Who goes first in The Isle of Cats?
The City of Games English base game
Randomly choose the starting player. Beginning with that player, go around the table choosing cat figures and placing them on the island in turn order.
Rule details
The initial starting player draws the first day’s cat tiles. Before rescuing cats, players reveal their Rescue cards and reorder their cat figures by speed; the fastest rescues first.
Tied speeds keep the tied players’ relative order.
In the family game, choose the initial starting player randomly too. That player draws the tiles and chooses first; move their cat figure to the end of the order after each day.
Source & edition
- The Isle of Cats: English rulebookThe City of Games · Player setup B; Fill the fields; Rescue cats: Speed · Checked 2026-09-26Printed page references: 4, 8, 12, 13
- The Isle of Cats: English family rulesThe City of Games · Player setup B; Gameplay steps 1–4 · Checked 2026-09-26
Image: © The City of Games and any cover-art licensors or artists (precise ownership not stated on product page) · The City of Games
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
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