Cat and Mouse Game Store

April 16, 2009

Google Comes off the Street and into Cat & Mouse!

I'm a real fan of Google Maps and their Street View feature, which provides 360 degree panoramic street-level views of Chicago and many other places around the world. I often use it to scope out unfamiliar neighborhoods and cities before I go there. Now, in addition to virtually walking down a street, Street View users will be able to veer off of the street and virtually walk into select stores via Google Store View.

Of course, I want you to walk into Cat & Mouse in person because the store is FUN! and because we like real live people! But I'm also fascinated by the technology of Google Store View as well as the potential to showcase Cat & Mouse in a new and unique way. And so, when Google came calling, I said "Yes!" This past Thursday morning the nice Man from Google (at right) arrived at our store to take photos of the exterior and interior of the store. The photo shoot took about 30 minutes, and before too long it should be online in all of it's panoramic, virtual glory!

Game Nights sponsored by The Puzzler

Every Tuesday night is Game Night at Cat & Mouse, when people come to the store to enjoy playing titles from our huge library of demo games. It's a great way to learn a new game and meet other players. To add to the fun, once a month Game Night will be sponsored by The Puzzler, the RedEye/ChicagoNow blog full of puzzle-y goodness. The Puzzler himself (aka Sandy) will join Andre in hosting the evening and will have swag to give away, just for showing up. Win a game and you might get something special!

The next Puzzler-sponsored Game Night is this Tuesday 4/20. Future Puzzler Game Nights are scheduled for 5/18 and 6/15.

Dominion: Alchemy Coming Soon

The next expansion for Dominion should be arriving in the store within the next two weeks. A friend of ours was fortunate enough to get an advance copy, and Beth had the opportunity to play several games of Dominion using the Alchemy decks. This is what she has to say about it:

"I had the opportunity to try a few games of Dominion: Alchemy yesterday, and I was very impressed! The greatest change is the addition of Potions, which is a money-type card that you can buy for four coins. Most of the Alchemy Action cards require you to have a Potion in your hand, in addition to their regular cost, when you want to purchase them. The Potions add another interesting balancing element to your deck. Do I buy an Action card early or start to seed my deck with Potions? They are necessary to buy many of the “juicy” new cards, but drawing a full hand of only Potions for your next turn does you no good! My favorite card? - - Possession! It’s super expensive (requires a Potion as well), but you control someone else’s turn and you receive all the benefits. Considering all of the countless games of Dominion I’ve played, I’m really excited to experience the game all over again after playing the best round I have EVER had, with five base set Action cards, and five Alchemy cards. It doesn’t hurt that I won by one point either!"

D&D Encounters for Tweens

Our older son Cyrus has a very active imagination; he loves fantasy creatures, monsters and dragons; and he takes great delight in epic battles and adventures. So what's the perfect activity for a kid like Cyrus? Why, D&D Encounters, of course! D&D Encounters is an easy-to-play adventure that takes place over a series of sessions that last only 60-90 minutes each. It's very easy for kids to jump into, and players don't need to commit to being there for every session.

Starting in May, we'll be hosting free D&D Encounters sessions for kids (ages 10 and up) on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, from 11am-12:30pm. The game will be run by Andre, and we need 3-5 players to round out the group. If you know of a young adventurer who would like to participate, drop us a line at info@cat-n-mouse.com.

Recent Release Highlights

New Staff Pick - Domaine

Peter says... "If you’ve just started playing European style board games like Settlers of Catan, then Domaine is a great next step. Instead of focusing on production and building, Domaine is all about carving out a kingdom of your own, and then taking away part of the kingdoms other players create!"