How to play Tilcayo Cat Game
Rules, power-ups, ranks, seals and tips · updated
Tap the mice before the clock runs out. You are a tilcayo cat (Leopardus tilcayo) on a moonlit lawn. Mice pop out of holes; every catch buys you time, and the round ends the moment you go 5 seconds without one. It is free, runs in the browser and takes about ten seconds to learn.
The rules in 30 seconds
- Clock: you start with 5 seconds. Each mouse caught adds 0.8 s (capped at 5 s).
- Empty slap: tapping a hole with nothing in it costs 0.3 s.
- Porcupine: it pokes out now and then. Slap it and your cat licks its paw for 2 s, unable to hunt.
- Green snake: it stays up longer and eats any mouse that pops out right next to it. Slapping it means 3 s of paw-licking.
- Growing lawn: 4 holes at the start; a new one opens every few seconds, from the middle outwards, until all 25 are dug. The bar at the top shows when the next one comes.
- Speed: mice speed up smoothly, about 10% every 30 s, and faster once the lawn is full.
- Mouse of the day: after every 10 mice, today's dressed-up mouse appears and hops from hole to hole before running off. It is worth 100 points.
- Game over: when the clock hits zero. Your best score is saved on your device.
Power-ups
Power-ups pop out of the holes like mice. Tap one to use it:
| Power-up | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-catch | The tilcayo catches every mouse on its own | 6 s |
| Full time | Refills the clock to 5 s | instant |
| Freeze | Pauses the clock, the mice and new spawns | 4 s |
Combos
Catches less than 1.5 seconds apart chain into a combo. Each link raises the catch sound a semitone, a draining meter shows how long you have, and callouts fire at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30. At 10 or more the lawn goes into frenzy. A mouse escaping, an empty slap, a porcupine or a snake breaks the chain.
Hunter ranks
Every solo round ends on a rank based on how many mice you caught. A bar on the result screen shows how many more you need for the next one.
| Rank | Mice in one round |
|---|---|
| 🐾 Sleepy Kitten | 0+ |
| 🌱 Curious Cub | 5+ |
| 🌙 Lawn Prowler | 12+ |
| 🔥 Night Hunter | 20+ |
| ⚡ Shadow Stalker | 30+ |
| 👑 Yungas Legend | 45+ |
| 🌟 Mythic Tilcayo | 65+ |
Days played in a row count as a streak, shown on the start screen.
Daily Challenge: the mouse of the day
Every day has its own fancy mouse, one of 100 hat-and-accessory combinations, and it is the only fancy mouse that shows up that day. Catch 10 of it in a single round to finish the Daily Challenge; fall short and the count starts over next round. Each finished challenge puts that mouse in your album. The list cycles every 100 days, and a full album earns the Mouse Collector seal. After a round, Share copies a spoiler-free result, Wordle-style.
Seals (achievements)
Seven wax seals are earned by playing and stay on your device.
| Seal | How to earn it |
|---|---|
| Quick Paws | Catch 30 mice in one round |
| Night Watch | Survive 90 seconds in one round |
| Clean Paws | 20 catches in a round with no empty slap, porcupine or snake |
| Power Hoarder | Collect 6 power-ups |
| No Escape | 12 catches in a row without letting a mouse escape |
| Lawn Duelist | Win a 1v1 online match |
| Mouse Collector | Finish the Daily Challenge for all 100 mice of the day |
1v1 online
In 1v1 online two players share one 5×5 lawn. Rounds last 60 seconds, the match is best of three and there are no power-ups. The first paw on a mouse wins it and the mouse of the day is worth 3. A porcupine or a snake doesn't cost points, but the cat that slaps it licks its paw for 2 or 3 seconds while the rival keeps hunting. Pick Quick match to face a random player, or Create room and send the five-letter code to a friend. Wins feed the global Top tilcayos ranking.
Share your hunt
After a round, tap Share for a short result you can paste anywhere: your points, one square per mouse of the day caught (out of 10) and your time. Challenge links like tilcayo.cat/?beat=42 still work: whoever opens one sees the score to beat.
Tips for a high score
- Don't tap blindly: each empty slap costs 0.3 s, which adds up fast.
- Leave the porcupine and the snake alone: licking a paw while the clock runs is the fastest way to lose.
- Catch mice next to a snake quickly, before it gulps them.
- Watch the bar at the top: a wiggling mound shows where the next hole will open.
- Grab Freeze when the clock is low; grab Auto-catch when the lawn is crowded.
- Keep catches under 1.5 s apart to hold the combo and hit frenzy.
- On a computer, press Space to start and use the mouse to catch.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Tilcayo Cat Game?
Tap the mice as they pop out of the holes in the grass. You start with 5 seconds on the clock; every catch adds 0.8 seconds (up to 5) and an empty slap costs 0.3 seconds. The lawn starts with 4 holes and a new one opens every few seconds until all 25 are dug, while the mice slowly speed up. The round ends when the clock reaches zero.
What do the power-ups do?
Auto-catch makes the tilcayo catch every mouse automatically for 6 seconds. Full time refills the clock to 5 seconds. Freeze pauses the clock, the mice and new spawns for 4 seconds.
What happens if I hit the porcupine?
Your cat stops to lick its sore paw and can't catch anything for a moment: 2 seconds after a porcupine, 3 after a snake. Your combo breaks too. The same goes for 1v1 online.
How do combos work?
Catches less than 1.5 seconds apart chain into a combo. Callouts appear at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30, and 10 or more turns on frenzy mode. A mouse escaping, an empty slap, a porcupine or a snake breaks the combo.
What are the hunter ranks?
Every solo round ends on a rank by mice caught: Sleepy Kitten (0), Curious Cub (5), Lawn Prowler (12), Night Hunter (20), Shadow Stalker (30), Yungas Legend (45) and Mythic Tilcayo (65).
How does the 1v1 online mode work?
At tilcayo.cat/play two players share one 5×5 lawn for 60-second rounds, best of three, with no power-ups. The first tap on a mouse wins it and the mouse of the day is worth 3. You can use quick match against a random player or create a private room and share its code, and wins count toward a global ranking.
How do I challenge a friend?
After a round, tap Share my card. The game draws a score card image and a challenge link like tilcayo.cat/?beat=42; your friend's start screen then shows the score to beat.
Is Tilcayo Cat Game free? Do I need to install anything?
Yes, it is free and runs in any modern web browser on phones, tablets and computers. There is no account and no download; you can optionally add it to your home screen as an app.
Is Tilcayo Cat Game a game for people or for cats?
It is a game for people. You play as the tilcayo cat and tap the mice yourself. It is not a “game for cats” (the videos and apps with moving mice made for pet cats to paw at a screen), although nobody will stop your cat from trying.
What other cat games are like Tilcayo Cat Game?
Other free cat-themed browser games include Cat Simulator (sandbox), Kitty Loves Birds (platformer), Flip Pounce (one-tap skill), Longcat (puzzle) and Yeetcat (idle clicker). Tilcayo Cat Game is the reflex arcade of the group and the only one with online 1v1. See the full comparison of cat games.
Want to know about the real animal? Read the tilcayo cat, the first new wild cat species in over a century.