dexterity game from Osprey Games that, while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, has enough interest and uniqueness to make it potentially worth a look.
The concept of the game is relatively simple. You choose a colour of cats, and you also get four cat toys that match that.
You set up the game by placing two short wooden blocks and a square ledge, creating a bridge between those two supports. The wooden supports come in different heights, either one block tall or two blocks tall, and the ledges come as square tiles that can span two supports or single circular ones that sit on just one. All the bridge sections also feature a colour and an item on them, whether that be fish, pizza, a pot plant or a mouse.
On your turn, you have to create a new ledge, either by placing two supports and a square tile, or one support and a circular tile. You then use the tweezers to place your cat on that new ledge, along with one of your objects. Next, using the cat pushing tool, you push that object off the ledge onto one of the levels below. You score one point for each level it drops, for example if it falls down one level you get one point, if it falls two levels you get two points.
If it lands on the floor you get nothing, so you’re aiming to knock it from one ledge onto another. If you land it on a ledge that matches the item, for example knocking a pizza onto a ledge with a pizza icon, you gain an extra point. First to 10 points wins, and once someone triggers the end, everyone else gets one final turn to try and beat them.
If at any point the whole structure collapses, you simply rebuild it and carry on.
There’s a lot to like here. It’s a dexterity game with no elimination, and even a complete disaster where the entire structure comes crashing down doesn’t knock you out of the game. It’s also possible to come back, and there’s a reasonable level of strategy in how you build and place things. The boys really liked it, especially Toby (7), who has asked to play it several times since, which is always a good sign. Component quality is good, and everything fits back into the box nicely.
We really liked it, although I do think this isn’t a game that will get loads of repeat plays, simply because it can feel a bit samey. I would have liked to see more variety in the ledges, and maybe even a slightly more complex rule set. The box says 10+, which feels a bit bonkers, and I’m guessing that’s more for safety reasons, as younger children could absolutely play this.
All in all, it’s good fun, but if I’m honest, I would recommend trying this at a board game café or similar rather than rushing out to buy it. It’s definitely worth a play, I’m just not sure it’s worth paying for multiple plays.
