Café del Gatto (2023) Board Game

Café del Gatto is a light strategy board game that revolves around managing a café filled with adorable cats. Designed by Robin Struss and featuring artwork by Schmidt Spiele, this game was released in 2023 and is suitable for 2 to 5 players aged 8 and above. With a playtime of around 30 minutes, Café del Gatto is categorized under open drafting games, focusing on themes of pubs, bars, bistros, and of course, cats.

Game Components of Café del Gatto

Game board

Cat barista figures

Customer cards

Drink tokens

Ingredient cards

Scorepad

How To Setup Café del Gatto

To set up the game, players first place the game board in the middle of the playing area. Each player selects a cat barista figure and places it on the designated starting space. Shuffle and deal a set number of customer cards to each player. Prepare the ingredient cards and drink tokens according to the game’s instructions. Each player starts with a set of basic ingredients.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Drafting Mechanic: Players draft customer cards and ingredients to create drinks.

Resource Management: Manage ingredients to fulfill customer orders.

Scoring: Earn points by serving customers their desired drinks.

Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most points by serving the most satisfied customers.

Player Experience

Playing **Café del Gatto** is a delightful and engaging experience, especially for families. The game’s colorful and whimsical theme, featuring cat baristas, adds a charming touch. The drafting and resource management mechanics provide a good balance of strategy and luck, making the game enjoyable for both children and adults.

Pros

Family-Friendly: Suitable for a wide range of ages.

Engaging Theme: The cat barista concept is unique and appealing.

Balanced Mechanics: Combines strategy and luck effectively.

Award-Winning: Won the Austrian Game of the Year prize in 2023.

Cons

Limited Complexity: May not appeal to experienced gamers seeking deep strategy.

Randomness: The drafting mechanic introduces randomness, which might not suit players who prefer full control.

Personal Thoughts on Café del Gatto

**Café del Gatto** is perfect for families and casual gamers looking for a light-hearted, fun experience. It’s an excellent introduction to drafting and resource management mechanics, making it a great educational tool for younger players. While it may not offer the complexity that hardcore gamers seek, its charm and ease of play make it a wonderful addition to any board game collection.

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