Here are four games about cats, presented for your gaming pleasure. Whether you’re snuggled up with a loved one, or the remains of a Celebrations tub, I hope there’s something for you to enjoy.
Hidden Cats from Andreas Wilcox
Swedish-based developer Andreas Wilcox made Hidden Cats for their girlfriend’s brthday, which is probably one of the sweetest gifts I can imagine. She loves cats and she loves Hidden Folks, so it seemed only natural to bring the two together. Frankly, it’s a match made in heaven. In Hidden Cats, you have joined a cat shelter who regularly rescues cats to put up for adoption. The only hurdle is that you have to find the cats first. There is, regrettably, only one scene of Hidden Cats (I get it – it was a labour of love!). That one scene is gorgeous, though. There are so many sweet touches – like home-brewed “meows,” and sound effects – that really bring the game together. I won’t spoil any of the hidden cats for you, but the whole thing is too endearing for words. Wilcox notes on the game’s itch page that, if you like the game, consider donating to an animal shelter near you.
Super Giant Robot Cat Assembly from Necktiedog
In Super Giant Cat Assembly, a great war is coming. A terrible war. The most feared general of the cat army has tasked you with one of the most important missions of all: assembling the giant cat mechs to go to war. Though you are but a kitten, you know – this is your time to shine. Super Giant Cat Assembly, from Malaysian developer Necktiedog, was made for the 2018 Dogpit Jam with the theme, “workshop,” and it only makes sense that it would lead to a workshop where you have to put robot cat heads onto robot cat bodies. The game is simple enough to play and reminds me, in the best way, of a bygone era of Negwrounds flash games. Here you have a countdown timer, you have to assemble as many colour-coded robot cats as possible, and ensure that you match colours. If you don’t, it all explodes. And be careful! Those robots were expensive. (Note: There’s a sound warning on the game’s itch page, which doesn’t mess about. Turn your volume down before playing!)
7 Things I Mistake For My Cat from Anna Anthropy
I regularly mistake things for my cat. I definitely mistake things for my cat often enough to have considered (once or twice!) that perhaps my house is haunted. What’s that shape in the corner? That scratching sound from the other room? That streak of black and orange? Alright – maybe my house is haunted, but just by my real-life corporeal cat. That’s the general gist of Anna Anthropy’s latest game, 7 Things I Mistake for My Cat. It’s just a little Bitsy exploration of cat ownership, nearsightedness, and witchery. Walk through your apartment, room by room, and encounter one of seven things – none of which are your cat. Where did that little rascal run off, anyway?
cat from nomiso
Look. Times are hard. It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, and all I can think about are those chalk conversation hearts. The brand who made them, Sweethearts, went effectively bankrupt in 2018 and eventually got bought out by the same fatcats who make Dum Dums lollipops. From 2018 to now, it was impossible to get your hand on a genuine Sweethearts conversation heart. They’ve recently gone back into production, but the rumour on the street is this: hardly any of them have those printed sayings on them. No “call me,” no “be mine,” not even “love you.” What gives? Do we live in a world where it’s just totally fine to get rid of such an iconic piece of Valentine’s Day? What will I tape to my construction paper Valentine’s Day cards? Can it get any worse than this? But then, I remember: sometimes, all we need is to download an executable file where a cat plays the bongos.
title: “The Best Free Pc Games Of The Week” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-22” author: “Brian Mcconnell”
Here are some games to get swept up in. May you find comfort.
Tiny Islands from David King
I'm a little late to the party on this one (Natalie wrote up the game over here). Tiny Islands came out late last year, but I only started playing it this week. Why did I wait so long? I hope, for your sake, that you've already given Tiny Islands a play. If not, then you're welcome. Tiny Islands is a card-based tile placement game where your goal is to map out a series of tiny islands and their topographies. It's very quick to pick up, but difficult to master -- and pleasing to look at. Truly, the holy grail of roguelites.
The Tiny Islands you create have specific rules: boats shouldn’t be too close to each other; churches want to be near houses, but houses don’t want to be near other houses; trees like other trees, and mountains like trees. At three separate points over the course of the game, you’ll be able to draw lines around those tiles, to define your islands. The better you can strategically map out your island, the more points you’ll accrue. I like to imagine the ways that the waves argue with each other, tides rising and falling against the shoreline, where a forest gives way to a small beachside church.
LVL Down from puddledock games
LVL Down is a roguelite where your goal is to get as deep into the earth as possible, where a boss waits for you to slay it. The problem is, of course, that both the door into the earth and the key to open that door are buried. And there are monsters trying to fight you. And the LANDSCAPE keeps changing. Ugh! Typical. Thankfully, LVL Down has a robust crafting system and encourages clever topographical strategy. It took me a couple of tries to fully get the hang of the hopping and timing and how to actually kill an enemy, but I kept trying until I figured it out -- and it was more than worth it. Like many "enemies move when you move" games, the rhythm you can fall into is meditative. Take it easy. Hop around a few times. Fail a little. You'll figure it out, too.
LowPolis from Matek
This game runs my life. It's honestly a miracle that this column even came out, and that I'm not still playing LowPolis. LowPolis is a beautiful little diorama of a city sim, where you must build a bustling city from its humble beginnings as a lonesome, standalone building. This is standard fare for most city sims, but developer Matek manages to set LowPolis apart with its simple design, attention to details, and slow pace. The game is lovely to look at, with cheerful low-poly folks hopping from place to little polygonal place. The little sheep in the sheep farm roam around, smoke puffs out of the bakery's chimney when bread is being made, and little fishermen sit on the banks. And the game moves slowly.
This last point is a breath of fresh air. Matek wrote that the game was designed specifically for “when you need a break or a chillout moment after playing fast-paced games,” and it succeeds. I often find that the most exciting turns when I begin a city sim (or, indeed, a civilization sim) are the opening ones. Where will I begin my new empire? What is there to explore? The following turns almost move too quickly, and after a couple of hours I yearn for the pace and simplicity of the earlier turns. LowPolis scratches that itch, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store as Matek add more features and levels (without, I hope, sacrificing the dedication to slowness!).
Idle Idol from Daniel Moreno
Idle Idol is a Cookie-Clicker-Like where I desperately tried to keep the trees. I really did. But sometimes you have to sacrifice something in order to pursue the greater satisfaction of a goddess appeased.
