Bezier Games, most famous for publishing speedy social deduction game One Night Ultimate Werewolf, has announced a deluxe edition of Cat in the Box, a Japanese trick-taking card game first released in 2020. The game is based on the famous ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ theory, a quantum thought experiment where a cat in a box filled with poison is supposedly dead and alive until the box is opened.
Just as Schrödinger’s cat exists in both states until it’s perceived, the cards in Cat in the Box can be any colour until you play it. Players begin by bidding on the number of tricks they think they’ll win based on the value of the cards in their hand. Once a card is played and its colour is officially declared, its value is recorded on a community research board, and connecting tokens on this board helps you score more points. However, beware of the paradox – claiming a value and colour that has already been played will end the round.
According to Bezier’s website, Cat in the Box is “tentatively scheduled to be released August 2022”. The game retails for $24.95 / £18.78, and it’s available for pre-order now. The original version of Cat in the Box was designed for three to four players, but Bezier has updated the game to accommodate two to five.
Apart from this, the majority of the changes seem to focus on quality. The art style of the game – originally published by doujin game publisher Ayatsurare Ningyoukan – is largely the same. However, the new version includes recessed boards, plastic tokens, and a box insert that weren’t available in the original edition.
Want more social deduction games like One Night Ultimate Werewolf? Check out our guide to imposter games. Or if you prefer your animals a bit more cuddly, try out this wombat-themed Kickstarter project from the Exploding Kittens team.