Cat in the Box

Cat in the Box is an extraordinary trick-taking game about quantum mechanics and cats. Like Schrödinger's famous thought experiment, the cats on the cards only take on their final state or color the moment they are played.

At the beginning of each round all cards are dealt, and players must bid how many tricks they believe they will win with their hand of cards. Next, the lead player will play the first card and declare a color. As cards have no inherent color, the color of any card is only identified when it is played. In turn, every other player plays a single card, often following the lead color. The highest valued card in the color led, or the highest valued red card (red is trump), wins the trick.

Eventually, a player will either choose not to follow the color led or will discover they cannot play a card of the required value. When this occurs, they declare a different color but will lose the ability to play the original color for the rest of the game. Each color & number combination may only be played one time in a game. Players will track this using the research board, by placing a marker of their color on the corresponding field.

Once all cards in the hand have been played, or if one person finds themselves in a situation where they cannot play any of their cards (a paradox occurs), the game ends. Points are awarded for the number of tricks won. In addition, connected squares on the research board that are occupied with your own markers will score extra points, only if you won the same number of tricks as your original bid.