Attention Cat Lovers: There's a New Board Game Inspired By Your Favorite Thing (Your Cat)

Thanks to board games, we're able to live a thousand lives before we're legally allowed to drive. Whether you're one of many siblings who had to take turns choosing a game, or the one who always had friends over on weekends, you're probably familiar with the nostalgic feeling attached to your childhood game nights. This Spring, Friskies, the popular cat food brand, is bringing back the magic of gathering around a beloved board game with Adventures in Friskies World.

Adventures in Friskies World

From

$24.99

$24.99 at boardgame.friskies.com

Cat lovers, this is finally your chance to walk in your favorite feline's paws for a while without having to use a litter box — a win in our book. Seasoned board gamers will find the setup in Adventures in Friskies World familiar — the winding gold pathways, the dice determining how many steps your pawn can take, cards that will inevitably throw a wrench in your winning streak, you get the picture. But in this game, designed by world-renowned game designer Ellie Dix, your pawns are cats (like a frisky tabby or a cunning calico) whose sole objective is to collect as many stars as possible while traveling through Friskies World — a playful place for cats where there is always more to explore.

Along the way, players will participate in five activities inspired by Friskies World landmarks. This is where Star Cards (think: your bank account total, your clues, your total owned properties) are earned — and you can't claim victory without them. Here is where you can really showcase your best cat impression.

Whenever you arrive at an activity, you must loudly meow — yes, meow — to gather any other players who would like to join. (We can't guarantee your cat will resist scurrying over at the sound.) Save for the player initiating the activity, these are pay-to-play experiences: to take part, each player must give the required Ingredient Card, which you'll gather as you travel around the board, to the active player who landed on that activity space.

And these activities should ring a bell — all five are named after the Friskies you treat your cat with IRL, such as Seafood Sensations Underwater Search, Party Mix Maze Craze, and Lil' Shakes Slide. While each activity varies in strategy — for example, Lil' Shakes Slide requires keen betting skills and a bit of luck — they all encourage group participation, which only makes the gameplay better. Come out of the activity a winner and you'll collect a few stars as a reward.

For those wondering how authentic the "life as a cat" experience can be, Friskies joined forces with Dix and animal Purina pet behaviorist Dr. Annie Valuska to create a playfully realistic adventure. Since cats are natural-born explorers and snackers, and can occasionally come across as territorial about their space, the game does an impressive job of mimicking a world only a cat could dream of (and probably has). Though your cat can't actually play with you, the cardboard shipping box the game comes in will keep them busy in the meantime — it's the perfect hiding place.

Even if you don't own a cat but feel a kinship with the mercurial creatures, this adventure game was made to be the star of your next game night. But hurry — it won't be available for long. The Adventures in Friskies World will be available for purchase on National Board Game Day, April 11, at boardgame.friskies.com, while supplies last.

Adventures in Friskies World ($24.99)