How to play Cat Dash

Cat Dash is a cat escape puzzle game with 100 levels. Look at each cat's head, clear its path, and help every long cat leave the board.

Applies to Cat Dash 1.3.0 · Updated October 10, 2026

Follow the cat's head

Find an open path. A cat moves in the direction its head faces. Check the spaces between its head and the edge of the board.
Tap or click any part of the cat. When the way is clear, it slides out. You only need one tap; the game handles the movement.
Free the next cat. Removing one cat opens space for others. Keep going until the board is empty.

The challenge is choosing the right order. If a cat faces another cat's body, look for the cat that can move out of its way first.

Hearts, hints, and restarts

Each attempt starts with three hearts. Tapping a blocked cat costs one heart. After three blocked moves, choose Try again to replay that level.

Hint highlights a cat with a clear exit in blue. Tap that cat to move it. Restart puts the current puzzle back at its starting position with three hearts.

Earn up to three stars

Three stars: clear the level without blocked moves or hints.
Two stars: the three-star condition was not met, and you clear with at most one blocked move; hints are allowed.
One star: clear the level after two blocked moves.

Your best star result is kept. Finishing a level unlocks the next one, and the level picker lets you revisit unlocked puzzles.

Choose your cats and sound

Open Cat friends to choose from nine cat styles, including orange tabby, tuxedo, calico, and ragdoll. Your chosen team appears when you restart or open another puzzle. Cat choices change the artwork; the puzzle layout and movement rules stay the same.

The Sound button beside the title switches music and effects on or off. On a first visit, audio starts with your first game interaction; a saved muted preference stays off until you change it. If audio fails to load, use Sound Retry. Across the 100 levels, you will visit 34 illustrated scenes, with a new scene every three levels and a final scene for level 100.

Open Progress & settings to select Reduce motion or inspect your saved progress. Otherwise motion follows your device preference. Fullscreen is offered only if your browser supports it.

Play with a keyboard

Use Tab to move between controls. Open Keyboard play to find a button for each cat, then press Enter or Space to send the focused cat toward its exit. Each cat button includes its direction.

Keep your progress

In a browser with safe saving support, version 1.3.0 saves the current puzzle, including its remaining cats, hearts, hints and mistakes, together with unlocked levels, best stars, teams and settings. One tab owns automatic saving; check the save status before leaving. Other tabs and browsers without the required saving support can still play and export a backup. Earlier versions did not save a partly cleared board; those older records resume from the beginning of their saved level.

Use Download backup before switching devices or clearing site data. Backups can be previewed and restored in another browser; there is no automatic cloud synchronization. Read the saving and restore guide for the full steps.

Find your next goal

The level picker shows your best stars. Progress & settings also summarizes milestones from cleared levels and three-star results. All nine cat styles are already selectable; milestones do not lock or unlock cats. The reference guide lists the actual goals.

After clearing a level, you can share the result, copy its text or download a result card. Sharing is optional and does not affect your stars. A shared result links to the normal game; it does not transfer your save.

Play Cat Dash, review the rules reference, or use troubleshooting if something behaves unexpectedly.

Play Cat Dash →