Overview

Felicity: The Cat in the Sack is a bluffing and auction game. Over 9 rounds, players secretly contribute Pet Cards (cats of varying values, plus rabbits and dogs) face-down to a central row. Players then bid Mice Money to claim the entire “sack” of cards. Passing players collect consolation mice from Mouse Cards. Dogs in the sack chase cats away. The player with the most points (cat values + remaining mice) wins.

Components

• 50 Pet Cards (5 player sets, each containing: cats valued -8, -5, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15; 1 rabbit worth 0; 1 large dog; 1 small dog)
• 4 Mouse Cards (values 2, 3, 4, 6)
• 1 Cat in the Sack Card
• 1 Start Player Marker
• 76 Mice Money tokens (68 black worth 1 each, 8 green worth 5 each)

Setup

For 4-5 players:

1. Each player takes 1 set of 10 Pet Cards in their color.
2. Each player randomly draws 1 Pet Card from the player to their right and discards it unseen to the box (so each player has 9 cards).
3. Each player takes 15 Mice Money (1x5 + 10x1).
4. Create a bank: 33 mice for 5 players, 27 mice for 4 players. Return excess to box.
5. Lay out Mouse Cards in numerical order. For 4 players, remove the “3” Mouse Card.
6. Place the Cat in the Sack Card to the left of the lowest Mouse Card.
7. Place Mice Money from the bank on each Mouse Card equal to its value (e.g., 6 mice on the “6” card).
8. Choose a starting player.

For 3 players: Use only the “3” and “6” Mouse Cards. Bank = 21 mice. Add a 4th dummy player’s shuffled set face-down (1 card removed unseen).

Turn Structure

Each of the 9 rounds:

1. Card Selection

Starting with the start player and going clockwise, each player places 1 Pet Card face-down in a row. The start player’s card goes under the Cat in the Sack Card; subsequent cards are placed to the right under the Mouse Cards.

2. Auction

• The start player’s card is flipped face-up.
• The start player opens bidding with any amount of Mice Money (not 0), or passes.
• Clockwise, each player must raise the bid or pass.
• Returning bidders must increase their existing bid or pass.

3. Passing and Revealing

• When a player passes, they reclaim all their bid money and take the Mice Money from the lowest-valued remaining Mouse Card.
• Each time a player passes, the next face-down Pet Card in the row is revealed.

4. Winning the Auction

• The last remaining bidder pays their bid to the bank and claims all Pet Cards in the row.
• Dog resolution: If exactly 1 large dog is in the row, it chases away the highest positive-value cat (both returned to box). If exactly 1 small dog, it chases away the highest negative-value cat (both returned to box). If 2+ dogs of any type, all dogs return to box with no effect on cats.
• The winner takes the Start Player Marker.

5. Cleanup

Refill Mouse Cards with Mice Money from the bank equal to each card’s value. Begin the next round.

Actions

Players have two choices during the auction:

• Bid (increase total bid)
• Pass (reclaim bid, take lowest Mouse Card’s mice, done for round)

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After 9 rounds (all hand cards played):

• Sum the values of all cats won at auction (yellow = positive, red = negative).
• Add remaining Mice Money (each worth 1 point).
• Rabbits are worth 0. Dogs are out of the game.
• Highest total wins. Tiebreaker: most Pet Card points.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Dog interactions: Large dog with no positive cats chases the highest-valued negative cat. Small dog with no negative cats chases the lowest-valued positive cat. Multiple dogs cancel each other out.
• All pass early: If all players but the last pass before bidding, the last player sees the full row and may buy for 1 Mice Money. If that player also passes, remove all cards; new round with same start player and no mice added to Mouse Cards.
• Bank runs out: If insufficient Mice Money to fill all Mouse Cards, no mice are placed that round. Only the auction winner gets anything.
• Secret money: Players keep their Mice Money hidden during the game.
• Change available: Players may make change with the bank at any time.
• 3-player dummy: The dummy’s cards form a face-down stack. The top card is revealed before bidding. After the first pass, the start player’s card is revealed. The last two cards are revealed when only 1 bidder remains.

Player Reference

Item	Details
Players	3-5
Rounds	9
Starting Mice	15 per player
Cat values	-8, -5, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15
Mouse Card values	2, 3, 4, 6 (remove 3 for 4p)
Dog effect	Large: removes highest positive cat; Small: removes highest negative cat
Win condition	Most points (cat values + remaining mice)