The Isle of Cats Duel
The Isle of Cats Duel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Play
You are citizens of Squall's End and are on a rescue mission to save as many cats as possible before Vesh arrives. You must explore the island, rescue cats, gather ancient treasures, and find a way to fit them all onto your boat before returning safely to Squall's End.
As you explore the island, you'll rescue cats and discover treasure. Cats and treasure are represented by tiles of different shapes that you must carefully place onto your boat. Try to keep families together, complete lessons and leave enough room to place the next thing on your boat. But watch out - returning to Squall's End with a half empty boat isn't going to look good!
How to Win
At the end of the game, you will earn points for:
- Each cat family you have. A family is 3 or more touching cats of the same colour.
- Any lessons you have completed.
You will lose points for:
- Every visible rat on your boat.
- Any rooms on your boat that have not been filled.
The player with the most points will be the winner.
Where to Find Us
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, here are the ways to contact us:
Website: www.thecityofkings.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cityofgameshq
Learning the Game
How to play video
If you prefer watching videos to reading rulebooks, you can find a video explaining how to play with this game on our website: www.thecityofkings.com/duel/
Components
- 1 Oshax figure
- 2 player boats
- 1 island board
- 45 cat tiles
- 28 treasure tiles
- 15 fish tokens
- 32 discovery cards
- 1 discovery bag
- 1 scorepad
Setup
Before your first game
The first time you play, you will need to put all of the cat tiles into the discovery bag.
Do not put the treasure tiles in the discovery bag.
Global setup
- Island. Place the island in the centre of the play area.
- Oshax. Place the Oshax in the top left space of the island.
- Discovery cards. Shuffle the discovery cards and place them in a face-down pile to the left of the island.
- Treasure. Place the treasure tiles below the discovery cards. These are limited, so if you run out, you can no longer take treasure.
- Cat tiles. Draw 3 tiles from the discovery bag at random and place them to the right of the island board.
- Fish. Place the fish tokens to the right of the 3 cat tiles.
- Discovery bag. Place the discovery bag somewhere both players can reach.
Player setup
A. Each player receives:
- 1 boat board.
- 3 fish tokens. B. Randomly decide who goes first. Then, beginning with that person, each player may choose which side of their boat board they wish to use.
The boat boards have a different boat on each side, you may choose which side to use. Players can choose to use the same side or different sides.
The Boats
Each player has their own boat containing 7 rooms, 5 coloured treasure maps, and a number of rats. This is where you will be placing every cat you rescue and any treasure you find.
Rooms
Every square on your boat is part of a room; you can identify rooms by the walls surrounding them.
When you start placing tiles on your boat, you may find it difficult to remember where each room is. To help with this, you can use the different room icons shown in the corners of each square on your boat.
The largest room on each boat (the red room in the diagrams) has no icon but still counts as a room.
Treasure maps
Your boat contains five coloured treasure maps that can be used to unlock treasures.
If you place a cat tile on a treasure map icon, and the colours match (e.g. green cat on green treasure map), then you may instantly take any one of the four treasures and place it on your boat.
You can place other tiles over a treasure map, but you will not receive the bonus treasure unless the colours match.
Tile placement
Whenever you rescue a cat or collect treasure, you will receive a tile that you must place on your boat. If your boat is full or a tile does not fit, then you cannot take that tile.
- Tiles may be rotated and flipped to any orientation you wish.
- Tiles cannot overlap each other.
- Tiles must fit entirely within the edges of your boat.
- Tiles must always line up with the squares on your boat; no parts of a square should be visible.
The first tile
Your first tile may be placed anywhere on your boat.
All other tiles
After your first tile, every other tile must be placed immediately adjacent to another tile already on your boat, so that they touch.
Touching
Two tiles are considered touching if they are directly adjacent; diagonals do not count.
Day Overview
The Isle of Cats Duel is played over 4 days (rounds). During each day, the island is filled and players will rescue cats, read lessons, and find treasures as they try to fit everything in their boats.
Story: At last! There, rising out of the mists, are the mysterious headlands and treetops of the Isle of Cats. Hope fills the boats as their prows cut across the waters. But the threat to this precious sanctuary is still clear. You left behind the beat of Vesh's distant war-drums. How long will it take the Dark Hand to arrive?
Set up the island
At the start of each day the island must be filled with new discoveries (cats and cards).
Cats. Randomly draw 10 cat tiles from the discovery bag and place them randomly on the 10 cat spaces on the island board.
Cards. Draw 5 discovery cards from the pile and place them face-up randomly on the 5 card spaces on the island board.
When placing a discovery on a space containing the Oshax figure, place the discovery under the Oshax figure.
Story: Every day, you rise before first light, greeted by an Oshax—a wise and mysterious creature. It seems to know who you are and why you are there, guiding you across the ancient island, as if it understands your mission to rescue its friends...
Explore the Island
With the island set up, players now take turns moving the Oshax figure, selecting discoveries, and performing any number of fish actions they can afford.
Movement action
At the start of your turn, move the Oshax two spaces.
You must move the Oshax exactly two spaces, and it cannot move back to a space it has already visited during this turn.
When you move the Oshax, you may move to any adjacent space. There are footprints on the island board to help show which spaces you can move to.
Example
The Oshax is in space A. For his first move, Frank may move to spaces B or C. Frank opts to move to space C.
Now the Oshax is in Space C. Frank's second move can be to spaces B, D, E, or F. Frank cannot move to A as he has already visited that space this turn. Frank opts to move to space F, completing his movement action.
Optional actions
After completing your movement action, you may perform one selection action and any number of fish actions. You may perform fish actions before and/or after your selection action, and you may perform the same fish action multiple times.
Selection action
Select one discovery (cat tile or card) that the Oshax figure touched during this turn. You may choose from the discoveries the Oshax started on, moved over, or finished on this turn. Then immediately resolve your chosen discovery.
Cat tiles
Place the chosen cat on your boat following the placement rules (see The Boats, above).
If the cat tile contains a fish icon, take 1 fish from the supply and add it to your pile.
If you cannot fit the cat on your boat, then you may not select the cat.
Treasure card (yellow)
Select any 2 treasures from the supply and place them on your boat following the placement rules, then discard the treasure card.
Instant card (purple)
Follow the card's instructions, then discard the instant card.
Lesson card (blue)
Place the card next to your boat board face-up. At the end of the game, you will score the stated points if you manage to achieve what it asks.
Fish action
There are four fish actions, which are displayed in the top right corner of your boat as a reminder. These actions require you to spend fish to activate them.
Spend one fish to move one extra space. This action allows you to move the Oshax figure extra spaces, increasing your options for your selection action.
Spend two fish to jump anywhere. This action allows you to place the Oshax figure in any space, giving you access to a discovery of your choice. You do not touch the spaces you jump over; only the spaces you start and finish on will be available for your selection action.
Spend two fish to take one treasure. This action allows you to take any treasure from the supply and immediately place it on your boat.
Spend three fish to choose one extra discovery. This action allows you to choose one extra discovery in addition to the one you choose during your selection action. You must still have touched a discovery while moving the Oshax to choose it.
Example turn
Sara moves the Oshax from A to B to C. She then spends 1 fish, allowing her to move an extra space and travels to D.
Sara performs her selection action and takes the purple instant card which she immediately resolves, giving her 3 fish.
Sara opts to use another fish action, spending the 3 fish she just acquired to choose one extra discovery. She takes the red cat she moved from earlier in space A.
End of Turn
A round ends when the island is empty or when both players choose not to perform the selection action on consecutive turns.
At the end of the turn you should check:
- Is the island empty? Yes: Move to the clear the island phase. No: Go to step 2.
- Did you perform a selection action? Yes: The other player's turn begins, starting with their movement action. No: go to step 3.
- Did the other player perform a selection action on their last turn? Yes: The other player's turn begins, starting with their movement action. No: Move to the clear the island phase.
Clear the Island
Whoever went second this round is now the first player and must select 1 of the remaining cat tiles by the side of the island board and place it in the discovery bag.
If there were no cat tiles by the side of the island to select, the game immediately ends, and you should move on to scoring.
Otherwise, place any discoveries that are still on the island in the box and start the next day with the set up the island phase.
Turn order always alternates each round, regardless of who ended the current round. Both players will be first player for 2 rounds.
Scoring
At the end of the game, each player should add up their score. The player with the highest score wins.
Rats
You get -1 point for each visible rat on your boat.
Rooms
You get -5 points for each room that has not been filled. A filled room is one that has no visible squares.
Cat families
You get points for each cat family you have.
| Cats | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 15 |
If you have more than 5 cats in a family, you score an extra 5 points for every additional cat in that family.
A cat family is 3 or more cat tiles of the same colour that are touching. Diagonal tiles are not touching, so two diagonally placed cats of the same colour do not form a family.
Lessons
Read each lesson card you have. If you have completed the lesson, then add those points to your score. You do not lose points for failing to complete a lesson.
Tiebreaker
In the case of a tie, the player with the most fish wins (they remembered their cats might want a snack on the way home). If the tied players have the same number of fish, then both players win.
Scoring example
Rats (-2 points). Sara has 2 visible rats, so she loses 2 points.
Rooms (-15 points). Sara has 3 rooms that are not filled and loses 15 points.
Cat families (56 points). Sara has 5 cat families, scoring 56 points: a family of 4 red cats scoring 11 points; a family of 5 purple cats scoring 15 points; two separate green families, containing 4 and 3 cats, scoring 11 and 8 points for a total of 19 points; a family of 4 blue cats scoring 11 points. Sara also has 2 orange cats that aren't in families, so these cats do not score any points.
Lessons (17 points). Sara has 3 lesson cards:
- Vandermil Cattery. 9 points if you have exactly 5 purple cats on your boat. Sara has exactly 5 purple cats so she scores 9 points.
- Sun-powered. 1 point per 2 cats touching the edge of your boat. Sara has 16 cats touching the edge of her boat so she scores 8 points.
- Prudent. 9 points if you have exactly 5 treasures on your boat. Unfortunately, Sara has 7 treasures, so she hasn't completed this lesson and scores no points.
Total (56 points). In total, Sara has 56 points.
The Cats
The Teruvian (red). The antlered cat of the Isle can be found in the overgrown woods, pacing or watching from the knotted boughs of ancient trees. They have a quieter demeanour than any of the others, and seem to take their task of hunting and guarding very seriously indeed! Woe betide any interloper into their forest realm, as they will soon find themselves surrounded by these powerful creatures, appearing from the undergrowth with complete stealth!
Orange Mhoxxite (orange). Fast and fierce, the Mhoxxies can be found sprinting through the island's interconnected sandy hollows or 'arenas'. They seem to like nothing more than to pounce on their feline foes, hissing, spitting, and leaving scattered fur in their wake. It is unknown whether or not this savage little breed were once competitors in their own games – as different 'families' of cats have different coloured gems growing naturally from their foreheads – team colours?
Starry Vandermil (purple). The strangest of the whole colony, the Starry Vandermil are sleek and elegant felines, who seem to adore the tallest ruins and peaks of the Isle. It is thought that these cats were once the companions to the Astrographers and Stellar Navigators who worked tirelessly through the long nights. They like nothing more than to call their long, echoing howls through the night, as if calling to the moon.
Crystal Garmin (green). With fur like the deepest emerald and crystals that can glow seemingly at will, the Crystal Garmin makes for a spooky experience when encountered in their natural habitat – the caves! In reality, their natures are nothing if not sweet and they seem to like the warmth of dark places. And of course, playing games on the unsuspecting by glowing their crystal manes in the pitch dark!
Blue Hissnipper (blue). If prizes were handed out for fur, then the Blue Hissnipper would win. These lazy creatures are most easily encountered in what used to be the Keeper's Solarium – a large dome-like space still with panes of fantastically coloured crystal-glass. Here they lounge atop pillars and in old terracotta bowls, at the foot of strange bonsai plants.
Oshax (white). Legends persist of a sixth breed of Isle Cat – the rarest and most spectacular Oshax. Wise by nature, but at turns quixotic and strange, the Oshax commands respect from all the other breeds who fall silent as soon as one approaches. They have no unique territory of their own but appear to roam about the Isle on strange missions. Perhaps they are truly the ones who remember the Keepers the best, and who are still performing their original tasks…
FAQ
Q. Can a tile be placed over walls/multiple rooms? Yes. Thematically speaking, cat tiles represent the space your new cat will require on your trip home, not the space it takes up at one time. The treasure you can pile up in multiple rooms.
Q. Can I use fish I just gained? Yes. If you acquire fish during your turn, you may immediately spend them on fish actions. Selecting an action card that grants you fish and then instantly using those fish can create fantastic combos!
Q. Can I choose not to do a selection action on my turn? Yes! The movement action is always required, but selection and fish actions are optional. In the case where there are only green cats left and you do not want any green cats, you may opt not to select a discovery in order to avoid taking the unwanted tile.
Q. Can I put treasure tiles on rats? Yes (poor rats)!
Q. Is it optional to take treasure tiles? Yes.
Q. Can I play with more than two players? The Isle of Cats Duel only supports two players. If you wish to play with more players, we recommend playing the original The Isle of Cats board game. Ask your local retailer for details or take a look at our website: http://shop.thecityofkings.com
Q. What happens to the cats we do not rescue? Do not worry, the cats are safe! You can find out what happens to them in the Race to the Raft board game. Ask your local retailer for details or take a look at our website: http://shop.thecityofkings.com
Colour Guide
Cats. If you find it difficult to tell the colour of a cat, you can use their unique tails, to help identify the colour: Green, Orange, Purple, blue, Red.
Treasure maps. If you find it difficult to tell the colour of a map, you can use the unique icon on each map to help identify the colour: Green, Orange, Purple, Blue, Red.
Credits
Game Design: Frank West
Assistant Producer: Sara Jorge
World Building: Frank West, Sara Jorge
Artwork: Dragolisco
Art Direction: Frank West
Graphic Design: Frank West, with contributions from Alec Jackson
Writing: Frank West, Ian O'Reilly, with contributions from Sara Jorge
Editing: Carrie Ott, Tom Fox, Louise Skye Ting