Cat Ladies of Maple St. FAQs
Gameplay
What if the score is tied at the end of the game?
If there is a tie, the player with the fewest turns wins. If the players had the same number of turns, the player with the most unused Mystery cards wins. In the unlikely event that it's still a tie, the winning cat ladies celebrate their shared victory!!
How do you determine the winner?
To determine the winner, players separate their Cat cards from the rest of their cards and count their cats. The player with the most cats is the WINNER!!
When does the game end?
The game ends immediately when the last cat is taken from the Cat Deck.
Can I count how many cats remain in the Cat Deck? What about other stacks of cards in the Market?
Yes. At any time, players can count the number of Cat cards remaining in the Cat Deck, or the number of cards available in the Market.
Does the starting player have an advantage?
Since the game ends immediately when the last cat is taken from the Cat Deck, sometimes one (or more) of the players may have had an extra turn. This is why we recommend changing the starting player each game.
Another way to adjust for the starting player advantage is to change the number of cards each player draws on their first turn. To do this, each player draws a starting hand from their Draw Pile based on the number of players in the game (see below). After their first turn, players will begin drawing 5 cards each turn (like normal).
2 players: First player draws 3 cards, Second player draws 5 cards
3 players: First player draws 3 cards, Second player draws 4 cards, Third player draws 5 cards
4 players: First player draws 2 cards, Second player draws 3 cards, Third player draws 4 cards, Fourth player draws 5 cards
Is there a maximum number of cards you can have in your hand? (Or a limit to the number of cards you can play in one turn?)
No. Although you normally draw 5 cards for each hand, you might end up with more than 5 in your hand (if another player plays a Bridge Club, for example). On each turn, you can play all the cards in your hand (including additional cards you might draw as you play out your turn).
What happens when you run out of one (or more) of the cards for sale in the Market?
The game continues as normal, but that card (or cards) is no longer available for purchase (unless someone returns one of those cards to the Market by using a Makeover Card).
When a card instructs someone to "Draw" a card, what do they do?
When instructed to "Draw" a card, the player should draw the top card from their personal Draw Pile and add it to their hand. Drawn cards can be played on that turn.
How Different Cards Work
BOTTLE OF MILK & MILK DISH (MYSTERY CARDS): How do I redeem these 2 cards for a cat?
Once you have collected 1 Bottle of Milk and 1 Milk Dish, you can redeem them for a free cat! To do so, just place the 2 cards together on the bottom of the Mystery Deck. Then take the top cat from the Cat Deck and place it directly into your Discard Pile. (If you have multiple bottle/dish pairs, you can redeem each pair for a free cat.) Remember that you can't use a Mystery Card on the same turn you purchased it.
BACKHANDED COMPLIMENT: Can you give an example of using the Backhanded Compliment card?
Zion plays a Backhanded Compliment card against his opponents, forcing each opponent to choose one card from their hand to place into their Discard Pile. (The result of this attach is that Zion's opponents will now have only 4 cards in their hand to play on their next turn.) However, Karis has a Security System card in her hand, which protects her from the attack, so she shows this card to Zion and then returns it to her hand. (The other opponents are still affected.) Finally, Zion uses the Happiness value on the Backhanded Compliment card to move his Cat Token 1 space forward on his Happiness Scoreboard.
BACKHANDED COMPLIMENT: If my Backhanded Compliment card gets blocked by a Security System, do I still score the Happiness value on the Backhanded Compliment card?
Yes. When you play a Backhanded Compliment, any opponents with a Security System in their hand do not have to discard a card, but you score 1 Happiness value no matter what!
BRIDGE CLUB: Can you give an example of how the Bridge Club card works?
Jackson plays a Bridge Club card, which allows all players (including Jackson) to draw an additional card into their hand from their Draw Piles. (In most cases, players will now have 6 cards in their hands.) Jackson can play his additional card immediately, and his opponents will play their extra cards on their upcoming turns. Because the Bridge Club card also has Coin value, Jackson leaves the card in his play area until he gets to the "Shop at the Market" step to add to his buying power.
CAT BURGLAR (MYSTERY CARD): Can a Cat Burglar card be blocked by a Security System?
Yes it can since the Cat Burglar is an "ATTACK!" card.
CAT BURGLAR (MYSTERY CARD): How does the Cat Burglar card work?
Steal 1 card from an opponent's hand without looking at the face of their cards. (The opponent may first shuffle the cards in their hand if they want.) The card you steal goes directly into your hand to be played on this turn. After you play the stolen card, it goes into your Discard Pile (it is now yours). The player whose card was stolen may not draw a replacement card.
MAKEOVER: Can you give an example of how the Makeover card works?
Elysa decides to use a Makeover card to exchange a Hard Candy card in her hand for a Breakfast Menu card from the Market. To do this, she plays her Makeover card by laying it face-up in her play area. Next, she takes a Hard Candy card from her hand and returns it to the Market by placing it face-up on the Hard Candy card stack. Since the card she returned had a card cost of 1 Coin, she can now gain a new card from the Market that costs up to 4 Coins (3 Coins more than the card she returned). She chooses a Breakfast Menu card, which she places directly into her Discard Pile. She then places her Makeover card into her Discard Pile as well. She cannot use any value on this turn for the Hard Candy card she returned or Breakfast Menu card she gained.
MAKEOVER: When I play a Makeover card, can I return more than 1 card to the Market? Or can I gain more than 1 card from the Market?
No. The Makeover card works as a 1-for-1 card exchange. For each Makeover card you play, return 1 card to the Market and gain 1 card from the Market.
MAKEOVER: When using a Makeover card, can I use the Happiness value, Coin value, or special abilities of either the card I returned or the card I gained?
No. You may not use the value or ability of either card on this turn.
MAKEOVER: When I play a Makeover card, can the Makeover card itself be the card I choose to return to the Market?
No. The only way to return a Makeover card to the Market is to have a second Makeover card in your hand. In that case, play the first Makeover card and choose the second Makeover as the card you return to the Market.
MAKEOVER: Can I use a Makeover card to return a cat?
No. (We won't tell them you asked.)
PLAY BINGO!: How does a Play BINGO! card work?
Lay it face-up in your play area and choose an opponent to reveal their hand to you.
If they have 1 cat in their hand, add 4 Coins to your buying power for that turn.
If they have 2 cats in their hand, add 6 Coins to your buying power for that turn.
If they have 3 or more cats in their hand, get a FREE CAT!!
If they have 0 cats in their hand, place the BINGO card in your Discard Pile (it has no value for this turn).
PLAY BINGO!: When I use a Play BINGO card, does the opponent I choose have to show me their whole hand or just their Cat cards? Do other players get to see their hand as well?
They must show you their whole hand, but they are not required to reveal their hand to the other players in the game.
PLAY BINGO!: If I have more than one Play BINGO! card in my hand, can I play them against the same opponent? Can I play them against different opponents?
Yes. You can choose the same opponent, or choose a different opponent for each one.
SCARY CUCUMBER (MYSTERY CARD): Can a Scary Cucumber card be blocked by a Security System?
Yes it can since the Scary Cucumber is an "ATTACK!" card.
SECURITY SYSTEM: Which cards can a Security System block?
A Security System card can block all "ATTACK!" cards: Backhanded Compliment, Cat Burglar, and Scary Cucumber.
SECURITY SYSTEM: How does a Security System card work?
When attacked, reveal the Security System card from your hand to protect your cards from the attack. Once revealed, the Security System goes back into your hand and keeps protecting you as long as it's in your hand. When your turn comes around, playing your Security System card will allow you to draw an additional card for your hand from your Draw Pile.
SECURITY SYSTEM: Does a Security System card block the attack for everyone, or only the player who has the card?
A Security System card only protects the player who has the card in their hand.
SECURITY SYSTEM: I was still shuffling my deck (or drawing my cards) when an opponent played an "ATTACK!" card. Can I finish drawing my hand to see if I can block the attack?
Yes. If you do not have a full hand available when you are attacked (perhaps because you're still shuffling your Discard Pile), you may finish drawing your full hand to see if you draw a Security System to block the attack.