CATATAC Rulebook

Table of Contents

Objective
Setup
Turn Summary
1. Play a Paw Card
Making a Pair
Playing a Card with No Effect
Activating the Action Block
The "Combo"
Icons
2. Influencing the Yarn Ball
Stash Attempt
Countering a Stash
3. Refilling Your Hand
End of the Game
Crowning the Winning Clan
Variants
The Boosters
Acknowledgments

Objective

Take possession of the yarn balls and bring them back to your hideout to earn points cards. At the end of the game, the clan with the highest point total wins!

Setup

Form the Clans

Divide the players into two clans: White and Black. Alternate the players of the two clans around the table.

Prepare the Board

Place, on your playing surface, the 3 alley cards and the 2 hideout cards as illustrated below:

Black hideout / Black alley / (points cards deck in the middle) / White alley / White hideout
Below the middle, a neutral alley card.
Near the alleys, the paw deck (58 paw cards) and, next to it, an empty space for the discard pile.

Paw Deck / Paw Cards

Shuffle the paw cards and deal 6 to each player. Each player takes their cards into hand without revealing them. Place the rest of the cards near the alley to form the paw deck (58 paw cards).

The Discard Pile

Turn over the first card of the paw deck. Place it nearby to form the discard pile.

Points Cards

Shuffle and place the stack of points cards (8 points cards) near the neutral alley.

Determine Possession

Which clan controls the yarn ball? Flip a coin with the "ball of wool" token (double-sided; called the "yarn ball" from now on) and place it on the neutral alley. The clan shown by the yarn ball is the one that starts in possession of the yarn ball. The youngest kitten (player) plays first, and play proceeds clockwise.

Reference Cards

A reference card (4 of them) summarizes the icons and effects; keep it on the table during the game.

Turn Summary

Play a Paw Card — Place a paw card from your hand onto the discard pile (face up).
Influence the Yarn Ball — Perform one of the 3 basic actions on the yarn ball and/or trigger the effects of your paw card.
Refill Your Hand — Draw one or more paw cards to have 6 in hand again.

1. Play a Paw Card

Paw cards have a number in their upper-left corner. The numbers 1 through 8 each appear 7 times. Place a paw card from your hand onto the discard pile (face up).

Making a Pair

If the discarded card has the same number as the card sitting on top of the discard pile, you make a pair, and you may influence the yarn ball by performing one of the following three basic actions:

Steal — If the enemy clan is in possession of the yarn ball on an alley card, flip it to your clan's color.
Movement — If your clan is in possession of the yarn ball on an alley card, move it to an adjacent alley card.
Stash Attempt — If your clan is in possession of the yarn ball on the alley card adjacent to your hideout card, move it onto your hideout card.

Don't worry about it: A full demonstration of the yarn ball's movements can be found on page 8 of the booklet (see Influencing the Yarn Ball below).

Playing a Card with No Effect

If the discarded card does not make a pair, and the action block (if any) does not apply, the card has no effect.

Activating the Action Block

Some paw cards have an action block that lets you perform an optional action, whether or not you make the pair. In addition to the three basic actions, some action blocks let you counter a stash attempt or trigger a coin flip.

Respect ALL of the card's activation conditions to be able to activate the action block.
To be activated, an action block must be played in full, from top to bottom. ALL of its effects must be applicable.
The action block is optional. You are not required to apply the effects of an action block if you do not want to, even if the activation conditions are met.

A paw card with an action block shows, from top to bottom: the number in the corner, the activation condition(s), the action block itself, and the effect(s).

For the complete list of cards with an action block, visit CATATAC.ca

The "Combo"

Make the pair AND apply the effects of the action block, in the order of your choice, to make the most of the paw card you played.

Cat Tip: Making a pair first can create the right conditions for activating the card's action block.

Icons

Below are the icons of the base CATATAC game. The number of times an icon appears in the game is shown next to its name.

Activation Conditions

Possession (12x) — The color of the yarn ball must be that of your clan.
Enemy Possession (12x) — The color of the yarn ball must be that of the enemy clan.

Effects on the Yarn Ball

Stash Attempt (6x) — Move the yarn ball onto your hideout, starting from an alley card at the distance shown in the circle.
Movement (14x) — Move the yarn ball from one alley card to another alley card at the distance shown in the diamond.
Steal (4x) — Flip the yarn ball to your clan's color.
Counter (4x) — Move the yarn ball from the enemy hideout to the adjacent alley card.
Coin Flip (2x) — Flip a coin with the yarn ball. Put it back on the alley card where it was.

Other Icons

The Bar (4x) — Choose one effect, or one group of effects, separated by the bar(s).
Joker (2x) — Some cards show the letter "J" instead of a number. These cards temporarily copy the number of the card on the discard pile, letting you make a pair. Only a Joker can make the pair on another Joker.
Sardines (4x) — These appear at the bottom of some points cards and are used to determine the winning clan in case of a tie. (See "Crowning the Winning Clan" below.)

Cooperation (2x)

In a 4- or 6-player game, cards with the cooperation icon can also be played in place of a teammate during their turn. To use cooperation:

Announce your intention to play this card to your teammates.
Respect the activation conditions and play the card onto the discard pile.
You may play the action block alone, or the combo. The pair alone is not allowed.
The teammate who was due to play skips their turn and does not draw a card. You must wait until the end of your next turn to refill your hand.
Play continues with the player to the left of the teammate who skipped their turn.

Cat Tip: At the end of the game, it is possible to play a cooperation card during the turn of a teammate who has no cards left in hand.

2. Influencing the Yarn Ball

In addition to steal, here are the actions each clan is allowed to perform while in possession of the yarn ball. A player may never move the yarn ball onto the enemy clan's hideout.

Steal — Flip the yarn ball on an alley card to the other color. (Same options for both clans.)
Movements — Move the yarn ball from an alley card to an adjacent alley card, in either direction. (Same options for both clans.)
Stash Attempt — The Black clan attempts a stash by moving the yarn ball from the alley card adjacent to the Black hideout onto the Black hideout; the White clan does the same on its own side.
Counter — Countering by the White clan moves the yarn ball from the Black hideout to the adjacent alley card; countering by the Black clan moves it from the White hideout to the adjacent alley card.

Stash Attempt

A movement of the yarn ball onto your hideout constitutes a stash attempt.
A stash attempt can be performed by making a pair, or by using a card with an action block showing the stash attempt icon.
If, on their turn, the opposing player is not able to counter the stash attempt (see below), and no teammate steps in with the card named "Miracle," the opposing player does not play a paw card. The stash is successful.
The player who succeeded at the stash takes a points card, without looking at it, and places it behind their hideout.
Then flip a coin with the yarn ball and place it on the neutral alley. Play resumes with the player who was not able to counter the stash.

Cat Caution: A stash attempt immediately ends the active player's turn.

Countering a Stash

If a player attempts a stash, the next opposing player will have the opportunity to perform a counter.
Only a card bearing the counter icon can be played to prevent a stash.
Once the card is played, move the yarn ball from the enemy hideout to the adjacent alley card. The clan that attempted the stash keeps possession of the yarn ball.

Cat Tip: After a counter, don't forget to apply the action block's additional effects and to complete the combo if applicable.

3. Refilling Your Hand

At the end of your turn, draw one or more paw cards to bring your hand back up to 6 cards.

Cat Caution: If you forget to refill your hand at the end of your turn, you must wait until the end of your next turn to do it.

End of the Game

The game ends when the points card deck is exhausted, or when all the paw cards have been drawn and played.

If a player forgets to draw a card, or if a cooperation card is played while the paw deck is empty, it is possible for two players of the same clan to play consecutively, without any opponent being able to intervene between their turns.

Cat Caution: If a stash attempt occurs and the next opponent has no cards left in hand, a "Miracle" card played by a teammate can perform the counter. If the stash is successful, play resumes, after the coin flip, with the next player who still has one or more paw cards in hand.

Crowning the Winning Clan

Each clan reveals its points cards and adds up their value. The clan with the most points wins the game. Some points cards show two values; you get the points associated with your clan's color.

In case of a tie, the clan with the most sardines wins. If the tie persists, play another game of CATATAC or try GOLFIE (unigoat-edition.com).

Variants

Deck Hockey — You may now perform a counter by making the pair. Move the yarn ball onto the adjacent alley card.
Marathon — Play 3 complete games and add up the points accumulated to determine the winning clan.
Kittens — For younger players, play only with the paw cards numbered 1 to 5.

Other variants are available at CATATAC.ca

The Boosters

Three boosters enrich your game experience. Before adding them, make sure you have completed at least one game of CATATAC. The boosters are intercompatible; they can be used individually or combined. Add them, one game at a time, following the recommended order:

Booster A — Distraction — Make sure you have completed your first game before adding this booster! Blindly remove 2 paw cards from this booster and place them in the box without revealing them. Then combine the remaining cards with those of the base game. Contents: 8 paw cards, 1 points card, 2 alpha cards, this rules card.
- Cat Caution: Wait until you have opened the Alpha booster before adding the 2 Bengal cards.
Booster B — Alpha — Make sure you have completed more than one game before adding this booster! Each player draws an Alpha card of their clan's color, looks at it, then places it face down in front of themselves. Set aside the unused Alpha cards. Add the two points cards to those of the base game. Contents: 2 points cards, 6 alpha cards, 2 rules cards.
- Cat Caution: Your Alpha card is not counted when tallying the number of cards in hand.
Booster C — Momentum — Make sure you have completed your first game before adding this booster! Blindly remove 2 paw cards from this booster and place them in the box without revealing them. Then combine the remaining cards with those of the base game. Contents: 8 paw cards, 1 points card, 2 alpha cards, this rules card.
- Cat Caution: Wait until you have opened the Alpha booster to add the 2 Ragdoll cards.

Acknowledgments

A huge thank you to Valérie and Marie-Pier, as well as our families and friends, who contributed, near or far, to improving our game.

A special thank you to Jean-Thomas Rioux, who encouraged us to enter our game, then called Deck Hockey, into the Créazone of the Salon du Jeu et du Jouet de Québec 2022. That adventure let us make connections and come away with a trophy! And thank you to Jimmy for believing in us!