Pack the Essentials

Pack the Essentials is a lightweight tile-placement board game that challenges you to pack as many cats as possible into your suitcase before you hit the road.

As travelers obsessed with their feline companions, players draft and place polyomino cat tiles into their personal suitcase boards, carefully arranging colors and shapes to maximize points. You’ll collect toys, call on the Pack Rat Service, and work toward “To-Do List” goals while trying to build the largest colored sections in your luggage. With simple rules, clever spatial puzzles, and a charming cat-travel theme, it plays quickly but rewards thoughtful planning. A solo mode lets you face off against the Cat Lady for a satisfying puzzle even when no one else is around. Available now at Boarding School Games—see how many cats you can pack into one game night.

**Key features**

* Standalone, lightweight abstract strategy board game about packing cats into your suitcase
* Tile drafting and polyomino placement with goals for color groups, toys, and “To-Do List” objectives
* For 1–4 players, about 20–30 minutes per game, recommended for ages 12+
* Includes shared game board, individual suitcase boards, cat pawns, tiles, cards, and dry-erase score sheet for repeat play
* Play competitively with friends or solo against the Cat Lady AI for a full-table feel at any player count