Forget the usual family game night showdown of Monopoly-fuelled sibling rivalry — there’s a new contender on the table, and it comes with considerably fewer arguments about who’s the banker. Say hello to Counting Cats, an utterly charming new card game from Cyberjaya-based creative studio Meja Belakang, currently prowling its way through a crowdfunding campaign on MyStartr.
So, What’s the Game All About?
The premise is delightfully simple, which is precisely the point. Players draw cards from the deck and lay out a little three-card “panorama” (beginners, take heart — you’re allowed to start with just one card while you find your paws). Then comes the fun bit: everyone squints, scans, and starts counting how many cats bearing a particular trait are cleverly tucked into the scene.
Feeling confident? Shout out your number — but choose your moment wisely, because only one player gets to answer per round. Guess correctly and you bag 2 PAWnts (yes, that’s the actual scoring unit, and no, we’re not sorry for how much we love it). Guess wrong, and everyone else at the table happily scoops up a consolation PAWnt each. It’s quick, it’s sneaky-competitive, and it turns out spotting a half-hidden cat behind a lamppost is far trickier than it sounds.
Built for a Toddler, Loved by Everyone
Every good game has an origin story, and this one’s a proper heart-warmer. Creator Haireey of Meja Belakang first dreamt up Counting Cats three years ago with his son, Hanan, in mind — a board game fanatic hoping to pass the hobby down to the next generation. The brief he set himself: simple enough for a toddler to grasp, but engaging enough to hold its own at a full family gathering.
Watching Hanan enjoy the finished game convinced him it was time to share it with the rest of Malaysia’s game nights — and honestly, given how universally adored “spot the difference”-style games are, we reckon he’s onto something.
Meet the Makers
Meja Belakang Art is the brainchild of Haireey and Lim, a duo who’ve spent the best part of a decade in the creative industry — by day in 3D animation, by night (and lunch break, and probably during meetings) hosting card and board game sessions with anyone who’ll sit still long enough.
This isn’t their first rodeo either: their earlier titles, Drama Pukul 7 and Nak Makan Apa, were both successfully funded and are already firm favourites on local game shelves — proof that Meja Belakang know exactly how to bottle that distinctly Malaysian brand of tabletop fun.
What’s in the Box (and How to Get Your Paws on It)
The MyStartr campaign is currently live, running until 6 September 2026, with pledge tiers starting from RM45 for a copy of the game itself. Climb up the tiers and you’ll unlock extras like a crochet cat keychain, a Counting Cats notepad, a UFO cat coaster, and — for the top supporters — an in-game custom card and personalised postcard.
Estimated delivery is slated for October 2026, with shipping available worldwide.
It’s a low-fuss, flexible-funding campaign too, meaning the team keeps whatever is raised regardless of whether the target is hit — so every ringgit pledged genuinely goes towards bringing more cats (fictional, card-based ones) into the world.
Why We’re Rooting for This One
At LOCCO, we’re suckers for homegrown ideas that turn something as small as a father-son afternoon into a product the whole community can rally behind. Counting Cats is playful, proudly local, and proof that the best game nights don’t need batteries, screens, or complicated rulebooks — just a sharp eye, a competitive streak, and the willingness to be very loudly wrong about how many cats are hiding in a bush.
Fancy backing a local dream? Head over to MyStartr and get counting./LOCCO
