Rat-a-Tat Cat is a quick memory and bluffing card game from Gamewright where you try to end the round holding the lowest cards you can. Players juggle cats (low-value cards you want) and rats (high-value cards you don’t), using Peek, Swap, and Draw 2 power cards to improve their hand. This guide covers the full rules, scoring, smart strategy, common house variations, and tips for playing with kids.
What Is Rat-a-Tat Cat?
Rat-a-Tat Cat was designed by Monty and Ann Stambler and first published by Gamewright in 1995. It won a Mensa Select award in 1996, and The Washington Post once called it “like poker for kids.” Two to six players can play, and most families find it fits comfortably in the 6-and-up range — younger kids can join with a helper.
The hook is simple: you start with four face-down cards, can only peek at two of them, and the rest of the round is spent improving a hand you can’t fully see. That mix of memory, light strategy, and a little bluff keeps it fresh after dozens of plays.
What’s in the Deck
A standard Rat-a-Tat Cat deck contains:
- Four copies each of cards numbered 0 through 8 (cats on the low cards, rats on the high ones)
- Nine copies of the 9 card (the biggest rats)
- Three each of the three power cards: Peek, Swap, and Draw 2
Low cards are good, high cards are bad, and power cards are tools.
Setup
Shuffle the deck and deal four cards face down to each player, in a row in front of them. Place the remaining cards face down in the middle as the draw pile, and flip the top card next to it to start the discard pile.
Before the first turn, each player secretly looks at only their two outer cards — the ones on each end of their row. The two middle cards stay hidden. (Some groups let everyone simply flip the outer cards face up for the round; pick one style and stick with it.)
Goal of the Game
You want the lowest total score when the round ends. Rounds are usually played to a target like 100 points, and the player with the lowest total across rounds wins.
How a Turn Works
On your turn you do one of two things:
- Draw the top card of the discard pile. You must swap it with one of your four cards, placing the replaced card face up on the discard pile.
- Draw the top card of the draw pile. Then you choose: swap it with one of your cards (placing the replaced card face up), or discard it directly.
When you swap a card, you do not look at the card you’re replacing before discarding it — that’s part of the game’s tension.
Using Power Cards
Power cards only trigger when you draw them from the draw pile, not from the discard:
- Peek — look at one of your own face-down cards, then discard the Peek.
- Swap — trade one of your face-down cards with a face-down card from any opponent, without either player seeing them, then discard the Swap. Using Swap is optional.
- Draw 2 — draw the next card from the draw pile and play it as a normal draw-pile card (swap into your hand or discard). The Draw 2 itself goes on the discard pile.
If you pick a power card off the discard pile instead, it counts as a regular numbered card and goes straight into your hand without triggering its effect. Most groups value Peek and Swap at 7 points each and Draw 2 at 0 when scored in your hand (check the edition’s rulebook — the original Gamewright rules use these values).
Ending the Round
At the start of your turn, before you draw, you may knock the table and call “rat-a-tat-cat.” You’re claiming the lowest hand. Every other player takes one more turn, then everyone flips their cards and totals them.
The caller does not automatically win — if someone else finishes with a lower total, they win the round instead. Calling too early with an unlucky middle card is a classic Rat-a-Tat Cat trap.
Scoring
Add the face values of the four cards in front of you. A perfect round is 0 (four zeros), and the worst hands creep into the 30s. Play until one player reaches a pre-set point limit — 100 is the most common target — and the lowest running total wins.
Strategy Tips That Actually Help
Rat-a-Tat Cat looks like pure luck, but experienced players consistently beat casual ones. The edge comes from three places: memory, card counting, and timing.
Remember What You’ve Seen
You start the round knowing two of your four cards. Every Peek and every swap adds more information — if you pay attention. A common mistake is forgetting the value of a card you drew two turns ago because a Swap shuffled your row. Try picturing each position (far-left, left-middle, right-middle, far-right) as a fixed slot so you can track what moved where.
Judge the Discard Pile
The discard pile is open information. If three 9s and most of the 7s and 8s are already face up, the draw pile has been thinned of rats — replacing an unknown card is safer. If almost no high cards have appeared, an unknown card is probably a rat, and you should think twice before swapping into the dark.
When to Call “Rat-a-Tat Cat”
Call early when:
- Your known cards total roughly 6 or less and you have no reason to think the unknown ones are high
- Opponents visibly have rats they haven’t cleared
- You’re close to the 100-point limit and want to freeze a small round
Avoid calling when a strong opponent has just used a Peek and looked satisfied — they probably have a low hand ready.
Use Swap Aggressively — But Pick Your Target
Swap is the most powerful card in the deck because it’s a guaranteed trade of a known-bad card for an opponent’s likely-average card. Target the player who has least tidied up their hand; their face-down cards are more likely to include a rat. Don’t burn Swap on the player who just finished a run of Peek-and-replace turns.
House Variations Worth Trying
Once your group knows the base rules, a few common variations keep the game interesting:
- Six cards instead of four. A longer row adds more memory pressure and suits older kids and adults.
- Open start. Flip both outer cards face up at the start of each round instead of peeking secretly. This is easier for younger children.
- No-Swap family rules. Some families pull Swap cards to avoid tears with very young players; the game still works well with just Peek and Draw 2.
- Bonus for a perfect call. If the player who calls “rat-a-tat-cat” actually has the lowest hand, subtract 5 from their score. This rewards confident calls without destroying catch-up players.
Playing With Younger Kids
Rat-a-Tat Cat is a genuinely strong first “strategy” card game for children around ages 5 to 7 because the rules are short, the turns are fast, and the memory element gives kids a real shot at beating adults. A few practical tips:
- Start with the open-start variation so no one feels lost on turn one
- Skip Swap for the first few games
- Let younger players count their hand out loud at the end — the arithmetic practice is half the game’s value
- Play short rounds to 50 points instead of 100 so someone wins every ten minutes or so
Where It Fits in Your Card Game Shelf
If your family already enjoys lighter card games like Uno, Skip-Bo, or Sleeping Queens, Rat-a-Tat Cat is a natural next pick — it plays in 15 to 20 minutes, travels well, and has enough decision-making that adults stay engaged. Compared to Phase 10 or Skip-Bo, it’s shorter and leans more on memory than sequencing. Compared to Go Fish or Old Maid, it’s a notable step up in strategy without being intimidating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players can play Rat-a-Tat Cat?
The standard edition supports 2 to 6 players. It plays best with 3 or 4 — two players can feel tight on information, and six players mean long waits between turns for young kids.
What age is Rat-a-Tat Cat appropriate for?
Gamewright lists ages 6 and up. Children as young as 4 or 5 can play with help, especially if you use the open-start variation and skip the Swap card.
Can I play Rat-a-Tat Cat with a standard deck of cards?
You can approximate it. Use the cards 2 through 8 (low to mid values), drop the face cards, and assign Jacks, Queens, and Kings as Peek, Swap, and Draw 2. The math won’t match the commercial deck exactly, but the game works.
Do Peek and Swap have to be played when drawn?
Peek is played immediately and discarded. Swap is optional — if you draw a Swap from the draw pile you may decline to use it, but you still have to discard it. Draw 2 must be played.
Can you call “rat-a-tat-cat” on your very first turn?
Yes. If your two visible starting cards are both 0s or 1s and you feel lucky, you can knock and call before drawing. It’s risky — your two middle cards are still unknown — but experienced players occasionally pull it off.
Final Thoughts
Rat-a-Tat Cat has stuck around for three decades because it does something rare: it rewards memory and judgment without ever feeling heavy. The rules fit on a card, a round ends before anyone gets bored, and a well-timed “rat-a-tat-cat” call feels like a genuine win. If you play enough, you stop picking cards at random and start tracking the table — which is exactly when the game gets good.