We are sure all the four-legged friends are happy to have spent so much time with their humans the last few weeks. That exact notion has inspired us to highlight a print and play this week that pays respect to what can arguably be the most elite of all pets: The Cat.
Meow! is a party game of secret rules for 3-12 players, designed by Peter C. Hayward. You are a Cat Cultist, trying to be the first to complete the secret ritual. Two versions of the game are available to print and play: Kitten Cabal, perfect for families and younger players, and The Cult of Cat, the gamer version of Meow! Try them both or mix them together for additional replayability! This week we are going to focus on The Cult of Cat. Keep reading to find out the basic rules and where to find it.
Setting up to play Meow! is simple:
- Deal Cards: Shuffle all the rule cards in the box. Deal each player two cards if you have 3-5 players, or one card if you have 6+ players.
- Place Draw Pile: Deal one card face-down in the center of the table. This is the draw pile.
- Return Unused Cards: Return any remaining cards to the game box. They will not be used in this game.
- Pass Left: Each player looks at their cards, then passes their entire hand to the player on their left. (The hand that is passed to you is now yours, and you may now look at it.)
- Start: The player who most recently pet a cat goes first!
Gameplay for The Cult of Cat has three main components: playing a card, taking actions, and checking with other players to see if you’ve broken any of their rules.
At the start of your turn, choose one card in your hand and read it out loud, then play it face up in the center of the table. Each card lists a rule of the Cult of Cat, which is a special action you must take. Some examples of card actions are pretending to lick your hand like a paw, saying meow, or barking like a dog. After playing a card, you will take your actions and try to follow the rules on the card that the other players are holding. Try not to break any rules and make sure everything you do is within the view of other players!
Full game instructions and printables for Meow! The Cult of Cat are available for free online!
