Rat-A-Tat-Cat

by Gamewright

• Children's card game that helps develop timing and basic mathematical concepts
• Teaches strategy, memory building, and addition
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award; Mensa 1996 Best New Mind Game Award
• Includes 54 rat, cat, and power cards
• For 2 to 6 players

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 4.8 x 1.5 inches ; 6.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000GBQJ
• Item model number: 204
• Our recommended age: 6 - 12 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #22 in Toys & Games > Games > Card Games
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (139 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com

It's never too early to develop a good poker face. With Rat-a-Tat Cat, a poker face is just one of the skills players need to perfect. As in poker, luck, skill, strategy, and intuition each play a part. Players are dealt four cards, which are kept face- down, except for a quick peek at two of them. Each player in turn pulls a card from the draw pile to replace one of the four. Memory is important, as the object is to end with the lowest score, and players must keep track of the values on their four cards. "Peek," "Swap," and "Draw Two" Power cards turn up occasionally, allowing players to maneuver and strategize further. Delightfully witty pictures of cats (the good guys--low points) and rats (bad guys--high points) illustrate each of the 54 cards. Young card sharks will develop a sense of timing and greater ease with numbers, and can begin to grasp the concept of probability. Winner of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award and the 1996 Mensa Best New Mind Game. For 2 to 6 players. --Emilie Coulter

Product Description

A game of suspense, strategy, and anticipation. Get rid of the high cards (rats) and go for the low cards (cats). Sneak a peek, draw two, or swap cards for an added twist. Low score wins the game. (A poker face helps!) As children play Rat-a-tat Cat, they develop a sense of timing and an understanding of basic, but essential, mathematical concepts. They learn ways to remember their cards and strategies to figure out what cards other players might have. They also begin to develop an intuitive sense of probability. Rat-a-tat Cat requires skill, strategy, and awareness, challenging both young children and adults. enhances the following skills: * Math * Memory * 2 to 6 players * Playing time: about 20 minutes

See all Product Description

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 77 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning basic addition skills can be fun. September 9, 1999

By A Customer

Durability: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Rat-a-Tat Cat is our favorite game to play with our six year old. Your child will learn basic math skills (addition), gain an intuitive appreciation of probability and gaming, and have fun at the same time. Best of all, parents will enjoy playing this game with their children. Because it combines elements of chance and skill, anyone can win at any time.

Rat-a-tat Cat is a fast paced card game where the object is hold the minimum number of points. It has much in common with certain types of poker games and children's card games such as "go-fish". The fast paced nature of the game both decreases boredom (especially for parents) while giving children the maximum opportunity to try out their addition skills. My guess is that children between the ages of 5-7 will learn the most from this game, but it can be enjoyed by all ages.

Finally, Rat-a-Tat Cat is easily portable. It can be played anywhere you can play cards. This makes it great for airplanes, car backseats, or the kitchen table.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Really fun family game - great for travelling October 5, 1999

By A Customer

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

Talk about good things coming in small packages - this is a really cool game. The rules are simple to grasp, and each round of play only takes about 3-4 minutes so you never have time to get bored. The cards themselves are lovely with quirky humorous pictures, and while you have to be quite focussed to remember what your own cards are, and how other people are reacting to their cards, there is enough of an element of chance that anyone, regardless of age, can win. Also the game has quite a "positive" emphasis - you are more focussed on how good your own hand is, rather than how badly everyone else is doing. My kids (13 and 6) used to rush home from school to play this, and we've taken it away on holiday with us, as it's small and light, and doesn't require lots of space to play. Love this game.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A mom November 29, 1999

By A Customer

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is a favorite game in our family. Parents as well as a 13 yr. old boy and 9 yr. old girl love it and play it often. It's a game that anyone can win. I don't have to "let" the kids win, they usually beat me! We sometimes turn it around and try to be the one with the highest score. That adds more addition challenge. It's small and compact so it's great for traveling. Highly recommended!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars best card game for a family April 11, 2007

By DD67

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is so far our favorite gamewright game for our family. It took a little while for our 5 year old to learn the game, but he can now play on his own and has been known to win, Really annoys our 13 year old. This is some strategy involved in this game. you can easily play two people or 6 people. We have 5 in our family. It is nice to have a game that we can all play at one time and it isn't as time consuming as monopoly.

Each player is dealt 4 cards face down.

You line up the cards in front of you face down.

you are allowed to look at the two cards on the end, but not the cards in the middle.

you take turns drawing a card from the pile in the middle(which is face down) or picking the card on the top of the discard pile(which is face up. You try to exchange your higher numbered cards for lower numbers. You try to get all four cards as low as possible (0 to 9) and then you shout out Rat a 'tat CAt. Everyone gets one more chance and then you add up the points. A score keeper records adds up the points for each player.

The object of the game is to get the lowest number of points by adding up all 4 cards at the end of the round. We ussually play to 50 or 100 points, as people get to 50 points they would be out of the game. Each time there is a round the dealer shuffles the entire deck and passes out 4 more cards per player. Each person gets a turn to deal.

There are peek cards, allowing you to peek at a card that you may not now.

There are draw 2 cards, giving you two chances to get a low number card, If you don't want the card you draw you just place it face up on the discard pile.

There are swap cards, allowing you to swap a card with another player, so paying attention is important....

All 4 cards are always kept face down. You can only look at the two end cards before play begins, and you can look at the card you draw just that one time. After that no peeking allowed, so you have to try to remember what is infront of you and sometimes you have to take a chance on the two middle cards, since you don't now what those cards are unless you get a peek card or you just risk it and discard the card.

It isn't as complicated as it sounds, but it did take a while for our 5 year old to beable to play without a partner.

Our kids beg to play this game with us.

Cards could be made better, they aren't very well laminated. Read more ›

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Kids of all ages January 21, 2006

By Father of 3

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

We were snowbound this winter break and only had tv and this game. To my surprise, despite 250 channels, the TV stayed off and this game won most of the time for six kids aged 14, 13, 12, 10, 7 and 5. Really a lot of fun. The nice thing is that there is no reading required, so the 5 year old could play, but the skill level and memory aspects made it fun for everyone.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best card game for kids October 17, 2002

By Y. Leventhal

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is definitely one of the best card games we've bought--including several from Gameright. It tests one's memory, strategies, a good poker face, and of course, above all one must have good luck with each round. My 4 year old son and my older daughter both play this game. Believe it or not, my husband and I also enjoy playing the game with them. The cards are made of durable material. It is worth every penny. Highly recommend it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Confidence-booster for kids, fun for all ages January 30, 2007

By Kaybea B

Amazon Verified Purchase

You know the family games that you regret buying, especially when you see your child coming at you with it on a rainy day, saying, "Will you play this with me?" Well, Rat-a-Tat-Cat is not one of these.

It's simple enough to learn, but there is enough challenge in it to keep even an adult guessing. Rat-a-Tat-Cat was a gift to our family, but when my youngest daughter (age 4 or 5 at the time) got the hang of it, it became her favourite and here's why: 1)Though she was just learning numbers, she could understand the game, 2)The guessing part of the game put her on equal par with adults, to her delight. 3)Even for a busy adult, it's easy enough to sit down and play this game and actually can be relaxing. 4) If a guest came over, my daughter was able to explain the game rules to the guest and soon she'd have even teenage guys sitting cross-legged on the floor trying to get rid of the rats. Good ice-breaker.

Simply put, rats are bad, cats are good. High points ~ you don't want them. The higher the number on the card, the more rat-power in the drawing. Zero is the best, with rats gone and a cat installed as a happy Statue of Liberty. The drawings are whimsical & clever.

The reason it's a success as a game for all ages is because though it appears simple, there is the element of not knowing what your cards are and even if you peek (with permission), opponents can take your best away from you. So, if you don't mind losing to a kid and making that kid's day, as well as having a laugh, go ahead and get this game. My daughter is older now and we still play it. She's also learned to be a good loser :-)