House of Cats

Game 57 of the “Now and Then Summer Marathon” is “THouse of Cats” played with Jack(9) & Toby(6).

“House of Cats” is a cool and robust roll-and-write game that offers four distinct levels, each with its own unique mechanics, making it well worth your time and attention.

I picked up “House of Cats” on a whim, initially drawn in by the blueprint-style artwork. I’m always on the lookout for a good roll-and-write, especially one that plays with numbers on a grid, and this one did not disappoint!

The gameplay is refreshingly straightforward: on your turn, you roll four dice and choose three of them to place in your grid. The catch? All numbers played in a single turn must be placed orthogonally adjacent to each other.

The main objective is to form “rooms” by grouping numbers together—two 2s, three 3s, four 4s, and five 5s. As you complete these rooms, you can cross off a box on the right-hand side of your sheet. This box not only gives you a multiplier (with higher-numbered rooms offering bigger rewards) but also unlocks a special power. These powers are chosen randomly at the start of each game and include abilities like placing a 3 anywhere on the grid, increasing or decreasing a dice value by one, or placing numbers diagonally instead of orthogonally.

In addition to the numbers, there are mice and cats, each adding a layer of strategy depending on which level you’re playing. On the first level, cats allow you to advance on an extra track, earning more numbers and points, while mice help you score by crossing off cheeses in their row or column. The challenge here is to spread out your mice to maximise your score.

Level two introduces points for filling specific squares and rewards you for rows or columns that include both a mouse and a cat. In level three, the more cats you have in each coloured room, the more points you score. Finally, in level four, the play area starts off limited, but as you complete rooms, you can expand your play area, making it the most challenging level and requiring even more strategic thinking.

I really like “House of Cats,” and both of my boys enjoyed it too. It’s quite thinky and not something you can play super casually, you really need to consider each move carefully. That said, it’s not overly complex, so children can definitely play it. There’s no heavy maths involved; it’s more about spotting patterns in the numbers. The four distinct sheets, each offering a unique game, are a huge bonus. I’d love to see an expansion in the future that adds even more levels.

It’s relatively inexpensive, comes in a decently sized box, and offers enough gameplay variety to ensure you’re getting great value for money.

Big thumbs up from me!