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Cat in the Box is a single player survival puzzle game with horror, mystery, thriller and anime themes. It was developed by Gustav and was released on May 1, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

Cat in the Box is a horror adventure game. Help the poor girl explore the mansion and escape from unknown entities that are pursuing her. Use a variety of tools and your wits to overcome any challenges you face. At times, you'll even have to wake yourself from nightmares to survive.

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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 394 reviews
story54 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions

  • Strong and unsettling atmosphere with excellent art style and sound design that effectively creates tension and unease.
  • Engaging psychological horror narrative with multiple endings and intriguing lore, encouraging player interpretation and replayability.
  • Well-executed puzzles that are generally accessible and fitting within the game’s context, avoiding frustrating complexity.
  • Chase sequences are frequently criticized for awkward controls, high difficulty, and causing player frustration.
  • Limited and unintuitive save system combined with forced replay for multiple endings can make progression tedious.
  • The camera filter and poor lighting reduce visibility, making navigation and item interaction challenging and occasionally unfair.
  • story
    137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this RPG Maker horror game is intriguing and well-written, featuring multiple endings and a compelling twist that enhances replay value. While some find it a bit straightforward or lacking depth in lore, others praise its atmosphere, creative narrative structure, and emotional impact. However, occasional pacing issues and disconnected subplots may detract from the overall cohesion for certain players.

    • “The story is also very well written and I love the twist that comes towards the end of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere, the story, and the tension it builds are unmatched!”
    • “The little snippets of lore and item placement throughout the game are well crafted and create one of the best story experiences I have ever experienced.”
    • “On a second note, the story is a mess.”
    • “The cult lore barely ties back to the girl's story and feels more like just nonsense that really doesn't matter except oooooo demon house.”
    • “None of the angle stuff comes back and any extra lore found by exploration is next to meaningless to the story at large.”
  • gameplay
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Cat in the Box" follows a traditional exploration-based horror formula with simple puzzles, atmospheric tension, and chase sequences that contribute to its unsettling world, though these can become repetitive over time. Its unique mechanics, including a distinctive save system involving camcorder tapes and a stamina-based dash, add freshness but sometimes frustrate players due to inconsistent controls and occasionally unfair mechanics. Overall, gameplay is praised for complementing the story and mood, though some find it simplistic or hampered by poor design choices.

    • “The game does not rely on mechanical complexity, but rather on how those mechanics are framed within its unsettling world.”
    • “The game has a very intriguing story, a unique and very creative save mechanic, puzzles that are challenging without being frustrating, well done jumpscares, and lots of action-packed chase sequences.”
    • “This game effectively uses sound design and its mechanics to create an isolated, foreboding atmosphere, and even up into the endgame, it continually pulled out new surprises and twists that never let me start to feel comfortable.”
    • “The gameplay, while effective in short bursts, becomes repetitive over time, particularly as puzzles and chase sequences follow similar patterns.”
    • “The controls are so bad it ruins the gameplay.”
    • “The main issue lies in the fact that you can’t save whenever you want to, which will put pressure on your gameplay.”
  • atmosphere
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "cat in the box" is widely praised for its compelling, eerie, and oppressive tone, effectively blending psychological horror with abstract and subtle environmental storytelling. Its sound design, art style, and unsettling setting create a memorable, tension-filled experience that stands out among RPG Maker horror games, maintaining suspense without relying heavily on jump scares. While a few visual effects like filters may detract for some players, the overall atmospheric immersion is consistently regarded as the game's strongest asset.

    • “Ultimately, Cat in the Box is defined by its atmosphere and its willingness to explore psychological horror through abstraction and repetition.”
    • “This game effectively uses sound design and its mechanics to create an isolated, foreboding atmosphere, and even up into the endgame, it continually pulled out new surprises and twists that never let me start to feel comfortable.”
    • “The atmosphere is relentlessly oppressive, the soundtrack is amazing and thematically appropriate, and the overall story is very interesting.”
    • “Although the atmosphere is there, there is no constant threat; it feels lacking in tension.”
    • “I understand this filter effect is meant to add to the atmosphere and reflect the main character recording everything on camera, but there should be an option to remove or lessen its visibility because it mostly makes the atmosphere look less pleasing.”
    • “The silence can create a gloomy and scary atmosphere, but you wish there was something more there at least.”
  • graphics
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a distinctive and appealing art style that effectively enhances its eerie atmosphere, with well-designed sprites and unsettling visuals. While some players appreciate the unique camcorder filter effect for adding to the horror ambiance, others find it detracts from the overall graphics quality. Overall, the visuals are praised as charming and fitting for an RPG Maker horror game, contributing significantly to the mood and storytelling.

    • “The atmosphere is dreary yet somehow pretty, probably due to how beautiful the artstyle is.”
    • “The original artwork and character dialogue plates present a style that is both familiar and unique, something smooth to look at put against the harsh nature of the haunted manor.”
    • “Among the sea of countless RPG Maker horror games, this one in my opinion stands out with its great visuals, scary atmosphere, mindf*ck story and moments that made me truly terrified.”
    • “Story was okay but gameplay, poor controls and very bad graphics (the camera filter made everything much worse) made it not very enjoyable to play.”
    • “There is a weird lined lens to the game the entire time you are playing, intended to indicate that you are recording, but in my opinion it made the game look really gritty and much uglier.”
    • “Usually these types of games have to have some form of twist ending, since the graphics aren't all that scary (mostly), and they also usually have a good or a bad ending, but the endings in this game never feel good no matter which one you get.”
  • music
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, blending eerie, unsettling tones with occasional piano melodies that enhance the overall ambiance and tension. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as thematically fitting, fantastic, and a standout feature that complements the game's oppressive and thrilling environment. While a few note some inconsistency or simplicity, the majority agree that the music significantly contributes to the immersive and scary experience.

    • “With dark corners, random events, unnerving music and even a few jumpscares, this game is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.”
    • “The atmosphere is relentlessly oppressive, the soundtrack is amazing and thematically appropriate, and the overall story is very interesting.”
    • “The jump scares caught me; the environment around the mansion along with the eerie soundtrack, which by the way is fantastic!”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability primarily through multiple endings and hidden easter eggs that reveal deeper story insights, encouraging players to explore different perspectives. While some sequences can feel repetitive, the intriguing mystery and rich details motivate repeated playthroughs to fully grasp the narrative. Overall, despite its short length and simple gameplay, the layered content and atmospheric storytelling make replaying worthwhile.

    • “The game is entertaining and offers a lot of replayability, as it has many details and options that may go unnoticed in the first playthrough.”
    • “This game has such an addicting mystery to figure out what is happening, which contributes greatly to its replay value to discover all the easter eggs hidden in it that range from referencing other games to even what could be considered hidden endings.”
    • “Multiple endings encourage replayability, offering different perspectives on the narrative.”
    • “Revisiting the same sequences for multiple endings can make the experience feel more mechanical than mysterious.”
    • “The game is pretty short and there is not much replayability since the only events happen at certain times, limiting variation in playthroughs.”
    • “Too frequently, multiple endings feel like a cheap way to add replay value without significantly enhancing story comprehension.”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is generally solid, with any glitches or interruptions appearing intentional to enhance the horror atmosphere rather than indicating true bugs. However, occasional minor issues like an unresponsive interact button during chase scenes and a polarizing use of faux glitches may detract from the overall experience for some players.

    • “The game also experiments with meta elements, occasionally breaking its own presentation through visual glitches or unexpected interruptions.”
    • “The interact button doesn't work at times during the chase scene.”
    • “The concept is good and the game functions well, but the irritating protagonist and the dev's love of easter eggs and fake-out pseudo-glitches really ruin the experience.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, skillfully blending a well-crafted, logical story with an atmospheric setting that evokes genuine fear and tension. Players appreciate its ability to create rare, memorable emotional moments and a strong connection without relying on cheap shocks. Overall, it's a short but impactful horror RPG that leaves a lasting impression.

    • “I will keep this section short to avoid spoilers, but the story does not have any cheap shots or take any logic shortcuts and is well worth your time and emotional investment.”
    • “I fell in love with this game, a short but thrilling experience with scenes and an ending that made me feel something I never get from other horror games.”
    • “I love RPG Maker horror games that make me want to cry at all points of the game.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game can be somewhat tedious during precise chase sequences, but the connected map design minimizes backtracking, making exploration feel more seamless and less repetitive than in other RPGs. This design helps maintain player engagement despite some challenging moments.

  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is limited due to the focus on a single character, but the unique blend of mechanics, story, and character design provides a fresh and engaging experience throughout the game.

    • “This game brings several new things to the table between mechanics, story, and character design in such a way that it was a fresh experience and kept me engaged the entire time I played it.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor is centered around the main character, who is both funny and relatable, adding charm and engagement to the experience.

    • “The main character is funny and relatable.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users generally find the optimization to be well-handled, noting smooth graphics and stable performance that enhance the overall gameplay experience.

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5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Cat in the Box is a survival puzzle game with horror, mystery, thriller and anime themes.

Cat in the Box is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Cat in the Box.

Cat in the Box was released on May 1, 2020.

Cat in the Box was developed by Gustav.

Cat in the Box has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked Cat in the Box for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Cat in the Box is a single player game.

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