Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition

As other reviewers note, this is easy to learn, but very tricky to master. It is a relatively quick game, good when we don’t have hours available. It will be a good game to travel with.

Excellent variant to spades with strategy and fun!

If you enjoy playing Spades/Pitch, you'll quickly catch on and be hooked. Even if you've never played Spades, this game is easy to learn but offers the complexity that makes for repeated use without boredom. This game has become one of the staples of our weekly game sessions. Maybe the best $25 you'll spend on a game this year.

A different trick taking game. It is not great with two players, but I don’t think most trick taking games are. Worth checking out if you love trick taking.

I love this trick-taking game with area control! Being able to play whatever color you want at any time is such a fresh take on trick-taking!

You just don't know what you're getting into until you open the box. It's a real conundrum. Totally worth it!

A fun trick taking game with a major twist. Probably wouldn't recommend if your group is not familiar with trick taking games in general. But if you like trick taking games with unique and interesting mechanisms look no further.

My in-laws love trick-taking (Euchre, mostly), so whenever I see an interesting spin on the genre I always want to try it out in the hopes that we'll find something they like. I think Cat in the Box has too much overhead for them, but I really enjoy it! I feel like the added puzzle of knowing when to run out of the different color cats is pretty thrilling. The components in this deluxe edition are worth every penny—the player tokens have nice heft, the board is well-constructed, the player indicators are also of strong quality, and the best part is the well-designed insert that keeps it all together. If you are interested in fun twists on trick-taking games, give this one a try!

A fun new twist on trick taking games.

you get to decide what color your card is and that is pretty interesting. It feels a bit problematic and I started ignoring my bid, taking the points for the tricks and just burning out the trumps when I got control. It isn't the spirit of the game but it is tough to beat when everyone else misses their bid.