Nekojima

As we arrive at the last game of the Summer Games Fest, I’ve been saving this one, partly because my kids have been playing it all summer long, and I really wanted to share just how much fun it’s been in our house. It is a game I have reviewed before, but it doesn’t get recommended enough.

I’m always on the lookout for brand new dexterity games that bring something unique and exciting to the table. Over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed games like High-Rise Penguins, Beasts of Balance, and the old classic Catch the Moon.

In Nekojima, you’re building electricity pylons on Cat Island (which, in my headcanon, is the same island as the one from Isle of Cats). The aim is to create a sprawling network of pylons and cables.

The rules are simple but clever. You roll two dice to determine two colour choices, and your opponent decides which you must use. You then draw a cube from the bag, which tells you what colour pylon you’re placing, and the dice dictate where it goes. Pylons can be stacked, but none of the wires or pylons are allowed to touch each other. It starts off easy enough, but before long it’s a tense balancing act.

To spice things up, drawing a black cube forces the next player to place a cat on one of their pylons. These cardboard cats are deceptively weighty, and sometimes it feels like placing one is a death sentence. That extra layer of challenge keeps things unpredictable and hilarious in equal measure.

The game works both competitively and cooperatively. I’ve particularly enjoyed the cooperative mode, where you measure progress by how many cubes you manage to place. For kids who don’t always love the “last player standing” approach of dexterity games, this is a fantastic alternative. On top of that, there are extra challenges like Skyscrapers, where you can only use two types of pylons in a section, or modes restricting you to certain heights.

The production quality is outstanding. The birch wood pylons are sturdy, the ropes are strong, and the cardboard tokens are thick and premium. Everything comes in a box with striking artwork. The only oddity is the roller coasters featured in the art, which don’t tie into gameplay at all—but hey, it still looks great.

Dexterity games are clearly in a bit of a renaissance right now, and Nekojima has cemented itself as one of my absolute favourites. It’s easy to teach, a blast to play, and has had endless table time in our house this summer. Everyone I’ve introduced it to—from my kids, to my students, to my wife—has loved it.

If you enjoy dexterity games, this is one I can’t recommend highly enough.