Meow Heist
Meow Heist Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 6 sets of Cat Cards (10 cards per set): 1 each of values 1 and 6; 2 each of values 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 12 Safe Cards
- 100 Gemstones: 10 red, 30 yellow, 60 blue
- 30 black rocks
- 6 Player Shields
- 1 Cloth Bag
- 6 5-Black Rock Cards
*Contains special rules for 2-player games.
Setup
- Each player takes 1 set of Cat Cards and 1 Player Shield.
- Depending on the player count, adjust each set of Cat Cards by removing the following cards from the game:
- 2 players: remove 1 Cat Card for each value of 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 3 players: remove 1 Cat Card for each value of 2 and 5
- 4 players: no cards removed
- 5 players: remove 1 Cat Card for each value of 2, 4, and 5
- 6 players: remove 1 Cat Card for each value of 2 and 5
- Place the black rocks and 5-Black Rock Cards within reach of all players.
- Put all other colored gems into the Cloth Bag and mix them well.
- For games with 4 or less players, remove the Safe Cards with numbers 15 and 16. Shuffle the Safe Cards face down. Count out the number of Safe Cards shown below and place them face down in the center of the table:
- 2 players: 4 Safe Cards
- 3 players: 6 Safe Cards
- 4 players: 8 Safe Cards
- 5 players: 5 Safe Cards
- 6 players: 6 Safe Cards
Each Safe Card shows a number from 5 to 16. This number tells you how many gems to draw from the bag for that round.
How to Play a 3-6 Player Game
The game is played over a series of rounds. Each round follows these 4 steps:
- Prepare the safe
- Play Cat Cards face down
- Reveal cards and steal loot
- Collect loot and set used cards aside
Gem Values
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Red gem | 3 points |
| Yellow gem | 2 points |
| Blue gem | 1 point |
| Black rock | -1 point |
1. Prepare the Safe
In the first round, the start player is the person who most recently saw a cat. In each later round, the start player will rotate clockwise to the next player.
The start player:
- reveals the top Safe Card,
- draws a number of gems from the Cloth Bag equal to the number on that card,
- places those gems in the center of the table to form the loot for that round.
Place the Cloth Bag in front of the current start player as a reminder.
2. Play Cat Cards Face Down
Each player chooses 1 available Cat Card and places it face down in front of themselves.
Used and Available Cat Cards: At the start of the game, each player has 7-10 Cat Cards, depending on the player count.
- Available Cat Cards are the cards you have not played yet.
- Used Cat Cards are the cards you have already played in earlier rounds.
Table Talk: Before cards are revealed, players may talk freely. Bluffing, negotiating, promising, and misleading each other are all allowed.
3. Reveal Cards and Steal Loot
Beginning with the start player and proceeding clockwise, each player reveals their Cat Card and resolves it.
When You Reveal a Card – When you reveal a Cat Card:
- Turn it face up.
- Say "MEOW!"
- Steal gems according to the number on the card.
Once revealed, a Cat Card remains face up in front of you.
Taking Loot from the Safe: If no player earlier in the round revealed the same number, take a number of gems from the safe equal to the number on your Cat Card. Place those gems on top of your Cat Card.
- When taking gems from the safe, always take the most valuable gems available first.
- If there are not enough gems left in the safe, take black rocks for the missing amount instead.
5-Black Rock Cards: A 5-Black Rock Card is worth 5 black rocks. If the supply of black rocks runs out, players may exchange 5 black rocks for 1 5-Black Rock Card. If there are not enough 5-Black Rock Cards, use another marker as a substitute.
The Thief's Code
If you reveal a number that has already been revealed earlier in the same round, you do not take items from the safe. Instead, shout "MEOW!" and steal all items from the player who most recently revealed that same number. This includes:
- all gemstones on that player's Cat Card,
- all black rocks on that player's Cat Card.
The robbed player keeps nothing on their Cat Card. If the same number is revealed again later in the round, the new matching player steals all those items from the current holder.
Loot can change hands multiple times in the same round.
4. Collect Loot and Set Used Cards Aside
After all Cat Cards played in the round have been resolved:
- Each player takes the gemstones and black rocks on their Cat Cards and hides them behind their Player Shield.
- Remove any gems still left in the safe from the game.
- Each player then sets aside their used Cat Card for this round face down. Set-aside Cat Cards cannot be played again for the rest of the game.
- Then begin the next round.
End of the Game
The game ends after all Safe Cards used for the game have been resolved.
Each player totals the value of the items behind their Player Shield (red 3 points, yellow 2 points, blue 1 point, black rock -1 point).
The player with the highest score wins and is crowned the century's greatest cat burglar. If there is a tie, the tied player with fewer black rocks wins. If players are still tied, they share the victory.
How to Play 2-Player Games
For setup, each player has a set of 6 Cat Cards numbered 1-6. Prepare 4 Safe Cards.
2-player games have the following key differences from 3-6 player games:
2. Play Cat Cards Face Down
The number of Cat Cards played increases each round:
- Round 1: 1 card each
- Round 2: 2 cards each
- Round 3: 3 cards each
- Round 4: 4 cards each
Each player chooses a number of Cat Cards according to the round and places them face down in front of themselves.
3. Reveal Cards and Steal Loot
Beginning with the start player, players alternate revealing 1 face-down Cat Card at a time until all played cards have been revealed and resolved. For Rounds 2-4, when a player has more than 1 face-down Cat Card in front of them, players choose the order in which they reveal their own face-down cards.
At the end of the round, used Cat Cards return to their respective players so that each player has 6 available Cat Cards at the start of each round.
FAQ
Can loot stolen according to The Thief's Code be stolen again later in the same round? Yes. If another player later reveals the same number, they steal all those items from the current holder.
Do Cat Cards return to my hand after each round? Only in a 2-player game. For 3-6 player games, once a Cat Card has been played, it is set aside face down at the end of the round and cannot be used again during the game.
Do revealed Cat Cards stay visible during the round? Yes. Once revealed, Cat Cards stay face up until the round ends.
In a 2-player game, can I choose the order in which I reveal my face-down cards? Yes. When it is your turn, you may choose any of your remaining face-down Cat Cards to reveal.