Tokyo Washi Game Cats

The first in a line of games played using Japanese washi tape, Cats is a modular experience adaptable for 2-6 players where you will play a cat in search of a fish in the city of Tokyo.

• ·1 roll of modular grid washi tape
• ·1 QR code linking to PDF instructions online

ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED: A unique color of writing instrument per player.

SETUP: Depending on the style of game you want to play, you can tear the washi tape and make any shape or size of game you wish! These rules will cover the standard 2 player game. Each player will need a unique color of writing instrument.

Rip off two full segments of tape and align the tops together on a surface of your choice as shown (you can rip through the forest section if you don’t have scissors since it isn’t used in the standard game). Each player should now fill in the box in the grey strip facing them, with their pen or marker color.

DRAW SOME FISH: Each player draws one fish at a time until both players have drawn four fish each. Two fish must be in the row closest to them. The other two fish must be in the opposite row closest to their opponent.

DRAW YOUR CATS: Continue in the same way, drawing two cats each, one at a time on each side of the map.

*Note: there must be at minimum 2 spaces in between any fish or cat drawings. Storm drains may not be drawn over.

Move both of your cats to the opposite side from where they begin, collect one fish for each of them, and then return to any space on their horizontal starting row to eat the fish.

ON YOUR TURN: Alternating back and forth, each player performs one of two actions on their turn: Move a single space or make a special move.

MOVEMENT & MOVEMENT RULES: To move, pick one of your two cats and draw a line into a single, adjacent space. Cats cannot move diagonally. Only one of your cats can move per turn.

NORMAL MOVEMENT: Draw a line extending from the furthest point of your cat’s line into an adjacent space that does not contain an opponent’s cat line.

JINJA SHRINES & BUILDING WALLS: You may not enter a space with a jinja shrine or cross through the black barrier on a building.

ENTER A BUILDING: If the end of your line is adjacent to a building’s opening, you can enter the building. Fill the entire inside area as shown.

EXIT A BUILDING: If you occupy a building, you can exit that building through any unblocked exit into an empty, adjacent space.

SUPER CAT JUMP: If you are adjacent to a space with your own movement color line, from either of your cats, you can make a super cat jump! You must be able to trace a straight line over the spaces without crossing an illegal barrier and you must have a blank space to land on the opposite side. A super cat jump may move across multiple spaces.

OPPONENT CATS: You may not cross over or jump your opponent’s cat lines, unless using the super amazing cat jump special move.

Each game you have exactly two special moves to use. These can be used in one of two ways, in any combination you choose.

SUPER AMAZING CAT JUMP: If you use a special move, you can jump over an opponent’s cat line as if it were your own! It is also possible to jump over your own line and your opponent’s at the same time if they follow the normal super cat jump rules.

SUPER SEWER POPPER: If you use a special move, you can choose to enter into an adjacent sewer, and exit out of the matching color sewer along the same horizontal row. Surprise!

CROSS IT OFF: If you use a special move, be sure to cross it off from your player strip!

BLOCKING A SEWER: It is possible to move over the top of a sewer without using it as a special move, in which case, no player may go in or out of that sewer for the rest of the game.

When you manage to get to the other side of the map, grab a fish, and then get back to your starting side with as much agility as possible!

PICKING UP A FISH: Once you are on the other side, you may move into a fish space of any color. Pick it up by circling it, and then cross off a fish from your player strip.

*Note that it is not possible to pick up more than one fish with a single cat, and furthermore, it is not possible to enter a space with a fish after you have already picked one up.

*Players may never enter a fish space on the same side that their cat started on.

GETTING HOME WITH A FISH: If you manage to pick up a fish and return to any space on the horizontal starting row of that cat, you have made a fish delivery! Yum!

GAME END: The first player to manage to pick up a fish with both of their cats, and return back to their starting side with both cats, will be the winner!

EXAMPLE GAME: Below is an example of a finished standard two player game.

ALTERNATIVE GAME END: If a player gets trapped from returning home by the other player’s cat line, and they no longer have any special moves, that player will automatically lose the game and it will end immediately. Use your Super Amazing Cat Jumps wisely!

3 PLAYERS: It is possible to play with 3 players using the same standard setup, but adding one single change: Players draw a total of eight fish as in the 2 player game, ending with 4 on each side of the map, before drawing any cats. The fish will be drawn one at a time in turn order, followed by immediately drawing two cats by each player, one on each side of the map. The rest of the game is played as normal.

4 PLAYERS: Create a map that is twice the width as usual, and add the extra player icons at the ends. Continue the game with the normal 2 player rules, but with 4 players drawing. The end setup should have 16 fish and 8 cats drawn. All horizontal sewers are connected.

4 PLAYER CO-OP (2v2): Give teammates a similar color writing instrument, and set up the game as you would a normal 2 player game. Alternate drawing fish & cats between teams. Each player will end up drawing a single cat, and two fish on the opposite side of the map. It is up to the team how to share their two special moves. Teammates may jump over each other for free. The first team to get both of their cats back with fish is the winner!

5 PLAYERS: Plays exactly as the 4 player competitive game, but with an extra player added in to the rotation. Setup and rules are the same as the standard 2 player game.

6 PLAYERS: Plays exactly as the 4 player game, but with an extra tape width added to the map, so that it is now 3x the normal 2 player game width. Sewers all connect horizontally, so it is possible to go into a blue sewer and come out of one of the matching horizontal blue sewers very far away.

6 PLAYER CO-OP (2v2v2): Give teammates a similar color writing instrument, and set up the game as you would a 3 player game, but alternate drawing fish & cats between teams. Each player will end up drawing a single cat, and one to two fish on the opposite side of the map. It is up to the team how to share their two special moves. Teammates may jump over each other for free. The first team to get both of their cats back with fish is the winner!

Any of the following game rule or modification variants can be added into any of the normal player count games. Feel free to mix and match to find your favorite!

CUT IT UP: Grab some scissors and cut the tape on the vertical grid lines, then re-arrange the cut portions into any random arrangement you like! As long as you follow the vertical lines the map will always fit together again, creating very unique neighborhoods.

*Don’t worry if you don’t cut it perfect or mess up, you’ll still be cool.

FORESTS & SHRUBS: Built right into your roll of tape is an expansion! To use the forest & shrubs in your game, simply cut out as many forest or shrub sections as you like, and stick them onto the map grid anywhere you like.

ENTERING THE FOREST: If you enter the forest on your turn, it is just like entering a building, except you will not fill in the interior. Any number of players may be inside the forest together at any given time. If you enter the forest, you will always end your turn inside of it.

EXITING THE FOREST: On a subsequent turn, you may exit the forest in any open direction that is valid, even if it means you will enter into a building or sewer.

LONG GAME: If you want to play a longer game, or add more area to the map for variability, try layering extra sections of tape vertically. Just make sure the top and bottom of the finished map have the red sewers, so there will be room to draw your fish and cats.

2P SEWER POPPERS: Use all of the regular 2 player rules, except now special moves may only be used to ‘super sewer pop.’ You cannot walk on top of a sewer without using it for a special move.

3P+ SEWER POPPERS: Use the standard rules and map layout for your player count, except now special moves may only be used to ‘super sewer pop.’ You cannot walk on sewer drains to block them without using a special move, if playing with a map that is wider than the standard 2 player setup.

JINJA MODE: In this mode, all of the standard rules are the same, with the addition that after you use at least 1 special move, you may enter a jinja shrine space as if it were a building in order to gain back a previously-used special move. You are always capped at 2 unused special moves, and if you have 2 unused, you may not enter a jinja space.

Design by: Jordan Draper

Illustrations by: Jordan Draper & Mina Tada

Rules editing by: Travis D. Hill

www.jordandraper.com