CATastrophe: A Game of 9 Lives Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Setup
• Overview
• Taking Your Turn
  • 1. Claw Phase
  • 2. Paw Phase
  • 3. CATastrophe Phase (last phase of each player's turn)
• Who Let the Dogs Out?
• A Few More Things
• Card Symbols
  • Red Glowy Dot
  • Catfinity
  • Attack
  • Famous Cat
  • Red Glowy Dot Symbol Example
• Yarn Balls
• Lives and Being Eliminated
  • Gaining and Losing Lives
  • Eliminated!
• End of Game
• Card Types
  • Main Deck
    • Attack
    • Curiosity
    • Reaction Cards
    • Ally
    • Reaction Cards Example
  • Power Cat
  • CATastrophe
    • CATastrophic Event
    • Grim Reapurr
• Game Variants
  • King of the Meowtain
  • Turbo King of the Meowtain

Game Components

• 8 Character cards
• 8 Player tokens
• 1 Grim Reapurr token
• 6 Player token bases
• 1 Grim Reapurr token base
• 30 Yarn Ball tokens
• 1 Game board
• 6 Dice
• 108 Main deck cards
• 52 CATastrophe cards
• 27 Power Cat cards

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the play area.
2. Put the Grim Reapurr token in its base, then place the assembled piece on the Reapurr's Lair space at the bottom of the game board. Ooohhh, spooky!
3. Each player takes a character card and its matching player token. Return the remaining character cards and player tokens to the game box. If it is your first game, place the side of the character card with the game reference information face up.
4. Each player takes a player token base and its matching color die. Each player puts their player token in their player token base, then places the assembled piece on the 9 space on the life track. Return the remaining player token bases and dice to the game box.
5. Each player places 3 Yarn Ball tokens on their Yarn Basket space on their character card. Place the remaining Yarn Ball tokens on the Yarn Ball Sanctuary space at the top of the game board.
6. Separately shuffle the three card decks: Main deck, Power Cat deck, and CATastrophe deck. Place each deck face down in the play area. Leave space next to each deck for that deck's discard pile.
7. Deal 5 Main deck cards face down to each player. Then, deal 2 Power Cat cards face up on the table to each player. Main deck cards form each player's hand. Keep your hand secret. Power Cats are kept face up and are public knowledge.
8. The player who most recently pet a cat goes first.

Overview

CATastrophe is a competitive game as spontaneous and unpredictable as cats themselves, featuring iconic cats from around the world.

As a cat, you start with 9 lives and are eliminated when you lose all of your lives. The last cat standing is the winner! Beware of the villain, the Grim Reapurr, who is plotting your untimely demise and attempting to be the sole victor!

Claw your way to victory by playing cards from your hand to cause other players to lose lives (and to defend yourself)! In a bind? Call on your Power Cat cards to aid you with unique abilities.

Each turn ends with one of the CATastrophe cards: fun mini-games that will help determine your destiny.

Taking Your Turn

Turns go clockwise around the table, and each turn is made of three phases. On your turn, do all 3 phases in order, then your turn will end.

1. Claw Phase

Play any number of cards from your hand and/or your Power Cat cards in front of you.

Play a card by placing it in the play area and following its instructions. When finished with that card, place the card face up in the appropriate discard pile.

You can play any combination of cards in any order, or can play none at all.

2. Paw Phase

Draw 3 cards from the Main deck and add them to your hand.

3. CATastrophe Phase (last phase of each player's turn)

Reveal the top card of the CATastrophe deck, read it out loud, and follow its instructions. When finished with the CATastrophe card, place it face up in the CATastrophe discard pile. The CATastrophe deck consists of CATastrophic Events and Grim Reapurr cards.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Some pesky dogs seemed to have snuck into this game all about cats! Don't worry, their bark is worse than their bite. Dog Characters work exactly the same as Cat Characters and are considered Cats for all gameplay purposes, including having 9 lives.

A Few More Things

Max Hand Size 7 | Max Power Cats 3 - If you ever have more than 7 cards in your hand, immediately discard cards until you have 7. If you ever have more than 3 Power Cats in front of you, immediately discard Power Cats until you have 3.

Draw From Main Deck - When you draw cards, always take them from the Main deck (unless specified otherwise).

Discard From Hand - When you discard cards, always discard them from your hand (unless specified otherwise). Power Cat cards are NOT in your hand.

Help! I'm Out of Cards - There is no special rule if you have no cards in your hand. Keep playing. You'll draw 3 more cards during your next Paw Phase.

Reshuffle Discard Piles When Decks Run Out - If a deck ever runs out of cards, shuffle its discard pile to make a new deck.

Turn Order Starts With Current Player - When a card refers to "turn order", start with the player whose turn it is, then proceed clockwise around the table.

Card Symbols

Red Glowy Dot

• When a card with a Red Glowy Dot symbol is played, apply its effect immediately. Other cards can't be played until this effect is finished.
• All Power Cat and CATastrophe cards have the Red Glowy Dot symbol.

Catfinity

• A card with a Catfinity symbol can be played at any time, unless a card with a Red Glowy Dot symbol is in play.
• Interrupt the card currently being played and instead apply the effects of the card with the Catfinity symbol before continuing.
• Cards with the Catfinity symbol can interrupt other cards with the Catfinity symbol. When multiple cards with Catfinity symbols are played, apply their effects starting with the most recent.

Attack

• When played, choose a player to Attack. The Attacked player must roll equal to or higher than the Attack number to successfully defend. Otherwise they lose 1 life (unless specified otherwise).

Famous Cat

• This card depicts a real cat. You can find out more about them in The Cats of CATastrophe book.

Red Glowy Dot Symbol Example

1. It is Abi's turn and she plays MICE MISCHIEF, which has a Red Glowy Dot symbol. Betty and Chris will each need to roll a die. They each lose 2 lives unless they roll a 3-6.
2. Betty has a CUCUMBER and wants to play it to block MICE MISCHIEF, however, she can't because MICE MISCHIEF has a Red Glowy Dot. Instead, Betty must roll; she rolls a "1" and loses 2 lives.
3. Chris rolls his die and it lands on a "2" (a losing roll). He knows he can use Yarn Balls to re-roll, even when a card with a Red Glowy Dot is in play. So, he does. Chris rolls a "6" and celebrates his winning roll.
4. Now that MICE MISCHIEF's effect is finished, it is discarded and play continues.

Yarn Balls

Magical balls of distracting fluffiness.

A Yarn Ball can be used after any roll to make any player (including you) re-roll, even if a Red Glowy Dot card is in play. Yarn Balls can be used to re-roll the same die multiple times.

Keep your Yarn Balls in your Yarn Basket. When you use or lose a Yarn Ball, place it in the Yarn Ball Sanctuary. When you gain a Yarn Ball, take it from the Yarn Ball Sanctuary. If there are no Yarn Balls left to take, then you get none!

Lives and Being Eliminated

Gaining and Losing Lives

Move your player token up 1 space on the life track for each life you gain, or down 1 space on the life track for each life you lose. When gaining lives, you can never have more than 9 lives.

Eliminated!

If either of the following happens, you are immediately eliminated.

• Lost all 9 lives: If you must move your player token below the 1 Life space.
• Caught by Grim Reapurr: If your player token is on the same space or a space below the Grim Reapurr token.

When eliminated, move your player token to the Reapurr's Lair, lose all of your Yarn Balls, and discard all cards in your hand and your Power Cats. You are out of the game.

End of Game

The game usually ends when all but one player has been eliminated. The remaining player is the winner, and crowned the coolest cat (or dapperest dog)!

It is possible that all remaining players are eliminated simultaneously, and there is no survivor. In that case, the Grim Reapurr wins and all players lose. Boo-hoo.

You only need to read further if you have questions about specific card types or alternate game play variations.

Card Types

Main Deck

Main deck cards are played from your hand. After a card's effect is applied, it is discarded. There are four types of cards in the main deck: Attack, Curiosity, Ally, and Reaction.

Attack

Choose a player to attack. The attacked player must roll equal to or higher than the attack number to defend. Otherwise, they lose 1 life.

Special attacks may have additional rules, like rolling twice or losing more lives.

Curiosity

Choose a player to lose 1 life.

Reaction Cards

Reactions are used to stop, redirect, or steal played cards. They all have the Catfinity symbol and can be played anytime, including during another player's turn, except when a card with a Red Glowy Dot symbol is in play. Reaction cards must be played before dice are rolled.

Cucumber: Block the most recent card played. Cucumber cards can be used to block other Cucumber cards.

Take: Block the most recent card played and put that card into your hand.

Pass: Pass an Attack or Curiosity to any player. Ally cards can't be passed. That player is now the target of the card instead of you, nice! There is no limit to how many times an Attack or Curiosity can be passed.

Ally

Ally cards have a variety of abilities which may help you or hurt opponents.

Reaction Cards Example

When multiple Reaction cards are played, apply their effects starting with the most recently played card. After each card takes effect, players can play new reactions.

1. It is Abi's turn and she plays CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT (choose a player to lose 1 life) on Betty.
2. Betty is not a fan. She plays PASS (pass an Attack or Curiosity to any player), and passes CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT to Chris. Now Chris will lose 1 life instead of Betty.
3. Chris doesn't want to lose a life, so he plays CUCUMBER on Betty's PASS (block the most recent card played).
4. Now CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT is back to hitting Betty. Mwah ha ha! - unless another player wants to play another Reaction card or play a Power Cat...

Power Cat

Power Cat cards are played from the table space in front of you.

Power Cat cards are one time use cards (unless specified otherwise) and are discarded after their ability is used. All Power Cat cards are unique and special, just like you! They have a variety of abilities which may help you or hurt opponents.

Keep your unused Power Cat cards face up (on the table) in front of you. The max number of Power Cats you can have is 3.

CATastrophe

One CATastrophe card is played from the top of the CATastrophe Deck as the last phase of each player's turn.

CATastrophic Event

CATastrophic Events usually involve all players and are cards that could be anything, such as a dice dueling event, a malicious mini-game, or a wild challenge.

When a CATastrophic Event card is revealed, read it out loud and follow the instructions.

If a 3+ player CATastrophic Event is drawn when there are only 2 players remaining, discard it and draw another CATastrophe Card.

Grim Reapurr

The villainous Grim Reapurr's greatest desire is to win the game! But if he can't, he will settle for eliminating as many players as pawssible before the game is over by stealing their lives.

The Grim Reapurr starts the game in the Reapurr's Lair at the bottom of the board.

When a Grim Reapurr card is revealed, read it out loud and follow the instructions.

Grim Reapurr cards will move the Grim Reapurr up (or on rare occasions down) on the life track. The Grim Reapurr can move between the Reapurr's Lair and 1 space as appropriate.

If you are ever on the same space or on a space below the Grim Reapurr, you are Eliminated!

Game Variants

King of the Meowtain

Players CAN'T be on the same life space during the game unless it is the 9 space.

When you lose a life, you must move down to the next unoccupied space. When you gain a life, you must move up to the next unoccupied space (only exception, you may move to the 9 space even if other players are on it if there is no other open space).

When multiple lives are lost or gained: Resolve all lost lives first. Players lose lives in turn order, starting with the player whose turn it is. Then resolve all gained lives. Players gain lives in turn order, starting with the player whose turn it is.

The game ends when all but one player is eliminated. The remaining player is the winner!

Turbo King of the Meowtain

Play as above, except when a player gains life they can share a space with other players (they always gain that exact number of lives, no more no less).