Published on: May 30, 2025
by Kiomye Thompson
Over my years of playing board games I have learned you can never have too many cat themed games. My arsenal of kitty themed board games only continues to grow; they are the purr-fect game to pair with tea and good company during a cozy night in. I thought I’d list out a couple of my favorites that would be an excellent addition to anyone’s growing board game collection.
Designer: Kevin Russ
Artist: Beth Sobel
Publisher: Flatout Games
Calico is a captivating tile-laying game where you work to match patterns and colors as you “sew” your quilt together. Your goal is to attract cats to sleep on your quilt, as each one brings valuable points and can help lead you to victory. While the game is simple to learn and easy to play, don’t let its accessibility fool you—Calico is full of strategic depth that creates a unique and engaging experience, making you want to come back for more.
One of the standout features of the game is its stunning design, particularly the player boards. Each player receives their own board, and as you place tiles, the pieces lock together neatly, forming a cohesive, satisfying quilt as you progress. It’s a visually rewarding experience that adds to the charm of the game, making it as pleasing to the eye as it is to the mind.
Designer: Reiner Knizia
Artist Joanna: Rzepecka
Publisher: Rebel Studio
Mlem Space Agency is a lighthearted push-your-luck game where players send cats on daring space missions! You and your friends will roll dice, navigating your way through the stars. Will you play it safe and land on the first planet you encounter, or will you risk it all and venture into deep space, aiming for high rewards? But beware—if your spaceship crashes, you’ll lose out on valuable points. Don’t worry though—your cats are always safe, and they’ll land on their feet (as cats do)!
Mlem Space Agency is an easy-to-learn, fun-filled game that’s perfect for the whole family. The main mechanic is simple—just roll dice and move your spaceship across the board. Each player takes turns as the captain, making choices for their journey. While the game is competitive, riding the same spaceship fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared adventure throughout. Who will reach the furthest point in space? Only the bravest cat-tains will find out!
Designer: Frank West
Artist: Dragolisco, Frank West
Publisher: The City of Games
The last game I want to highlight is Isle of Cats, another tile-laying game with a cat theme. While it shares similarities with Calico, Isle of Cats offers a unique enough experience to justify having both games in your collection. In Isle of Cats, your goal is to fit as many cats as possible onto your ship before the evil Lord Vesh arrives with sinister intentions. The game unfolds over five rounds, during which players take turns selecting cats and placing them on their boat. You’ll want to form groups of at least three matching cats to maximize your score, but beware—just like real cats, these felines are anything but cooperative. They tend to sprawl in awkward shapes, making the challenge of fitting them into your ship even trickier. Can you successfully rescue all the cats before Lord Vesh catches up?
The game offers two modes to play: family and advanced. The family mode is very simple and easy to learn, the game while competitive feels very laid back friendly in this mode. The advanced mode offers a more dynamic and sharper way to play the game as it adds an in depth layer of strategy with its additional rules. I personally prefer the advanced mode, but I enjoy that they offer a simpler way to play, making it easy to introduce my friends and family to the game. I feel like this game has potential for anyone you might bring to the game table.
