RUEN

Cat Finds Home

A warmup for attention and quick reactions: everyone stands in a circle, one person in the center — the "cat." The cat catches someone's gaze; a nod means the cat takes their spot, and the nodder becomes the new cat.

Full description

Setup and Launch

Participants stand in a circle — with smaller groups of 4–6, corners of the playing area work too. One person starts in the center: the "cat." The entire game is played in silence — only eye contact and nods.

Play

  1. Eye contact and nod. The "cat" scans the circle and locks eyes with someone. If that person nods, the "cat" walks to take their spot.
  2. New "cat." The person who nodded is now in the center and immediately starts looking for their own eye contact.
  3. Swaps by gaze. At any moment, any two people on the circle can make mutual eye contact and swap places — no nod needed, just a clear shared look.
  4. Interception. The "cat" watches for these swaps and tries to grab one of the vacated spots before the swappers arrive.

Key rules

  • The game is played in complete silence — only eye contact and nods, no talking or gesturing.

  • Any two people on the circle can swap spots through mutual eye contact at any time.

  • The "cat" watches for swaps and tries to steal one of the vacated spots before the swappers arrive.

  • Keep wide peripheral awareness — track the cat AND your neighbors so you're ready to move or dodge.

Context

🧺 Cart