1. Rat A Tat Cat Review
2. Rat A Tat Cat Instructions

Disclaimer
This was the first real analog game I remember ever playing. I was probably around six, at a marathon-watching party with my parents. The kids of the host were playing some Gamewright card games on the floor, including Slamwich, that witch game, and Rat-A-Tat-Cat. From the moment I saw those cards on the carpet, I knew that gaming was for me. It was fated. Thus, this review may be colored by nostalgia.

Rat-a-tat definition is - a rapid succession of knocking, tapping, or cracking sounds.

The Rat-a-tat Rap is an attack performed by jumping and pressing, or by pressing at any time in the air. Banjo will lower his head and allow Kazooie to peck enemies. Because it can be executed quickly and deals high damage, this attack is ideal for defeating most enemies, provided that they are tall enough for it to reach. Add to wish list. The goal of this fun child's game is to have the least amout of points at the end! Keep all of your cats and make sure you get rid of your rats! There are some power cards: Peek, Swap, or Take Two. Peek lets you look at one of your cards that is face down, Swap allows you to swap one card with an opponent's card, and Take Two allows you to draw an extra two cards from the draw pile. Once you think your hand is lower than your opponent's hand you say Rat-A-Tat Cat! A fun game of suspense! Improve strategy, addition, and memory building with the Rat-a-tat Cat Game from Gamewright! Get rid of the high rat cards and go for the low cat cards. Sneak a peek, draw two, or swap cards for an added twist.

Gameplay
In Rat-A-Tat-Cat, 2+ players are distributed four random face-down cards each. They do NOT get to see those cards. Each card has a numeric value 0-9 (or one of two or three special powers), and your goal is to have the lowest total value among your four cards at the end of the game.

On your turn you choose one: either take the top card of the discard pile and switch it for one of your cards, face down (remember, you don’t know the values of your cards, so it’s risky), or you draw the top card of the deck. If that card is a number, you may switch it with one of your 4 cards, or discard it. If that card has a special ability, you do that special ability and discard it.

There are three special abilities: Peek, Swap, and Draw 2. Peek allows you to look at any face down card (yours or your opponent’s). Swap allows you to swap your face down card for an opponent’s face down card (they don’t get to look at the card you gave them). Draw 2 allows you to take 2 extra turns.

One of the cool mechanics in this game is that it ends when any player calls “Rat-A-Tat-Cat,” so you have to believe you’re doing better than your opponents. When a player does that, his or her opponents each get one more turn and then it’s over.

Strategy
Most of the strategy in Rat-A-Tat-Cat revolves around memory, which is okay but not awesome. You really need to remember which of your cards are which values, and you really should remember which cards your opponent has as well.

However, there are a few interesting strategies and tactics in Rat-A-Tat-Cat. Like in Gin Rummy, when playing against a skilled opponent you should do your best to give your opponent as little information as possible. Sometimes this means passing up better cards in the discard pile, or replacing a 3 with a 0 instead of a 5 with a 0, because your opponents know what the 3 is.

Rat A Tat Cat Review

Another interesting strategy is bluffing, by replacing a 2 or a 1 with a higher card (although preferably not too much higher, like a 3), so they think you have a better score than you do.

Finally, it doesn’t come up when playing as a kid, but I now realized that if you get a 0 on one of the first draws, or start with one, it is probably a good idea to end the game right there and then.

Summary
Rat-A-Tat-Cat is a fun little game, mostly for kids, for 2-6 players. It’s short, and very flexible in where you can play it. If you have kids who like the game, you could carry it with you and use it to entertain them when their bored, almost anywhere. It was my first real game, and it’s a good introduction to semi-strategic gaming for children.

Rat A Tat Cat Instructions