If you have a cat (or cats!) in your life, then you know the value of play; there’s no better way to spend time with a loved one, both human and furry. I’m a little biased,  because I make my living creating tabletop games for a company called Asmodee. “Tabletop” is the term used to describe board or card games, games you play with friends and family in person. If you have played Ticket to Ride or Catan, you’ve played one of our games. We’ve also just published a game called Dungeons & Kittens.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy life with my wife, daughter, two dogs, and four cats. As a family, we play lots of tabletop games. If you have cats, and I’m willing to bet you do, you are probably familiar with the hazards of playing a game when cats are around. If the family is sitting down at the table, a cat is sure to show up. If there’s something that absolutely must be kept neat and organized, like a game board covered with pieces, then a cat is DEFINITELY going to show up.

If there are dice involved, a cat believes they must be sent flying off the table as quickly as possible. However, simply swatting the dice is too brutish and simple. A clever feline starts by stalking their prey, creeping closer until they can delicately paw at the dice in an adorable way. Suddenly, attack mode is engaged, and pieces are sent flying to mysterious, unknown corners of your living room, never to be seen again.

Cats are even more excited about any game that involves playing pieces. Take Ticket to Ride, for example; a game that pits you against your opponents to build train routes across the United States, using cute little plastic trains to mark the train routes you have built. My cat Callie loves to jump on the board and send the pieces flying. I think it’s her way of saying that we should be paying more attention to her rather than the game. I’d be upset, but she’s just so dang cute.

Of course, you also have to make sure that those plastic trains, Monopoly pieces, or weapons from Clue don’t find their way into your cat’s mouth, or even worse, get lodged in their digestive tract! Nothing ruins game night like a trip to the emergency vet.

These feline tendencies are natural. Cats are social and curious creatures, so when friends and family get together, they want to be part of the fun. Sure, you could simply exile your cat from the room when the game board comes out, but where’s the fun in that?

So what if you could play a game that won’t be sent into chaos the moment your cat decides to get involved? With no game board or fiddly pieces to keep track of, Dungeons & Kittens is the perfect roleplaying game for game lovers, cat lovers, and anyone with a cat in their life.

RPG + CAT = FUN

Tabletop roleplaying games don’t require a board or enticing little pieces; they are storytelling games. One player – the game master – describes a scenario, and the other players describe what their characters attempt to do as the story progresses and unfolds. These games are usually based in worlds of fantasy, with knights and wizards, elves and orcs; limited only by your imagination.

For instance, the game master might describe an ugly troll, covered in warts, who demands a toll to cross his bridge. You might try to trick the troll into letting you pass, sneak by him, or challenge him to a battle. The game master then uses a rule book to determine what happens next. The only limit is your imagination.

While there are no complicated set-ups or game pieces to keep track of, dice are a key component. So your cat will love watching you play, but there’s no gameboard for them to disrupt, or tiny houses or cars to swallow.

If that sounds interesting and you love cats (and you love cats, right?), you need to check out Dungeons & Kittens. In Dungeons & Kittens, you get to be the cats in a world of magic, mystery, and danger. You embark on quests to help other animals and make the world a safe place for all creatures.

Dungeons & Kittens

Dungeons & Kittens is designed specifically for families looking for a game that everyone can play, and it’s ideal for people who are new to the world of roleplaying games. The rules are easy to learn, and with outcomes determined by player choices and the roll of the dice, no two games will be the same.

My daughter and her friends meet every week to play Dungeons & Kittens, and I play the role of the game master. To my daughter, it’s a chance to go on a magical quest with her friends in a world of talking animals. For me, it’s a chance to bond with her over our shared love of animals and encourage her to use her imagination.

Let’s face it, kids aren’t always excited to have an adult around when they’re playing with their friends, and that’s why Dungeons & Kittens is the perfect activity for families. When we play, I stop being ‘boring old Dad’ and become The Game Master, presenting challenges that she and her friends face as they embark on quests and bring hope and justice to the land.

The Dungeons & Kittens Starter Set is the perfect way to start your family’s roleplaying adventures. Designed specifically for people new to tabletop roleplaying, it comes with:

With the starter set, you have hours of fun in a single box. When you have played through the stories included in the Starter Set, you can continue the fun with the  Dungeons & Kittens Core Rulebook. It gives players lots more types of animals to choose from, even options beyond kittens. For the game master, it includes four more stories, along with advice and material you can use to create even more scenarios. But the best part about roleplaying games is that you can even create your own stories!

Best of all, since Dungeons & Kittens doesn’t require a board, you don’t even need a table! You can sit comfortably wherever you wish, while your cats are free to occupy the table, your lap, or whatever other surface they desire – just watch they don’t steal your dice!

Cats ask so little of us, and most of the time, they just want to be included in whatever we’re doing. Let’s face it, life is always more interesting when cats are involved.