The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem Review — How to Play with the Family

Finding the Cat in the Hat sounds simple enough, until you’re the one trying to track him down! My son and I had fun playing The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem, and finding that mischievous cat turned out to be a challenge. Between the hide-and-seek, colorful minigames, and new activities that unlocked as we played, there was plenty to keep us going.

The visuals felt spot-on for Dr. Seuss, with familiar characters and bright, playful settings. If you’re looking for something to play with friends or bring out for a family game night, this is a game worth a look. Here’s how it works and what stood out during our time playing together.

Click Here to find The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem on Amazon (affiliate link)

Disclosure: Outright Games provided a review copy of the game. All opinions are my own.

What Is The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem?

The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem is a family party game from Outright Games. It has two main ways to play: Find the Cat, a hide-and-seek race through the house, and Minigames, a collection of short challenges. You can play solo or with up to four people in local multiplayer.

The character lineup includes Sally, Johnny, Thing 1, Thing 2, and Little Cat A, with the Cat and Fish helping guide the action. The game starts with a story before launching into the activities, which gives you a little introduction to the world before you’re off playing.

Getting Started: Choose Your Character and Difficulty

Choose a character and a difficulty level to get started. The options include Easy, Medium, and Hard, and we went with Medium. I like having that choice for a game that can bring together players of different ages and experience levels.

If you’re playing with a younger child or someone new to games, I’d recommend going with Easy, because even I found it challenging to find the cat on Medium.

How to Play Find the Cat

The goal is right there in the name: search the house and find the Cat in the Hat. The mode includes 14 rooms to explore, and in multiplayer you’re competing to find him before the other players do.

This was more challenging than I expected! Rather than wandering without a plan, pay attention to the little pointing hand and hot-or-cold indicator at the bottom of the screen. That hint helps you work out whether you’re getting closer to finding the Cat.

You need to run around and shake things and open doors which helps you find stickers and things that unlock more mini games. You’ll also find portals that way, which will zap you to different places on the board quickly.

Use the Hot-or-Cold Hint

Think of it like the familiar hot-and-cold searching game. Move around, watch the indicator, and use its feedback to narrow your search. If you’re getting colder, change direction or try another area. If you’re getting warmer, keep investigating nearby.

The hint gives you something useful to follow without simply showing you the answer. It’s an especially helpful detail to point out to a child before they spend the whole round searching randomly.

My son picked up on another clue, and pointed out that you can watch the other player’s meters as well to see if they are close to finding the cat.

How the Minigames Work

The game features 18 minigames, with activities such as catching runaway penguins, decorating oversized cakes, and throwing snowballs. Each gives you a different challenge, so there’s more to do than search for the Cat.

The minigames were fun to play, and I thought it was cool that we unlocked more as we kept playing. That gives you a reason to continue and see what opens up next. You start with 4 or 5 mini games.

When a new activity appears, take a moment to work out its goal and follow the prompts on your screen. A little time spent understanding the task makes it easier to enjoy the round, particularly when players are different ages.

Why It Works for Family Game Night

I played with my son, but I can also see this working well with friends or as part of a family game night. Local multiplayer means everyone can play together in the same room, and the split-screen activities give players their own part of the television.

The variety of minigames and choice of difficulty make it a good option for a mix of ages.

My Thoughts After Playing with My Son

We played the game on the PS5 platform. What I enjoyed most was the combination of familiar Dr. Seuss visuals, a search that took some effort, and minigames that gave us something different to do. Unlocking more activities as we played was another fun touch.

The main tip I’d pass along is to watch that hot-or-cold indicator. Finding the Cat can be tricky, and noticing the hint makes the goal much clearer. Starting on a comfortable difficulty also helps keep the focus on having fun together.

For families who enjoy playful competition on the same screen, The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem offers a colorful way to spend some time together. We had fun playing, and the mix of hide-and-seek and minigames makes it an easy game to consider for a rainy afternoon.

Click Here to find The Cat in the Hat: Rainy Day Mayhem on Amazon

Quick Questions About the Game

How many people can play?
You can play solo or with up to four players in local multiplayer.

What are the two game modes?
Find the Cat is a hide-and-seek race through the house. Minigames offers a collection of 18 different challenges.

What platforms is it available on?
It is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. See the publisher’s launch information for platform details.

Rainy Day Mayhem Unboxing

Big thanks to Outright Games for sending us this fun box of goodies to go with the game! Check out our unboxing on Instagram:

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