Pomegranate Edward Gorey's Cats Memory Game

Edward Gorey had an abiding devotion to cats. Over a career spanning more than five decades, the American artist and author populated his cross-hatched, darkly comic illustrations with felines of every temperament, from the dignified to the faintly unhinged. This memory game draws directly from that body of work, presenting 36 original Gorey cat illustrations across 72 square cards, each pair waiting to be found and matched.

The game is straightforward in the best possible sense. Players turn cards face down, flip two at a time, and attempt to remember where each image sits. Match the pair, keep the cards. The player with the most pairs at the end wins. It is the kind of game that rewards both genuine concentration and a certain pleasurable stubbornness.

What makes this edition worth owning is the quality of the imagery itself. Gorey's cats are not decorative filler. They are characters. Scantily clad, supremely agile, and rendered with the artist's signature cross-hatching, each illustration carries the wit and strange poetry that made Gorey one of the most distinctive visual voices of the twentieth century. Playing the game means spending real time with these drawings, which is no small thing.

The 72 cards are printed to a high standard, with rich contrast and careful colour reproduction that does justice to Gorey's ink work. The cards are sturdy enough to withstand repeated play without warping or wearing at the edges. The compact box, which measures 7.6 x 10.8 x 7.6 cm, stores the full set neatly and is robust enough to travel well. Play instructions are printed on the underside of the box, so nothing gets lost.

This is a game for two or more players, and it works equally well with children and adults at the table. For younger players it builds memory and concentration. For adults it offers the particular satisfaction of a game that is simple in structure but quietly competitive in practice. Introducing a seven-year-old to Gorey through a matching game is, frankly, an ideal approach.

Produced by Pomegranate, whose commitment to accurate art reproduction is well established, the game is published under licence and reflects the care that house brings to every product bearing an artist's name.

At a Glance

• 72 cards (36 matched pairs), featuring 36 individual Edward Gorey cat illustrations.
• For 2 or more players. 
• Suitable for ages 4 and up.
• Box: 7.6 x 10.8 x 7.6 cm. Card size: 6.4 x 6.4 cm.