How to Play boop: Rules, Setup and Strategy for the Kitten Board Game

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boop. is a two-player game about kittens on a bed. Every time you place a kitten, it pushes the pieces next to it one space away, and some of them tumble right off the bed. Line up three kittens and they graduate into cats. Line up three cats and you win. It takes two minutes to learn and about twenty minutes to play, but it is far trickier than the cute box suggests. Here is how to play boop, step by step, from the official Smirk & Dagger rulebook.

What comes in the boop box

• A quilted fabric game board (the bed)
• 8 orange kittens and 8 gray kittens
• 8 orange cats and 8 gray cats
• The box bottom, which becomes the bed frame

How to set up boop

1. Empty the box and turn the box bottom upside down in the middle of the table.
2. Lay the quilted board on top of it. This is the bed.
3. Each player takes the 8 kittens of their color. These are your pool of pieces.
4. Set the 8 cats of each color to the side, out of play. They come in later.
5. The rules say the player who most recently pet a cat goes first. Otherwise, pick at random.

Taking a turn in boop

On your turn, place one piece from your pool onto any empty square of the bed. At the start, that is always a kitten. Later, once you have cats in your pool, you can choose to place either a kitten or a cat.

The boop: pushing adjacent pieces

When a piece lands, it boops every piece next to it, including diagonally, pushing each one space directly away. That includes your own pieces and your opponent's. A piece pushed off the edge of the bed goes back to its owner's pool, so it is not lost.

Two limits keep the board readable. First, there are no chain reactions: a booped piece moves one space and does not push anything else. Second, if two pieces are already lined up in a row, a piece played at the end of that line cannot push them. The piece behind blocks the one in front, whatever their colors.

Kittens cannot boop cats

Cats are bigger. A kitten placed next to a cat does not move it. A cat can boop both kittens and other cats.

Graduating kittens into cats

After the pieces finish moving, check for three of your kittens in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally. If you have one, remove those three kittens from the game (into the box lid) and take three cats from the reserve into your pool. You will always have eight pieces in total between the bed and your pool.

• If you have more than three in a row, or two overlapping lines, choose which three to graduate.
• If a line of three mixes cats and kittens, remove all three. The kittens graduate into cats, and the cats return to your pool.
• If all eight of your pieces are on the bed and you cannot place a piece, take one kitten off the bed and graduate it into a cat. You may instead return one of your cats from the bed to your pool.

How to win boop

You win as soon as you have three of your cats in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally. You also win if all eight of your cats are on the bed at the end of a turn. Always finish every boop before checking, because pushing can create or break lines for either player.

boop strategy tips

• Take the middle. The four center squares are the hardest to push off the bed.
• Break up twos. When your opponent has two in a row with an open end, boop one of them away or block the gap.
• Use the no-push rule. A line of two cannot be pushed from its end, which makes it a safe base to build on.
• Push yourself off on purpose. Sending one of your own pieces back to your pool can set up a better placement next turn.
• Try an L shape. An L of three pieces can turn into a line when you boop one into place.

boop rules mistakes to avoid

• Do not chain-push. Each booped piece moves exactly one space.
• Kittens never move cats, even diagonally.
• Graduated kittens leave the game. Only cats come back into your pool.
• Check for a win only after all pieces have stopped moving.

A simpler version of boop for younger players

The rulebook includes an easier mode. Put the cats back in the box and play with kittens only. The first player to get three kittens in a row wins. It is a much shorter game and a great way to teach kids the booping rule.

Looking for more head-to-head games? Our best 2-player board games guide covers abstract favorites like Hive (about $40), and Santorini vs Hive compares two more.

How to play boop FAQ

How many players can play boop?

boop is a two-player game.

Can a kitten push a cat in boop?

No. Kittens cannot boop cats. Cats can push both kittens and other cats.

What happens when a piece is pushed off the bed?

It goes back to its owner's pool and can be placed again on a later turn.