A thing we all understand fundamentally: cats and board games go well together, because we love board games and we love cats. It’s love squared. Stick a cat in a game, I’ll have it. And they’re always cutesy games, which is fine, because cats are cute. Mostly. I mean, it’s obvious that they’re up to something, though. Right? You’ve heard them as you drift off to sleep. Creeping around your darkened house, scratting around in the cupboards, pretending to play-fight when really they’re dismantling your electronics to gather the necessary elements to construct their greatest achievement: a time machine!
It’s true, every word, and here’s the evidence.
Escape From Tibbles’ Tower from Heartborn Studios is a fast-paced, small box board game for 2-4 players, 30-90 mins, Ages 8+. Players will reveal tower tiles, draw, and play cards to explore the tower, and cause havoc for the other players. Compete to be the first to make it to the exit tile and escape from Tibbles Tower!
You are all Tibbles, the infinite God of time, who also happens to be a moustached tuxedo cat… (I assume all players are Tibbles because of some kind of time-travel shenanigans, but don’t quote me on that.) Whatever the case, you’re all trapped within the tower by your evil self Diadaxis, and his army of corrupted kittens. You must compete to be the first Tibbles to find the exit and break out of the tower before Diadaxis, or the other players use reality bending powers to make kitty litter of your plans!
Gameplay wise, each cat-player in turn will draw a Tower Tile and place it where it can connect to any eligible space on the board, thus creating a new layout each time you play. You’ll then draw a game card, which you’ll keep secret from the other players (a bit like my friend’s cat, who dragged in a half-dead frog and kept it secret until the opportune moment, when said friend wandered bare foot into the kitchen). These cards can make or break your chances of escape. Different tiles have different effects and obstacles that each cat will interact with as the game progresses. They may hinder your movemen, or teleport you to other parts of the tower (our Tonto has the capacity to teleport, and it usually occurs when someone drifts near the bag of crunchies).
Once the Boss tile is drawn, Didaxis will appear, and he’ll roam the tower (my two don’t roam so much as gallop like a pair of numpties) chasing the players down at the end of every turn. If Didaxis catches you, it’s teleportation time all the way back to the start. There is a way out of this – you’ll need to possess the Chrono Cucumber card. Yep, you read that right. Don’t question it.
This is going for a very reasonable price on Gamefound, so if you’re in the mood for a cat-themed game with a bit more edge, take a look at Escape From Tibbles’ Tower here.
