Guide for beginner GMs

Trailer for the Dungeons & Kittens animated series scheduled for release in 2027, ideal for getting a feel for the universe!

Storyteller: Refers to the game master who describes the universe, plays the supporting characters, and enforces the rules.

Player: Refers to the people who play the Kittens.

Kitten: The avatar (character) played by the player in the game universe.

Extras: Refers to non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters encountered.

Dungeons & Kittens takes place on a planet where humans, nicknamed the "Big Naked Ones," have mysteriously disappeared. Nature has reclaimed the ruined cities, but humans have left a legacy to the animals: the gift of speech, imagination, and invention.

There are now two types of creatures:

An absolute universal law governs their coexistence:

The universe blends animal tales, medieval fantasy, and post-apocalyptic ruins. Cats practice Miagie (from everyday spells to great schools of witchcraft), while other animals tinker with human relics.

A few iconic places to remember:

The Kingdom of Cats is ruled by Roi Walter, a fat, angry, and unjust tyrant who reigns through fear and taxes. His main tool of control: the Exile of Kittens.

Walter regularly organizes a rigged lottery , "a parody of a ceremony," to banish entire litters of young cats from the Kingdom. Officially, it is a rite of passage: they must bring back a legendary treasure to earn the right to return. In reality, it is a collective punishment. The constant threat of seeing one's children exiled is enough to silence any opposition.

Walter's instructions are deliberately vague and misleading. Many exiles grow up in the wild, giving up all hope of ever returning. The Kittens leave with a small survival kit and their five most important possessions.

✍️ It may be tempting to write an original scenario for your first game, but this is not recommended when you are just starting out.

Start with a ready-to-play game: you'll be able to focus on running the game rather than writing it.

For Dungeons & Kittens, you have two solid options:

It contains everything you need: an introduction to the universe, simplified rules, and one or more scenarios for 3 to 6 players. It's the easiest way to get started.

The recommended introductory adventure, designed specifically for a group of Chatons who have just undergone Exile. It lays the foundations of the world, introduces memorable NPCs, and offers a nice three-act structure (investigation → encounter → action).

One reading is not enough. The first read gives you an overview; subsequent readings allow you to identify the rules that are useful for your scenario and really get a feel for the tone of the universe.

A good habit: after reading, test a rule situation with a pre-generated character sheet; this will help you remember the rules much better than simply rereading them.

The golden rule: no lore monologues. Jump straight into a scene where the Kittens have to react. You'll give them information about the universe in response to their questions, not before.

You play the moment when the Kittens' names are announced publicly in front of the entire Kingdom. The families held back by the guards, the immediate injustice, the forced departure—it's an emotionally powerful opening, ideal for launching a mini-campaign.

The Kittens are already on the road, exhausted, in the rain. They seek refuge at Granny Omelette's, an old cat known for taking in the banished. When they arrive at her cabin surrounded by extravagant chicken coops, they discover a disturbing scene: the door is open, the fire is out, the interior is in disarray, and tufts of fur have been torn out. And a pair of pliers marked with a crescent moon. The adventure begins.

A period of uncertainty at the beginning of the game is normal, don't fight it. The more questions the Kittens ask and the more they fuss, the more the plot twists tighten around them. The rule: always answer a question, even if it's with a riddle or a half-clue. A player who asks questions is a player who is engaged.

Focus on short sensory details rather than long descriptions.

The smell of spices in an inn, the damp cold of a metal door, rain on the tiles—that's enough. And don't hesitate to turn the questions back on the players:

Finally, the game is based on mutual aid and empathy. Quickly introduce an NPC in distress, a desperate mother, a child who has been treated unfairly. The Kittens naturally slip into the role of heroes, and the first real moral choice comes naturally.

This is normal; it's even a sign that the game is alive. Here's how to handle common situations:

Describe the place in the simplest and most logical way. You can say that there is nothing interesting here, or slip in a detail of lore, an object, or an NPC that gently redirects them to the storyline.

Don't dig yourself into a hole. Just tell your players that you made a mistake and give them the correct information. Everyone will understand that making mistakes is part of the game.

Ask yourself what the NPCs and antagonists would do if the Kittens didn't intervene. The world continues to exist without them, and this often creates consequences that naturally bring them back into the action. If the players really only do what they want, you can also explain to them in a quick aside that it would be helpful for the game to run smoothly if they went in a certain direction. Once you've gained some experience, you'll know how to improvise in these moments.