The Game of Cat & Mouth is really silly fun

After playing lots of deeply complicated games it’s nice to find one that is just silly, frantic, fun. The Game of Cat & Mouth is just crackers.

You use a plastic cats paw with a magnetic spring in the base to fire little balls through the cat’s mouth in the middle. If you knock all the balls in the teeth into your opponents side you win. If you manage to knock out the black nose you win instantly. The game itself is a triumph of design in cardboard, it packs neatly up into a little case .

When you play it you won’t care that much about whether you are winning or losing because you will be laughing too much. Until you lose. Then you’ll want to play again to get your revenge.

It’s deeply silly, and can get surprisingly skilful and strategic. It’s only for two players, but there are variations for larger parties.