Catz, Ratz and Batz plays something like a cross between Yahtzee and Greed (Crown & Andrews) with one or two twists. On a given turn each player must roll 9 die, which consist of the numbers 3, 5, 7 and three animal types - catz, ratz and batz (their spelling not mine!). There are a number of scoring rules, which players must be aware of and the number of rolls a player can take is only limited by greed and a little ounce of luck. The player that reaches 250 points first is declared the winner. To offer a brief summary of the game rules - Catz are good, Ratz are bad and Batz can vary depending on the numbers that are rolled (3 = good, 5 = neutral and 7 = bad). Every rat or bad bat rolled must be cancelled by a cat and if this is not possible then the player's turn is over and they score nothing. When a player chooses to stop their turn they will earn the total of any numbered dice and this total is then multiplied by the total number of remaining cats and good bats that they have managed to secure. As well as being fun, this game is also educational as addition and multiplication using 3's, 5's and 7's is required. It comes in a neat little tin with a score pad and the length of the game can be altered simply by selecting a different winning total. Another neat feature is that any number of people can play, which makes it great for large or small groups.

This game was an enjoyable experience and the short time frame makes it an appealing alternative to heavier strategy titles. Catz, Ratz and Batz is an absolute beauty for families that have young children aged 8-12. In fact I could see this game being very playable for children as young as 6 provided an adult played with them and it would be a great way to introduce them to a fun game that has a mathematical edge. My year three students (aged 7.5 -8) really enjoyed the luck element offered by seeing the catz, ratz and batz come up and the game encourages risk taking and mental maths development, which is a key to longer-term mathematical success. Children that cannot manage the multiplication required can use skip counting instead or a calculator to aid scoring. In summary Catz, Ratz and Batz gets the thumbs up for any age and is a real treat for young developing minds.