Cats and the Other Lives

About

Cats and the Other Lives is a single player simulation game with mystery and kids themes. It was developed by Cultic Games and was released on November 21, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Cats and the Other Lives" is a narrative-driven adventure game that explores the boundary between reality and the surreal. Players uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious disappearances in a small coastal town, where cats may hold the key to understanding otherworldly forces at play. The game features a unique blend of feline companionship, investigation, and supernatural elements to create an immersive and unsettling experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 468 reviews

story205 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted story that explores deep emotional themes, making players feel connected to the characters.
The pixel art and animations are stunning, creating an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
Playing as a cat allows for unique interactions and gameplay mechanics that add charm and humor to the narrative.

The gameplay can be slow-paced and linear, with some players feeling frustrated by the lack of freedom and exploration.
Certain mini-games and action sequences can be clunky and difficult, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
The absence of manual save options and unclear checkpoints can lead to frustration, especially if players miss important story elements.

story
482 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The story of "Cats and the Other Lives" is a deeply emotional and engaging narrative centered around a dysfunctional family, experienced through the eyes of their cat, Aspen. Players uncover family secrets and dynamics as they navigate a beautifully crafted pixel art world, with themes of trauma, loss, and connection woven throughout. While the pacing can be slow and some gameplay elements may detract from the storytelling, the overall narrative is praised for its depth, character development, and ability to evoke strong emotions.
- “Great story, really great story, also love how everything is centered on how cats can perceive things, how would a cat solve things, things special to cats like their night vision, I love it.”
- “A wonderfully told story and little puzzle adventure, some of the chase sequences feel a little long but otherwise an entertaining and worthwhile story.”
- “The story is captivating and very emotional.”
- “Gotta hate the no save point though; if I want to go back to a certain part of the story, I have to restart all the way from the start to get there again.”
- “The story is a bit of a slow burn, starting off with a very slow pace during your first in-game day.”
- “The story kind of feels like it's going nowhere.”
gameplay
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
72%
8%
The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click experience that emphasizes storytelling and exploration over complex mechanics, featuring light puzzles and interactions typical of visual novels. While some players appreciate the charming cat-centric mechanics and narrative depth, many criticize the gameplay for being simplistic, clunky, or lacking engagement, with a few noting bugs and interface issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is best suited for those who prioritize narrative over gameplay challenges.
- “Gameplay is light and largely story-driven, focusing more on exploration and small interactions with objects and people.”
- “The fun gameplay lightens the mood, however, and acting like a cat with both its physical limitations and natural abilities offers some enjoyable challenges and puzzles.”
- “The gameplay works within a 2D world, where the cat can run and jump across furniture and bookcases.”
- “However, the gameplay is either non-existent or too clunky.”
- “The story is okay at best, the characters tend to be rather one-note, and a lot of the gameplay is really just reading and following people.”
- “Gameplay is dull and feels like a very secondary component to the game.”
emotional
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing that it delivers a deeply touching and heartfelt narrative that evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears. The story, told through the perspective of a cat, explores themes of family, loss, and connection, resonating with players on a personal level and creating a memorable emotional journey. Overall, it is described as a unique experience that combines humor, sadness, and warmth, making it a standout in the realm of emotionally driven indie games.
- “By the end, 'Cats and the Other Lives' delivers a heartfelt story about family, loss, and connection.”
- “The emotional depth and warmth of this game truly resonate, creating a unique experience that goes beyond typical gameplay.”
- “A beautiful game that warms you towards the Mason family members and the cat Aspen that you play as, with beautiful touching stories that portray grief, loss, and dreams in a raw and realistic but also magical and poetic way.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The graphics of the game are predominantly praised for their charming pixel art style, which beautifully complements the story's tone and themes. Many reviewers highlight the visuals as a standout feature, noting the intricate details and expressive animations that enhance the overall experience. However, some criticism arises regarding the lack of graphical options and resolution settings, which can affect performance on lower-end systems.
- “Beautiful visuals and animations; they perfectly captured what cats are all about.”
- “The aesthetics are a true highlight of the experience with intricately detailed pixel art and fantastically believable animations.”
- “Great pixel graphics, engaging and heartfelt story, awesome music.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “I have integrated graphics that supports 720p to 900p max and I was not able to change resolution or graphical settings, so I was stuck with sometimes fluid, sometimes laggy experience.”
music
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, effectively conveying emotions and complementing the pixel art style. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's well-timed cues and its role in setting the mood for various scenes, contributing significantly to the immersive experience. Overall, the music is described as exceptional, atmospheric, and integral to the storytelling, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The pixel art is beautiful, and the soundtrack sets the mood perfectly.”
- “The music conveys emotions and situations beautifully, and yes you can meow as the cat.”
- “The music constantly changes between modes and moods to fit whatever situation you find yourself in.”
- “No voice acting, apart from the odd mumble, scream, or gesture, but music is very atmospheric and manages to create a somber and sullen mood.”
- “The music was always indicating and sometimes dictating the mood of the level.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
18%
11%
The game's atmosphere is a captivating blend of eerie and comforting elements, enhanced by charming visuals and an immersive soundtrack. Players appreciate the balance between darker themes and lighthearted moments, with the pixel art and sound design contributing significantly to the overall experience. The setting, often described as nostalgic and mysterious, invites exploration while maintaining a deep emotional resonance.
- “The art style and atmosphere remind me of Black Mirror, with a sprinkle of Lovecraftian spookiness, which I dig.”
- “A beautifully directed, drawn, and animated story about family issues and values in the eerie atmosphere of the haunted mansion.”
- “Great story and immersive atmosphere, dark and mysterious with a nice topping of cuteness.”
- “These potentially triggering subjects are paired with a generally very creepy atmosphere in the game, which does not help to make it less emotionally straining.”
- “The focus in cats and the other lives is the atmosphere and its detailed narrative.”
- “The manor is filled with a homely, but almost nostalgic atmosphere which is amplified by its bright 2D pixel art.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as beautifully written and engaging, blending dark and light moments that resonate with players' personal experiences, particularly through the lens of a quirky feline protagonist. Players appreciate the clever and creative comedic elements, from relatable cat behaviors to amusing interactions with human characters, which evoke laughter and joy throughout the gameplay. Overall, the humor is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's heartfelt narrative and emotional depth.
- “Its a unique, heartfelt, and oftentimes hilarious little story about the bonds of a dysfunctional family, of ambitions and expectations; all through the eyes of an old, over-fed feline living its day to day in the wake of its owner's death.”
- “I don't know how often I sat there, giggling, laughing, even doing a video of the gameplay to send around to my friends because I was so amazed and entertained... it's funny, it's adorable, the animations are purrfect, the typical cat behavior makes you smile and makes you happy.”
- “The creators of this game had some really creative and funny ideas for sure, they alone are reason enough to play until the end.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspects of the game, particularly the mini-games, to be tedious and clunky, often detracting from the overall experience. However, many feel that the engaging story and charming art direction compensate for these frustrations, making the game worthwhile despite the repetitive elements. Overall, while the grinding can be a chore, it is often deemed manageable and ultimately rewarding.
- “A few minigames are also included, but I found them tedious to play using a mouse.”
- “While I agree they are tedious, don't add anything useful to the story and are quite clunky, they were still pretty doable.”
- “The hints can help, but it becomes tedious.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, including frequent freezing during startup and problems with unlocking achievements, which detracts from the overall experience. Users have experienced crashes that require a complete system restart, indicating a need for improved performance and bug fixes.
- “Very nice game, but sadly very buggy for me.”
- “The game currently has buggy achievements revolving around getting all 36 memories and unlocking all other achievements.”
- “The game just freezes every time I load it, and then I have to restart my computer because I can't get off the loading screen.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, primarily appealing to achievement hunters due to the difficulty of obtaining certain achievements that can be easily missed. While the first chapter offers a visually stunning experience, it does not provide significant incentives for replaying beyond the initial playthrough.
- “It's not very replayable besides the achievements, which can be a pain to get since they can be easily missed.”
- “Replayability value: no (only for achievement hunters).”
- “But so far it's absolutely gorgeous; there are small differences from its demo version, so don't think that replayability is an issue for the first chapter of the game.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the depth and intensity of the characters' arcs, as well as the effort put into the screenplay and event planning. However, some users express a desire for more content to further enrich the story. Overall, the character development contributes positively to the game's resolution.
- “I wish there were simply more to the story, but the character development of different characters and the overall resolution as it is now is still satisfying.”
- “You could tell a lot of hard work went into directing and planning out events, with some excellent screenplay and intense character development.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

The Cat’s Meow of Family Trauma
Entertainmentgeekly.com
70%

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3h Median play time

3h Average play time

3-3h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cats and the Other Lives is a simulation game with mystery and kids themes.

Cats and the Other Lives is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Cats and the Other Lives.

Cats and the Other Lives was released on November 21, 2022.

Cats and the Other Lives was developed by Cultic Games.

Cats and the Other Lives has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Cats and the Other Lives is a single player game.

Similar games include The Cat Lady, State of Mind, Marie's Room, Last Day of June, The First Tree and others.

Cats and the Other Lives

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The Cat’s Meow of Family Trauma

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