If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to see the world from a cat’s-eye view, then Little Kitty, Big City might be a game that’s meowing your name. (Or maybe the name of some younger kitten lover in your soft and pettable clowder.)
The game starts simply enough with a black-furred, green-eyed kitty napping quite contentedly on the sunshiny ledge of his (or her) owner’s high apartment window. But sleeping on high ledges isn’t always as comfy and safe as you might think; the wrong little shift or stretch can lead to … oops!
The little kitty tumbles from that great height and scrabbles to grab anything—including an unsuspecting crow that’s flying by—to break his rapid descent.
After eventually crashing down in a conveniently placed garbage can, our unnamed feline hero finds itself situated on an unrecognizable terra firma with a simple quest: get home.
To get to that sky-high apartment, however, the lost cat must explore the city and meet other critters. He encounters several cats and dogs; a brainiac tanuki (also known as a Japanese raccoon dog) that’s tinkering with the space-time continuum; a mother duck who needs help with her lost ducklings; that lightly scratched crow; and maybe even a human or two. Each new friend offers up a step-and-fetch quest and, perhaps, a little good advice.
In terms of the game’s mechanics, the going is fairly easy. Our kitty hero can run, jump and pounce, scamper up on ledges, swipe aside houseplants and the like. He chats with others in a surprisingly universal animal language (one critter’s meow is another’s quack). And he navigates obstacles, learns new movements (such as a biiig stretch and a yuck face) and runs about collecting scores of special kitty hats, such as a sunflower cap or a deep-sea diving helmet. (You know, for those cat fans who can’t resist just one more cute thing.)
Ultimately kitty must find four fish meals to gain the proper amount of energy and make the big, scary climb home. This is a single-player-only game that requires an online connection to download.
Cute. Cute. Cute.
Did I mention that this game is cute? Little Kitty, Big City is a very cozy title that focuses on funny cat play and simple quests. It’s certainly suitable for adults and kids alike. (One caveat: Quite a few animal interactions do require the ability to read captions, since meows and barks don’t translate to human very well.)
The overarching narrative, exploration and quests are also easy to nibble at in small cat-snack chunks that don’t demand long stretches of youthful time. Oh, and the kitty hero can pounce on unsuspecting birds in the city. But he’s told by another cat that this is a catch-and-release neighborhood only.
The only drawback here could be that some will find this game a little too cozy and laid back. If, for instance, you wouldn’t even dream of taking time, in the midst of a quest, to let your hero curl up for an oh-so-cute catnap or rub purringly up against a passing human leg, then this might not be the game for you.
Kitty hijinks and quests are the cozy call of duty with Little Kitty, Big City—with no cat-box mess to worry over.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
