"Cats! The Conspurracy" Review
Isto seria mais giro em Português, né? ;)
Cats! The Conspurracy is an irreverent and stylish French-language RPG, recently translated into English by Black Book Éditions. In this universe, domestic cats are not merely pets: they are secret agents of a global feline conspiracy, fighting against dogs, vacuum cleaners, inattentive humans, and forces that threaten the balance of the world. The tone oscillates between comedic, absurd, and endearing, leaving room for thrilling or even dramatic adventures, depending on the players’ approach.
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Cover of "Cats! The Conspurracy". |
Concept and System
The core concept is fresh and appealing, ideal for newcomers or casual sessions between veteran players. Playing as a cat (not just an anthropomorphic animal, but an actual cat, with feline senses, habits, and perceptions) requires players to abandon their human perspective and dive into an alternate world within our own.
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Playing as a cat is more than a gimmick: it means adopting a whole new perspective, with all the instincts, quirks, and flair that come with it. Here, felines plan their next Conspurracy mission. |
The system uses ten-sided dice (d10) and organizes attributes (called Abilities) into two main groups: four physical, four mental, and Luck as a universal Ability. Tests are made by rolling the Luck dice, choosing one, adding Ability and Skill, and aiming to reach a difficulty level set by the GM. In opposed rolls, both parties roll and compare. Strokes of luck (equivalent to critical successes) or strokes of bad luck (fumbles) permanently increase or decrease Luck, introducing a distinctive and innovative mechanic.
The rules are elegant and easy to grasp, but paradoxically not brilliantly explained. The book relies on repetition and small variations of the same rules throughout the text, which may give an impression of added complexity. Once understood, however, they prove to be simple, fast, and fun.
Character creation is colourful but lacks a more functional design approach for the character sheet. The sheet is visually charming, with two central paws (Body and Mind) where ability values are written on the toes, but the A5 size and small fonts make it difficult to use at the table. The physical character sheet pad looks lovely but isn’t practical. No printer-friendly version is available, which led me to create a homebrew version adapted to my needs.
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Comparison between the official A5 character sheet (bottom) and a homebrew A4 version (top), created for greater legibility. Nikita supervises. |
Physical Components and Production
The corebook is gorgeous. The layout, iconography, colour palette, and illustrations are spot-on. The physical version, however, presents some issues. At no point during the crowdfunding campaign or official communication was the book format clearly stated, which led to surprise (and some disappointment) upon discovering that both the corebook and adventure supplement are A5. This format is limiting for an RPG and, combined with small font sizes, seriously compromises legibility. It even feels like the layout was originally designed for A4 and then shrunk down (fonts included) to fit the A5. In other words, the A5 format would be perfectly understandable if the fonts were sized as if they were A4 or similar.
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The physical edition has undeniable charm, but the compact A5 format may surprise those expecting a standard-sized RPG book. |
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The thickness difference between the corebook and the adventure supplement is striking, especially when you realize that nearly two-thirds of the supplement’s thickness is just the hardcover board. A softcover might have made more sense, potentially reducing the price. Still, the finish is visually appealing. |
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Inspector Nikita demonstrates the yellow ribbon included in the corebook—a practical and elegant detail that helps keep your place during sessions. |
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On the left, a page from Cats! The Conspurracy; on the right, a page from Werewolf: The Apocalypse (W5). The comparison shows that the issue isn’t the A5 format itself, but the choice of font size and layout density in Cats!, which hampers readability, especially in long sessions or low-light conditions. |
The Favor cards included in the pack are simple, functional, and easy to use, though graphically not on par with the books.
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The Favor cards: clear and functional, but with a basic graphic design. |
As for the custom dice, they’re pretty but their ornate design reduces readability. They’re a nice extra for collectors, but any generic set of d10s (preferably in dark blue, gold, and purple) will be more practical in play.
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Left: official dice with feline ornamentation. |
Character Evolution and Campaign Design
The author clearly states a preference for one-shots over long campaigns. That’s a valid design choice, but it results in a less robust approach to character advancement. Advancement rules do exist, but are handled somewhat lightly. In practice, I ended up creating house rules to manage progression across multiple sessions.
Another odd design choice is the inclusion of Types: players can be Cats, Bastets (cats in human bodies), or… humans. The latter seems inconsistent with the game’s premise. The author even discourages this option with some sarcasm, yet the rules are there. It might have been better to omit this entirely, as it dilutes the game’s focus and tone.
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The game allows you to play as Cats, Bastets, or... humans. |
Included Adventures
One of Cats!’ greatest strengths is its generosity. The corebook includes no fewer than eight complete adventures, with varying levels of difficulty and complexity. This is exceedingly rare nowadays and shows great care for the user, offering structured opportunities to learn the system in context. I’d only seen something similar in games like Ghostbusters or Call of Cthulhu, and even then, not with this level of variety.
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The corebook includes eight full adventures, each with a multi-act structure and varied difficulty. A rare and noteworthy feat in today’s RPG landscape—and a great help for new GMs. |
To this we can add the Paws and Effect: The Tail Continues supplement, which offers four more complete adventures—longer and more developed than those in the corebook. It’s an excellent follow-up for groups looking to continue their campaign or explore different tones within the feline universe.
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This supplement includes four full adventures, more ambitious and detailed than those in the corebook. A great extension for groups looking to keep playing. |
Verdict
Pros
Original and fun concept with feline vision and irreverent tone
Fast, accessible rules ideal for light and dynamic sessions
Corebook includes 8 structured adventures—a rare gift these days
Cons
Rule presentation is a bit repetitive, making the game seem more complex than it is
Small fonts hurt readability and usability
Some design choices (like playing as humans) clash with the core theme
Conclusion
Cats! The Conspurracy is a box of feline surprises: charismatic, generous, and ideal for groups seeking instant fun without hassle. If your eyesight isn't the best, you'll be better off with the PDFs, though the Favor cards are still worthwhile. As for the dice, any generic d10 set will work better, and it’s easy to find affordable options in matching colours or feline themes. Still, for collectors, Cats! offers a delightful array of physical goodies to display. As long as you embrace the light-hearted tone and feline logic, you’ll be purring with satisfaction.
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