Kyoto Kittens - Hide-and-Seek
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Someone swears they saw three kittens. They find one. Someone else bets on two eyes. Four appear. And in the end, everyone laughs because nobody trusts anything anymore.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Kittens closing their eyes to confuse you
Kyoto no Koneko is a microgame by Kevin Gauvin, illustrated by Jérémie Fleury with artistic direction by Maxime Erceau, making the object irresistible right from the box. We are in Kyoto, at night, and the kittens play hide-and-seek among the shadows. The game turns classic memory on its head with a simple and brilliant trick: what you see in front doesn't always match what you find behind.
Each turn you draw a mission card that tells you how many kittens you need to reveal. The cards show pairs of eyes in the night (one, two, or three), but when you flip them, you discover that some kittens are sleeping, others are winking, and still others huddle together in pairs forming a single pair of eyes. You must remember which cards have already betrayed you, which are reliable, and complete your mission. Those who make a mistake lose points. Those who remember win.
What they say abroad
A memory game that makes you doubt your eyes and your memory at the same time.
— FroGames
Fleury's illustrations transform a simple mechanism into an object you'd want to keep on the table even when not playing.
— FroGames
Kyoto no Koneko: Chatons Cache-cache
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat you find in the box
Four elements that make a difference
Eyes in the Night Cards
16 double-sided cards. Front: pairs of eyes (1, 2, or 3). Back: sleeping, winking, or snuggling kittens. The number almost never matches.
Mission Cards
Cat heads indicating how many kittens you need to find on your turn. Draw, read the number, choose cards, and pray not to make a mistake.
4x4 Grid
The 16 cards are laid face up, with eyes visible. Everyone sees everything. The challenge is to remember what's behind when someone flips a card.
Illustrations by Fleury
Each card is a small gem: stylized kittens, soft colors, details that make you smile. It's not just a game, it's an object.
In ten minutes, someone will have laughed, someone will have sweetly sworn, and everyone will want to play again. It always happens with kittens.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The eye grid
Arrange the 16 cards to form a 4x4 grid, all with visible eyes. Children are already pointing: "There are certainly three kittens there!". Adults smile. Nobody knows anything yet.
The first betrayed mission
Someone draws "Find 2 kittens." They choose two cards with one pair of eyes each. They flip them. Behind them are 5 kittens. Laughter, lost points, and everyone understands: this game lies.
Memory begins
Now everyone knows which cards lied. They begin to remember the exceptions: that card with one pair of eyes hides four kittens, that other one with three pairs only has two. The tension rises.
The perfect shot
Someone completes a mission without error. Ironic applause from opponents, a satisfied smile from the winner. The children want to do the same. Adults know it's a matter of luck, but they try anyway.
End in ten minutes
Missions end, points are counted. Someone won, but no one remembers who. Everyone remembers that cursed card with only one eye that hid four kittens. They laugh, shuffle, and play again.
How to play
The flow of each turn
A turn lasts 30 seconds: you draw, choose, flip, count. Then it's the next person's turn.
Take a Mission card from the deck. It tells you how many kittens you need to find: 2, 3, 4, or 5. That's your challenge.
Look at the 4x4 grid of eyes in the night. Decide which cards to flip to reach the exact number of kittens. Remember: eyes lie.
Reveal the chosen cards one by one. Count the kittens on the back. If you have the exact number for the mission, take the Mission card as a point. If you make a mistake, discard it.
Place the flipped cards face up back on the grid. Now everyone knows what's behind those eyes. The next player has an advantage. Or maybe not.
Why it's different from the others
Six reasons why it's not your usual memory game
Eyes never lie. Except here.
The twist is all here: the number of eyes on the front does not match the number of kittens on the back. Some are sleeping (closed eyes), others are winking, others are cuddling to form a single pair of eyes. You can't trust what you see. You have to remember the exceptions.
Precise missions
You don't just have to flip pairs: you have to find the exact number of kittens required by the mission. If the card says 3 and you flip 4, you're wrong. This adds pressure and calculation even in a children's game.
Competitive memory
Everyone sees the same grid. When someone flips a card, you also learn what's behind it. But other players' memory is also your memory. Whoever remembers best wins.
Collector's item
The illustrations by Jérémie Fleury and the art direction by Maxime Erceau make this microgame an item you want to display. Thick cards, soft colors, adorable kittens. It's not just a game for children, it's a beautiful game.
A neat 10 minutes
Setup in 30 seconds, game in 10 minutes, put back in the box in another 30 seconds. Perfect for filling a gap between two games or for playing with children who have the attention span of a goldfish.
Scales well from 2 to 5
With 2 players it's a pure memory duel. With 5 players it's chaos and laughter, because no one remembers anything after three turns. It works in any configuration, without losing rhythm.
How it ends
How to win
Play until the Mission deck runs out. The player with the most completed Mission cards wins.
Victory
- Complete more missions than other players
- Remember which cards hide sleeping or paired kittens
- Make fewer mistakes than opponents and accumulate more points
Mistake (not elimination)
- Flip cards and find a different number of kittens than the mission
- Trust the eyes on the front and miscount the back
- Forget what's behind a card already revealed by another player
Kyoto no Koneko is a memory game that lies, a microgame that surprises, and an object that looks good even when you're not playing it. For children, families, and adults who want 10 minutes of clever kittens.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Kyoto no Koneko: Chatons Cache-cache
Is it really playable from 5 years old?
Yes, the rules are immediate: draw a card, flip cards, count kittens. The twist of the lying eyes is intuitive even for the youngest. A 5-year-old child plays alone after an example game.
Does it also work with adults or is it too simple?
It works as a filler between longer games. The deceptive memory mechanism keeps adults engaged, and the illustrations justify its presence on the table. It's not a deep game, but it's honest: 10 minutes well spent.
How long does a game really last?
A neat 10 minutes. Setup in 30 seconds (arrange the 4x4 grid), quick game, put back in the box just as fast. It's a real microgame: fits in your pocket, playable anywhere, finishes before anyone gets bored.
Can it be played solo?
No, there is no official solo mode. The game thrives on competition: you watch others make mistakes, learn from their errors, remember better than them. Solo play would lose 90% of the fun.
Is the game available in Italian?
The edition for sale is in English, but the game is almost language-independent: the cards only show numbers and illustrations. The rulebook only needs to be read once, then it's no longer needed. Very playable even without knowing English.
Kyoto no Koneko: Chatons Cache-cache is a competitive memory game for 2-5 players, ages 5+, lasting 10 minutes. Designed by Kevin Gauvin and illustrated by Jérémie Fleury for Matagot, it twists the classic memory game with a trick: the number of eyes on the front does not match the kittens on the back. Some are sleeping, others are winking, others huddle together forming a single pair of eyes. You must remember the exceptions, complete precise missions, and beat your opponents. An immediate, adorable, and deceptive microgame. Available on FroGames.it.
Kyoto Kittens - Hide-and-Seek
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