Review Kyoto no Neko

What's this?

Each player embodies a kitten who discovers his environment and develops his skills by completing objectives to obtain medals. The player with the most medals, with a minimum of five, wins the game.

How do you play?

➡️ Game phases

Movement: The kitten moves from square to square depending on its endurance. If a square has a paw, a reaction can be triggered (e.g.: avoid a dog with an agility roll).

Action: At the end of its movement, the kitten can perform an action determined by the paws present on the square. Only one action is allowed per turn.

Mission: Some missions, such as climbing a tree or hunting an insect, allow you to win medals once they are successful.

➡️ Skills

Skills influence actions:

Agility: Useful for movement (trees, roofs, hedges, etc.)
Friendship: Allows you to gain allies and obtain bonuses.
Combat: Used during confrontations with opponents.
Hunting: Used to capture prey to fill the hunting board.
➡️ End of game

The game ends when a player places their fifth medal on the growth track. In case of a tie, the friendship level determines the winner.

Is it good?

Kyoto no Neko is a family game that is ideal for introducing youngsters to dungeon crawler mechanics. Players embody kittens exploring the streets of Kyoto, roll dice to test their skills and progress with each game.

A fun learning experience: A specific feature of Kyoto no Neko lies in its progression system: even failures allow you to acquire new skills, thus avoiding the frustrations often associated with dice games. This positive mechanic encourages children to explore and experiment.

An enchanting universe: The theme of kittens in Kyoto and the colorful illustrations create a warm atmosphere and players are quickly won over by this cute and endearing universe.

Luck and adaptation: The game relies partly on luck, in particular thanks to the “paw” tiles revealed at random. This element of the unexpected can add a dose of excitement for children.

Limited replayability: Although the different scenarios bring a certain variety, the structure of the game remains quite repetitive. There are mainly only two mechanics, movement and dice rolling. Players may quickly find the game a little light on the strategic level.

Uneven material: The material is of uneven quality. The illustrations are magnificent but the board can seem a little too busy. The cardboard standees are fragile and lack stability, the same goes for the boxes.

In conclusion, Kyoto no Neko is a good gateway for young players wishing to discover light role-playing games. Its endearing theme and its positive progression mechanics make it an ideal game for a gentle initiation. However, experienced players may find the game too simple.

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Review Kyoto no Neko

7.3

Kyoto no Neko is a great introduction to dungeon crawler games for younger players: players take on the role of kittens exploring Kyoto, rolling dice to test their skills, and progressing through the game. Its cute world and mechanics that encourage learning through chess make it a fun experience for kids, though more experienced players may find the strategic depth limited and somewhat repetitive.

Positives