Cats in Time

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"Cats in Time" is a 3D puzzle-adventure game where you help Professor Tim Edger find his missing cats lost in different ages, from ancient Egypt to future Tokyo. Explore 30 distinct locations, solve challenging puzzles, and discover the cutest cats hiding in unusual places. This Steam version includes new levels and more content, making it the ultimate experience for cat lovers and puzzle enthusiasts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 745 reviews

graphics46 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

Charming graphics and environments with adorable cats wearing hats.
Relaxing gameplay with a mix of simple puzzles and hidden object elements, suitable for all ages.
Supports a good cause by donating to real cat shelters with game profits.

Many puzzles are overly simplistic, lacking challenge for experienced players.
Encountered bugs that can disrupt gameplay, requiring level restarts.
The hint system can sometimes provide misleading or unhelpful guidance.

graphics
83 mentions
55 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute, low-poly aesthetic and vibrant colors, making it visually appealing, especially to younger audiences. Players appreciate the charming art style and detailed environments, which enhance the overall experience, although some note occasional bugs and a lack of resolution options. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, complemented by a cheerful soundtrack.
- “The graphics are very cute, the puzzles are not too hard - just right to keep you engaged - and nothing brings as much joy as a hat-wearing cat meowing while spinning into a time-space vortex.”
- “With beautiful and low poly 3D graphics, cute cats, and a relaxing soundtrack, the game is a great choice for those who are looking for a casual and enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “The graphics are visually pleasing, with vivid colors and pop-culture references that add to the overall charm of the game.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “Edit: sometimes the graphics are bugged when viewing hints; this is, however, solved by going back to level select.”
- “The reason for this is that most of the levels feel quite similar, even with their different aesthetics based on famous eras in history, and the same puzzle mechanics are repeated regularly.”
music
63 mentions
40 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as relaxing, soothing, and fitting for its cute and colorful aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience. However, many users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, which may detract from prolonged play sessions. Despite this, the music is often appreciated for its ability to create a calming atmosphere, making it suitable for casual gaming and unwinding.
- “The game's soothing music and beautiful visuals make it the perfect way to unwind after a long day.”
- “The bright colors, soft shapes, and adorable costumes are pleasing to the eye and the music is incredibly soothing.”
- “I normally get frustrated with puzzle games, but the gameplay mixed with the music is just an absolute delight.”
- “The music is almost irritatingly repetitive, but that's the only downside to this otherwise quite enjoyable game with its colourful graphics, interesting (albeit eventually repetitive) puzzles and a superb hint system in case you're just not quite sure what to do next or you're just stumped about what the puzzle is supposed to even be, let alone how to solve it.”
- “The game has nice visuals and color palette but the soundtrack does become repetitive if you stick in a single area/menu too often.”
- “The music part was so badly handled that I had to turn it off to avoid a headache.”
gameplay
36 mentions
19 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Cats in Time" is characterized by its simple and casual mechanics, focusing on finding cats and solving easy puzzles, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre. While the visuals and charming themes enhance the experience, some players noted a lack of challenge and repetitive mechanics, which may lead to a less engaging experience over time. Overall, it offers a relaxing and enjoyable puzzle experience, particularly for cat lovers, despite some bugs that can affect gameplay quality.
- “If you're looking for a difficult puzzle game that will test your perception skills, look no further -- because the biggest enigma has been you all along, looking at the thumbnail and the trailer and believing that 'Cats in Time' is a hard-core rogue-lite souls-like experimental puzzler that stands out from the rest due to its captivating story and intriguing original mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is easy to learn, the puzzles are just challenging enough to keep a player coming back for more but not so easy that you get bored easily, and the cartoon graphics are really cute and enjoyable.”
- “Cats in Time takes a lot of classic puzzle mechanics combined with hidden object elements to create a really relaxing and engaging game with beautiful animations.”
- “Indeed, the mechanics of the puzzles are so easy to understand that the most difficult part often lies in finding in the scenery the elements to solve it rather than in the resolution itself.”
- “It is a nice first step if you want to start with 'mechanical puzzle' games, but you won't find great challenges here.”
- “Additionally, the game is known to have a number of bugs that can affect gameplay and cause frustration for players.”
stability
17 mentions
0 % positive mentions
6 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Players report problems with hints, puzzle interactions, and level restarts, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. While some aspects, like controls and graphics, are praised, the pervasive bugs make it difficult to recommend the game.
- “There are glitches galore that make it very unenjoyable.”
- “Cute game but the glitches completely ruin it.”
- “Well, in theory this is a nice game that I would love to recommend but it is so buggy that I've been close to a rage quit many times.”
humor
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its lighthearted and whimsical nature, particularly through the amusing antics and outfits of the cats. Players find the combination of funny visuals and engaging puzzles to be both entertaining and relaxing, making it suitable for all ages. Overall, the game delivers a delightful experience filled with laughter and charm, especially for cat lovers.
- “I got plenty of fun from just sitting and laughing at the cats and their little outfits for a while each level.”
- “A very relaxing puzzle game; puzzles aren't too hard, music is soothing, and the cats wear funny hats!”
- “Highly recommend if you like funny, logical puzzle type games and of course cats!”
story
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, with many players noting a lack of a substantial narrative; however, it compensates with charm and thematic elements. While the puzzles are simple and the overall plot is not a focal point, the experience is enjoyable, featuring side quests and collectible postcards that add a layer of engagement. Ultimately, the game is more about the whimsical journey than a deep storyline.
- “If you're looking for a difficult puzzle game that will test your perception skills, look no further -- because the biggest enigma has been you all along, looking at the thumbnail and the trailer and believing that 'Cats in Time' is a hard-core rogue-lite souls-like experimental puzzler that stands out from the rest due to its captivating story and intriguing original mechanics.”
- “I follow cats, their story told.”
- “Chill with period-specific music while on the cat-rescue mission.”
- “☐ no story”
- “No story but plenty of theme and charm more than makes up for it (or is perhaps even preferable).”
- “A variety of puzzles are represented throughout the story, although most of them will remain simple!”
replayability
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers decent replayability, as players are likely to forget their previous actions and can revisit levels to collect hidden postcard pieces. However, some users feel that the replay value is limited, indicating a mixed reception on this aspect.
- “There's also good replay value as most players will never remember everything they did to get every cat for every level.”
- “No replay value!”
- “Decent replay value too.”
- “Each level has 3 hidden postcard pieces to find as well, adding some replayability for if you don't find them the first time.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a deeply emotional and wholesome experience, emphasizing its fun and stress-free nature. The engaging gameplay, combined with charming elements like a cute cat model, evokes joy and smiles, making it a delightful and personal journey for many.
- “Since I make all my game journeys an emotional and personal experience, I want to say this right away.”
- “This cute, wholesome, engaging game had me smiling from ear to ear.”
- “A really wholesome, cheap, and fun casual puzzle game, with an active dev Discord and a cat model so derpy you'll never not melt whenever it meows.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a variety of relaxing and charming environments, ranging from ancient Egypt to futuristic Tokyo, enhanced by well-crafted audio. Players appreciate the cute, colorful visuals and the overall chill vibe, which complements the engaging puzzles and item-finding elements.
- “The atmosphere is cute, colorful, and bold, with some nicely drawn environments that, although not incredibly detailed, possess a lot of charm.”
- “The audio is well-done and adds to the atmosphere of each level, as players travel from ancient Egypt to futuristic Tokyo.”
- “The levels are a nice variety of relaxing locations with very chill atmospheres.”
grinding
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when forced to restart levels and re-solve puzzles. While some describe the experience as repetitive, the variety in levels and scenery helps alleviate some of the monotony. Overall, the grinding is seen as more of a chore than an enjoyable challenge.
- “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
- “This forced me to restart the level, and it can be rather tedious to re-solve everything you just did.”
- “For me, the game was more tedious than fun.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, particularly for PC users, who report poor performance and minimal visual improvement when adjusting settings. There are hopes that it may perform better on touchscreens, but overall, the optimization appears lacking.
- “I can only hope it was optimized for touchscreens, since this is unacceptably bad on PC.”
- “Also, turning down those settings didn't change what the game looked like in any real way, so I'd say this wasn't very optimized for PCs.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Cats in Time" has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting that it feels more like a mobile app than a legitimate PC game. The gameplay is described as simplistic and lacking depth, further fueling perceptions of greed from the developers.
- “Cats in Time is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game. It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is a basic tap and drag lazy 'puzzle' game where you're presented with a 'diorama' and you have to swipe your finger on your iPhone screen to rotate each one to reveal the different mini-puzzles you need to swipe around to solve.”
- “The monetization in this game is outrageous. It feels like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it impossible to enjoy without spending money.”
- “I can't believe how much they charge for in-game items. It feels like they are more interested in making money than providing a good gaming experience.”