lava flows from Mauna U'lu in 1974 pouring down Hilina Pali in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
lava flows from Mauna U'lu in 1974 pouring down Hilina Pali in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Popoki (cat)

A combustive solo adventure about a feral cat walking across lava on the Big Island of Hawai’i

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Orange tabby cat

Game Market West

play mat for Popoki

I had limited-edition copies of Pōpoki available at Game Market West, a biannual independent market for unpublished game designers to show off their work.

I still have a few copies left. Contact me!

Cats and Dice

white cat meeple in front of a 4 yellow "glow" die

Each die represents a particular step in your cat’s journey.

You might land on normal temperature rock or incandescent glow or flow from magma.

And beware of trapped, flammable gas!

Smart cards

sample of three akamai cards, including kama'aina, wiki wiki, and lawe aku

Each round brings more experience, and that means your cat is learning from its mistakes.

Akamai is the Hawaiian word for “smart, clever.”

It means with each step, you are getting better at avoiding danger.

Play-through

Video of the game being played

Watch a play-through of Pōpoki using a version of the game sold at Game Market West in September of 2026.

Prototype

screenshot of the game board at Playing Cards IO

Learn how to play Pōpoki using an online prototype hosted at Playing Cards IO.

Disclaimer

Greg (left) in nomex shirt standing next to an active lava flow field at Kamoamoa.

Please do NOT try this at home! 🤙🏽

This game is based on my experience as a geologist and wildland firefighter on the Big Island of Hawai'i (left), and in both cases it was part of my job to walk near an active lava flow field.