# Steam Power: Cat Power ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2025 - **BGG Rating**: 7.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 45-90 min - **Weight**: 2.25 / 5 - **Designers**: Martin Wallace - **Artists**: Leith Walton - **Publishers**: Wallace Designs, Arclight Games - **Categories**: Animals, Economic, Expansion for Base-game, Industry / Manufacturing, Territory Building, Trains, Transportation - **Mechanics**: Chaining, Connections, Contracts, Hexagon Grid, Network and Route Building, Ownership, Pick-up and Deliver, Tile Placement, Variable Set-up ## Verdict If you enjoy Steam Power and love a dash of cat humor, Cat Power will delight you – the extra puzzle layer spices up each game.Charming cat humorNew map cardsAdditional puzzle challengeSlightly higher complexityRequires base gameRECOMMENDED ## Description Steam Power: Cat Power arrives as the first expansion for the beloved Steam Power, adding two new whimsical cat‑themed maps and an unexpected twist: sleeping cats that may block your tracks. The core game stays the same – you still lay hexagonal rails, build transportation routes and fulfill contracts – but waking a sleeping cat introduces an extra puzzle that forces you to rethink tile placement. Each map features a variable set‑up, so the board changes every play, keeping strategies fresh. The sleeping felines act as temporary obstacles; once awakened, you can move or remove them, opening up chainable routes that award extra points. The pick‑up‑and‑deliver mechanic remains, but now cats can serve as "cargo" that, when delivered to the right destination, grant bonus scoring. The expansion retains the lighthearted theme with amusing engineer‑cat artwork while still offering strategic depth through chaining, connections, and ownership of lines. Perfect for fans of the base game who want a dash of feline chaos without a steep learning curve. With a weight of 2.25/5, the learning curve stays gentle, and playtime ranges from 45 to 90 minutes depending on player count (2‑5). In short, Cat Power adds variety, humor, and an extra layer of challenge that appeals to both newcomers and seasoned Steam Power players. ## How to Play Objective of the Game Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Preparation (Setup) Game Setup Place the City tiles onto the named objects in the room; these are city locations. Place all of the Cat tiles into a bag and mix them up. Then, one by one, choose a hex on the map depicting a cushion, draw a tile from the bag and place the Cat tile, still face down, onto the hex. This is an example of an initial game board, after City and Cat tiles have been randomly added. Fluxo do Jogo Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Ações e Como Jogar Rules Changes The hexes shaded in a dark color or containing furniture are impassable (treat them as if they are water hexes from the regular game). Whenever a player places a Track tile or builds a Factory in the hex adjacent to a Cat tile, flip the tile over and immediately resolve its effect as described below. Once a Cat tile has been removed from a hex, players may lay track there as normal. Cat Tile Effects (Player) Move this tile to any empty, buildable hex. No track tile can be placed on that hex. Remove 2 resources of your choice from the map (either 2 from one city, or 1 from each of two cities). Then discard the tile. Choose one of your unfulfilled contracts and place it back in the bag with the other contracts. Then discard the tile. Retail version: Shuffle the contract back into the deck. Your turn ends immediately. Then discard the tile. Lose $5 (or as much as you can). Then discard the tile. No effect. This tile remains in place, blocking the hex. Impassable. Cat Tile Effects (Automa) When you flip a Cat tile, that tile works normally following the Cat Power standard rules, but if the tile is flipped by the Automa (if it lays track or builds a factory in the hex adjacent to a Cat tile, it works slightly differently, as shown below: If there is a purple city within the Automa’s network and that city is not part of your network, the Automa places this tile in a hex adjacent to such a city so that you are forced to take a longer path if you try to connect it. If this is not possible, the Automa places the tile adjacent to any purple city. Use the direction marker to break any tie. From now on, no track tile can be placed in the hex where this tile is placed. The Automa removes 1 resource from its factory with the fewest resources. If this is not possible, the Automa removes the resources from your factory with the most resources next to it. Then, repeat that process once more. Use the direction marker to break any tie. No effect. The Automa’s turn ends immediately. The Automa loses up to $5 (or however much it can if it has less than $5). No effect. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Dicas para Vencer Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. ## FAQ ### How many players can play? 2 to 5 players, just like the base game. ### What is the typical play time? Between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on player count and familiarity with the expansion. ### Do I need the Steam Power base game? Yes, Cat Power is an expansion and only works together with the base game. ### What are the main new features? Two new map cards, a sleeping‑cat mechanic that blocks tracks, and an extra puzzle challenge when waking them. ### Does the expansion increase game complexity? Slightly, but the 2.25/5 weight suggests the learning curve remains gentle. ### Are the components of good quality? Yes, they match the base game's art style and material quality, featuring fun engineer‑cat illustrations. ### Can I play only with the expansion? No, the expansion requires the board, tiles and rules from Steam Power to function. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 18.08 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=7125234&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/87223/steam-power-cat-power?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com