Bezier Games: Cat in The Box Deluxe Edition

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Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition is the quintessential quantum trick-taking card game for 2 - 5 cool cats, where your card's color isn’t defined until you play it! I also found the lack of wrap-around on the board very limiting – the game would be more interesting, in my opinion, if wrap-around was allowed. but I like the idea of letting players “observe” their card colors and that influencing what other folks can do on their turn. The rules state that Red can’t be led until it’s been played on another trick first, or if the player has no other valid play.

I definitely agree with you about the game shining at 4 or more players; it feels rather limited with just 3. There is an ongoing controversy on BGG about leading Red, and it would have been nice if the rules had been clearer on that.After that, no one else can play a blue 8 during that round, so their 8s will have to be another suit. fades away rather quickly, though, and we’ve found ourselves joking with our colorless cards that “Oh, green? But play on the board remains important, not only to disturb the plans of your rivals, but also to hedge your bet (almost literally) in terms of the bonus that you might receive. There are 4 different colors you can play (green, yellow, blue and red) with red being the trump suit. I love the art, as mentioned, but black cards show damage super quickly, which causes me a lot of stress.

Then, beginning with the first player of the round, each player will predict how many tricks they will take in the round. Not just because of the black-and-white card aesthetic, but also the designs of the cards and the very tiny pop of color on each of them, inviting that observation.The controversy is whether or not somebody can just declare they are out of all other colours and then they can lead Red immediately. Granted, you still are the only player who ends up losing points, but if you can prevent other players from scoring big, you might be able to keep a lead or something. This could have easily felt like it was tacked on, but it provides another dimension for you to think about and target.

If Beth plays a five and proclaims it yellow, no one else can play a yellow five for the remainder of the hand. You play cards from your hand to one of the four sides of your player board, declaring what color it is. Here’s the best bit: if you are unable to play a card from your hand due to suit and number restrictions, you create a paradox. If you correctly predicted the number of tricks you would win during the Prediction Phase, you also get bonus points!Cat in the Box is a trick-taking game that continues the “tradition” of untangling suits and ranks from their natural connection. The idea of being able to declare yourself out of a suit whenever you want is so out there – it really F**** with your head. The most I’ve seen someone lose is 4 points in a round, but you’re looking at potentially losing 6, which would be wild.