Last Updated on November 18, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Cat Crimes is a clever, logic-based deduction game where players act as detectives trying to solve mischievous mysteries involving a group of sneaky cats. Using a series of clues about each cat’s traits, positions, and surrounding evidence, players piece together who committed each “cat crime.” Perfect for solo play or groups, this brain-teasing game challenges your observation and reasoning skills in a fun and family-friendly way.

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How to Play Cat Crimes

You agreed to pet-sit your neighbor’s six cats, expecting a calm weekend full of cuddles and purrs. Instead, you’ve encountered spilled coffee, broken flower pots, and a missing bird! Which of these sneaky cats is responsible for each Cat Crime? Use your deduction skills to solve the mystery by analyzing cat traits, paw prints, toy placement, and the locations of evidence. Soon, you’ll uncover which cat is guilty!

Meet the Suspects

Sassy

Age: 4 years | Breed: Ragdoll
Height: 1’5” | Weight: 15 lbs
Identifying Traits: Long hair, white paws
Goofy and a bit clumsy, Sassy might be distracting you from her mischief.

Tom Cat

Age: 7 years | Breed: Siamese
Height: 1’4” | Weight: 10 lbs
Identifying Traits: Blue eyes, wears a bow
A former troublemaker who might still have a few tricks left.

Mr. Mittens

Age: 5 years | Breed: Tuxedo Cat
Height: 1’4” | Weight: 11 lbs
Identifying Traits: White paws, bell on collar
Once a streetwise cat, but has he left his mischievous past behind?

Duchess

Age: 13 years | Breed: Long-haired Persian
Height: 1’2” | Weight: 15 lbs
Identifying Traits: Long hair, wears a bow
A lover of luxury who might enjoy a little crime on the side.

Ginger

Age: 8 years | Breed: Tabby
Height: 1’2” | Weight: 7 lbs
Identifying Traits: Striped coat, blue eyes
Nervous and jumpy lately—catnip or guilt?

Pip Squeak

Age: 16 weeks | Breed: Toyger
Height: 8 inches | Weight: 3 lbs
Identifying Traits: Bell on collar, striped coat
Small but fierce—don’t underestimate Pip Squeak!

Setup

Choose a Challenge Card.
Each card shows a Cat Crime in the upper right corner. Find the matching Crime Token and place it on the corresponding spot on the Game Board.
For example, if the challenge involves a broken flower pot, place the Flower Pot Crime Token on the flower pot illustration on the board.

Objective

Use the clues to place the six cats around the edges of the game board and figure out which cat committed the crime.

How to Play

Read the clues on the Challenge Card carefully.
Based on the clues, place each Cat Token around the game board edges in a way that fits all the hints.
Once all cats are correctly placed and you can identify the cat in front of the Crime Token, you’ve solved the case and won!

Understanding the Clues

Clues refer to specific cats by name or traits (see Cat Bios).
Clues also describe locations relative to evidence like the Birdcage or Fish Bowl on the board.
The board shows six Crime Token Positions and illustrations of six types of evidence (each appearing twice), like paw prints, toys, or food bowls.

Common clue terms:

“Upstairs sleeping”: Cats mentioned here are not part of this challenge.
“In front of”: The cat sits closest to the named object.
“Near”: The cat is placed closest to the mentioned evidence.
“Next to”: The cat is directly to the left or right of the named object or cat.
“Between”: The cat is placed immediately between two other cats.
“To the left/right of”: Refers to the left or right side relative to the cat’s facing direction on the rug.
“X seats from”: The cat is X places to the right or left of another cat.
“Across from”: Cats are placed directly opposite each other on the board.