Top 34 · #10 of 29 in Party
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
A fast-reaction party game where you chant the words as you flip cards, and everyone slaps the pile the moment the picture matches the word you just said. The rules are simple enough that children and adults can all play together.
👨👧👦 Played with our kids
Played with children aged 6 and 4.
Rules
Say “taco – cat – goat – cheese – pizza” in order as you flip cards, and when the word you said matches the card you flipped, everyone slaps the pile. The slowest hand takes all the cards. The rules take a minute; the hard part is a mouth faster than your hands.
64 cards
| Card | Count | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Taco · Cat · Goat · Cheese · Pizza | 11 each (55) | Slap when the card matches the word |
| Gorilla · Groundhog · Narwhal | 3 each (9) | Do the required action first, then slap |
The chant order never resets
“taco → cat → goat → cheese → pizza → taco → …” and around again. The chant carries over from player to player. If the previous player said “goat,” you say “cheese.”
Setup
- Shuffle and deal all the cards out evenly to the players.
- Do not look at them. They form your face-down draw pile.
- 2 to 8 players.
Play — say it, flip it, slap it
- 1Start to the dealer's left and go clockwise.
- 2On your turn, flip the top card of your draw pile away from you into the center as you say the next word. You must not see it before everyone else does.
- 3If the word and the picture match, everyone immediately slaps the center pile.
- 4The last player to slap takes every card in the center and puts it on the bottom of their draw pile.
- 5That player then starts the chant again from “taco.”
The three special cards — the action comes first
Gorilla, Groundhog and Narwhal are reacted to the moment they appear, whatever the word was. You just have to do the right action before your hand lands on the pile.
| Card | Action | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Gorilla | Beat your chest with both hands | Slap |
| Groundhog | Knock on the table with both hands | Slap |
| Narwhal | Put both hands together above your head to make a horn | Slap |
Penalties — you take the whole pile
- The last player to slap
- Slapping when there was no match, or twitching your hand toward the pile (flinching)
- Saying the wrong word or missing your turn
- Seeing your card before you flip it
- Doing a special card's action wrong or not at all
A penalty means taking every card from the center and putting it on the bottom of your draw pile. That is why your pile shrinks and then balloons in an instant.
How to win
Running out of cards does not win the game
After you empty your draw pile, you win only when you are the first to slap on the next slapping moment (a match or a special card). Fail, and you take the pile and keep playing.
- A player with no cards still takes part in the chant and the slapping.
- A player with no cards flips nothing on their turn and just says their word.
Rules people get wrong
Q. Do I slap even when it is not my turn?
Yes. Only the flipping goes in turn order; everyone slaps at the same time.
Q. Does the chant restart with each player?
No. The five words run on continuously. It only goes back to “taco” after someone takes the center pile.
Q. Do special cards have to match the word?
No. They are acted on the instant they appear, whatever was said.
Q. I started to slap and stopped.
That is a flinch, and it is a penalty. When in doubt, do not move at all.
Q. I played all my cards. Why is it not over?
You still have to be first on one last slap. Reaching zero cards is not a win by itself.
Q. Does it work with two players?
Yes, it is for 2 to 8. The more players, the more chaos, and the more fun.
History and editions
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Dolphin Hat Games, 2017 |
| Players · time | 2–8 players · about 10 minutes · age 8+ |
| Genre | Slapping / shedding card game |
It became widely popular around 2020, and many themed editions and expansions followed. The publisher also explains how to combine its decks with other titles of theirs, such as “Ugly Sweater.”
Sources
Rules summary — official fan site (Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza rules)Wiki cross-check — Wikipedia: Taco Cat Goat Cheese PizzaRules summary — Geeky HobbiesRule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us in the comments below →
Last updated 2026-09-08
💡 Master tip
Keep the no-peeking rule strictly — flip each card away from you, toward the other players, so nobody sees it first. The faster you go, the more your brain overloads and the harder everyone laughs!
Ready for something heavier
If this one has gotten too easy, try these — same feel, one step up in weight.
Tools you can request
Not built yet. Let us know if you want one — it goes on the list.
Rhythm metronome
Plays a steady beat so the chant never drags
Penalty roulette
Gives a fun action penalty to the player who has to take the cards
Comments
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