You Gotta Be Kitten Me!

You Gotta Be Kitten Me!
Publisher: Stoneblade Entertainment
Plays 2-10
Ages 10+ (realistically, 5+)
Playing Time: 30 min
Initial Release: 2016
Elevator Pitch: a variation on Liar’s Dice played with cards of adorable kittens (and puppies)
Roar Score: 4/5

If you’re familiar with Liar’s Dice, you already know how to play this game. And, full disclosure, I’ve played a lot of Liar’s Dice.

Strangely enough, when I lived in China, it was the default drinking game (which I realize is not the best way to begin a review of a kids game). But every bar had dozens of sets of dice, and almost everyone would play a few rounds at some point during the evening.

At its core, Liar’s Dice is a pure bluffing game. The strategy consists entirely of bluffing and knowing your opponent well enough to be successful. You Gotta Be Kitten Me! takes that premise, adds a layer or color matching on top, and then spruces everything up with adorable kittens.

It’s a win.

Inside the box, you’ll find:

55 game cards
1 reminder card (showing the deck contents)
instructions

Players begin the game with five cards in their hand. Cards show kittens and puppies wearing one of three things: glasses, hats, or bow ties. Those accessories come in three different colors: blue, red, and green. Most cards show one animal wearing one accessory, but there are also a few cards with two or three.

The first player makes an opening bid of a specific number of accessories or colors. For example, I might open with “three hats.” A bid represents how many cards match that description in everyone’s hand combined. (Double cards count as two; triple cards count as three; Wild cards can be anything.)

Subsequent bids must be greater than the previous, but they don’t need to match the color or accessory. So, if I opened with “three hats,” you could follow up with “four bow ties” or “five greens.” The number must be greater, but the other variable can change with each bid.

Each round ends with a challenge. If someone makes a bid, and I think there are fewer cards with that bid’s color or accessory, I can issue a challenge. For example, you bid “eight glasses.” I don’t think there are eight glasses among everyone’s card, so I shout, “You gotta be kitten me!”

At that point, everyone reveals their cards, and we count up the glasses. If the total is less than the bid, I win the challenge, and you lose a card for the remainder of the game. If the total is greater than or equal to the bid, then you win the challenge, and I lose a card for the remainder of the game.

The cards are shuffled and redealt. Everyone gets five cards, except the loser of the challenge, who gets four. Play continues like this until someone loses his or her last card and is eliminated from the game.

As play continues, there are fewer and fewer cards in play, so the bids will end up being lower before challenges are issued.

The game is relatively quick to play and requires zero set up. Just shuffle the cards. For some reason, the box indicates an age of 10+, but my 5-year-old can play just fine. As long as kids can grasp the concept of bluffing (and, really, what kid doesn’t know how to lie?), they’ll be fine.

You Gotta Be Kitten Me! has been a big hit at Roarbots HQ. It’s a great quick or filler game, and the compact size means it’s also perfect to toss in the backpack for overnights or roadtrips (with multiple people in the car, obviously).

The game is available through normal online retailers, via yougottabekittenme.com, and at local shops.