2021Thomas Dupont
- Videos
- 47
- Creators
- 39
Mostly how-to-play and reviews
1 - 4 players20 - 30 minLight weight
Pack the Essentials
2025Jacqueline Atkins
- Videos
- 11
- Creators
- 11
Mainly reviews. Pack the Essentials is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 6 reviews, 1 how-to-play guides, 2 recorded sessions, 1 unboxings, and 1 other video.
1 - 4 players
20 - 30 min
Light weight: Learn it in minutes
From BoardGameGeek
Pack the Essentials is a lightweight, abstract strategy game about packing cats in suitcases. Throughout the game, players work to score as many points as possible by drafting and placing tiles in their suitcase to pack items, cats, and kittens; collect cat toys; and use the friendly neighborhood Pack Rat Service. Players also attempt to complete "To Do" list goals and create the largest sections of each color tile. The game plays over twelve rounds, then the player with the most points wins. When playing with fewer than four people, players will additionally compete against The Cat Ladies Club, a simple AI opponent that creates the sensation of a four-player game by removing tiles from the draft pool just as other players do.
Watch first
Which Pack the Essentials video should I watch?
Pack the Essentials has 11 videos from 11 creators: 6 reviews, 1 how-to-play guide, 2 playthroughs, 1 unboxing and 1 other video. They date from 2021 to February 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "How To Play: Pack the Essentials" by Wise Wizard Games, which runs 20 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Pack the Essentials Review: Cat in the Bag" by The Dice Tower. 6 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Pack the Essentials Solo Play - A Packing Cat-astrophe" by Merry Married Meeples, one of 2 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Codex Naturalis, AQUA: Biodiversity in the Oceans, Art Society or Walking in Burano, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from Gen Con 2025 and PAX Unplugged 2021.
All videos
8 of 11
Creators who cover this
GameOrNought
1 video of this game
Love 2 Hate
1 video of this game
Merry Married Meeples
1 video of this game
Nicholas Trager
1 video of this game
One Stop Co-op Shop
1 video of this game
P2 BOARD GAMES
1 video of this game
Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews
1 video of this game
Steph Hodge
1 video of this game
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About Pack the Essentials
From BoardGameGeek:
Pack the Essentials is a lightweight, abstract strategy game about packing cats in suitcases. Throughout the game, players work to score as many points as possible by drafting and placing tiles in their suitcase to pack items, cats, and kittens; collect cat toys; and use the friendly neighborhood Pack Rat Service. Players also attempt to complete "To Do" list goals and create the largest sections of each color tile. The game plays over twelve rounds, then the player with the most points wins. When playing with fewer than four people, players will additionally compete against The Cat Ladies Club, a simple AI opponent that creates the sensation of a four-player game by removing tiles from the draft pool just as other players do.
Designer
Jacqueline Atkins
Artists
Adam Lachmanski, Antonis Papantoniou
Publisher
Wacky Wizard Games
Categories
Mechanics