Cat in the Box – The Colour Is Decided When You Play 🐱📦

Is the cat in the box red or blue? Nobody knows until someone looks. Cat in the Box by Muneyuki Yokouchi (Pegasus Spiele) is a trick-taking card game for 2–5 players aged 10+, in 20–50 minutes.

The special thing about Cat in the Box: the cat cards only show numbers, and their colour is undecided. Only when you play a card do you decide its colour, by placing one of your tokens on the matching field of the shared research board. The catch is that you may not play a combination of number and colour that has already been played. At the start of each round, everyone discards one card and predicts how many tricks they will win. Then the trick phase begins. The start player leads a card and names its colour, and the others follow suit if they can – red is trump. The highest card of the led colour or the highest red card wins the trick. Each trick you win is worth 1 point, and a correct prediction earns you bonus points. But be careful: if someone cannot play a card without repeating a combination, a paradox occurs and the round ends at once. After the last round, the highest total wins.

🐱 Colourless Cards

You decide the colour.

🔬 Research Board

No combination twice.

🔮 Predict Your Tricks

Bonus for being right.

💥 Paradox

Ends the round.

Why You'll Love It:

• 🧠 Fresh Twist: on classic trick-taking.
• 👥 2 to 5 Players: adjusts to your group.
• ⏱️ 20–50 Minutes: depending on players. More ideas among our card games.

Quick facts

• Players: 2–5
• Age: 10+
• Playing time: 20–50 minutes
• Designer: Muneyuki Yokouchi
• Publisher: Pegasus Spiele
• Edition: English or German Edition (two variants)
• Contents: 45 cat cards (values 1–9, five of each), 4 research cards, 1 round start card, 5 player boards, 60 tokens (12 each in 5 colours), 4 cover tokens, 1 research board, score pad, rules

How do cards get a colour? You choose it when you play the card, marking it on the research board.
What is a paradox? When a card cannot be played without repeating a combination – the round ends.

Open the box and decide what colour the cat is. 🐱

⚠️ Warning: Choking hazard – small parts. Not for children under 3 years.