If you’re a chess wiz and want a new solo chess challenge (featuring cats) then Cat’s Gambit is for you! Play knights, rooks, bishops, and pawns wisely, and avoid being checked by the cat-kens!

What Is It?

✨Theme – Cats & Chess
🎯The Goal of the game is to score as much as you can and avoid checkmating the queen
⚙️Abstract Strategy
⚙️Tile Laying – Each turn, the player draws a card and plays it into the grid according to its’ placement rules. The grid can not exceed 4×4.
⚙️Puzzle – The player needs to plan out the best placement and strategically use pawns in order to avoid check & checkmate

Who Is It For?

👥1 Player
👥Ages 10 & Up – Light rules, approachable, and plays smoothly
👥Fans of chess who want a small, quick solo puzzle
👥Players who don’t necessarily love chess, but want to try a simpler version

PROS

🟢Components – Nice cards and paw
🟢Plays quickly
🟢Small/Portable – doesn’t need a large play area
🟢Rules are well written/clear
🟢Includes a 1 card variant which adds a bit more challenge and a little variety to gameplay
🟢You only use 5 random pawns per game, so there’s some variety in the abilities you’ll have available.

CONS

🔴Not super different play after play; could get stale if you prefer more variety
🔴Luck of the draw – sometimes the shuffle is against you and the check/checkmate can be unavoidable

Final Thoughts

This little game is cute and very approachable. As someone who does not play, or even really enjoy, chess, I thought this was a great game for people who want a more streamlined option to learn the basics. It still has strategy, because you are working against the cards/grid in order to score well, but it definitely feels less brain burny than chess.

I also liked the variety in the pawns, and I thought it would be a fun little expansion pack opportunity to add in more pawn options, or even more little one-card variants like Queen Umbra. Overall, a neat little card game!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 7/10

Designer – Ta-Te Wu
Illustrator – Holly Chiu
Publisher – Sunrise Tornado Game Studio
MSRP – $13.00
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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