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Copycat

If you own or take care of a pet – or if you have kids who’d like a pet – do yourself a favor and play Copycat in one sitting. Make sure you have tissues ready.
Copycat Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
story, emotional
stability, optimization
87% User Score Based on 2,383 reviews
Critic Score 72%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCMac OSXboxSteam DeckWindows
Copycat Game Cover

About

Copycat is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Spoonful Of Wonder and was released on September 19, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Copycat" is a single-player game with a deep, intriguing story centered around a sceptical shelter cat named Dawn who meets her new owner, Olive, a lonely older Aussie mourning the loss of her previous cat. Together, they explore themes of family trauma, abandonment, and the true meaning of home through a journey that intertwines beautiful visuals, delightful music, and an emotional rollercoaster of humor and heartbreak.

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87%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,383 reviews
story614 positive mentions
stability26 negative mentions

  • The game features a beautifully crafted story that evokes strong emotions, particularly for cat lovers.
  • The art style and soundtrack are charming, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game effectively raises awareness about the issues of pet abandonment and the emotional journey of a cat.
  • The gameplay is simplistic and can feel repetitive, with limited interactivity and choices that don't significantly impact the story.
  • Some players found the controls to be clunky and the camera angles awkward, detracting from immersion.
  • The narrative's message about forgiveness and returning to an abusive owner was seen as problematic and left some players feeling frustrated.
  • story
    1,726 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Copycat" is a deeply emotional narrative that explores themes of abandonment, belonging, and the bond between pets and their owners, often resonating strongly with cat lovers. While many players found the storytelling poignant and impactful, some criticized its execution, noting that the choices offered throughout the game felt inconsequential and the ending left mixed feelings about its moral implications. Overall, the game is praised for its heartfelt message and ability to evoke strong emotions, despite some gameplay limitations and pacing issues.

    • “An emotional story about a cat trying to find its place in the world.”
    • “The story pulls you into the lives of these characters; you'll experience their many trials and tribulations.”
    • “This game has a short touching story about love, loss, and abandonment that will break your heart as you watch everything from the cat’s perspective.”
    • “The story is poorly written, all of the characters are unlikable, the main character quite literally develops Stockholm syndrome over the course of the game, as later on she begins wanting to return to her owner who abuses her repeatedly throughout the game.”
    • “The story is a disgrace.”
    • “The story is trying to send a message, and the message was not delivered in the best way it could've and for some reason the cat is woke asf.”
  • emotional
    1,050 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Copycat" is overwhelmingly impactful, with many players reporting intense feelings of sadness, joy, and empathy throughout the game. The narrative, centered on a cat's journey of love, loss, and belonging, resonates deeply with animal lovers, often leading to tears and heartfelt reflections on pet ownership and abandonment. While some critiques mention pacing and character depth, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to evoke strong emotional responses, making it a memorable experience for those willing to engage with its themes.

    • “A touching game about pure, unconditional love of a pet, and the kind of people that don't deserve it... yet still get it.”
    • “This game made me feel heart-warming and crippling sadness at the same time, throughout the game.”
    • “Copycat is a heart-wrenching, narrative-driven indie game that will stay with you long after you play.”
    • “The janky animations and boring story made it hard to feel any emotional connection to the characters.”
    • “I found myself walking around on rails, doing nothing and waiting for quick time events that were few and far between, which left me feeling disconnected.”
    • “The lack of engaging gameplay and emotional depth made the experience feel hollow and unfulfilling.”
  • gameplay
    365 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is generally described as simplistic and focused more on narrative than on complex mechanics, often resembling a walking simulator with quick-time events and minimal interactivity. While some players appreciated the charming cat-themed mechanics and emotional storytelling, many criticized the gameplay for being repetitive, clunky, and lacking depth, with several noting that it felt more like a visual novel than a traditional game. Overall, the experience is seen as enjoyable for those who prioritize story over gameplay challenge, but may disappoint players seeking more engaging mechanics.

    • “The gameplay is engaging and easy to follow, with a story that's both heartwarming and exciting.”
    • “Gameplay is fun, interactive storytelling, but you get to be a cat!”
    • “It's a beautifully made game with extremely cool and fun mechanics, topped with a stunningly powerful narrative.”
    • “The gameplay is too simple and more of a kids interactive story where you click the button they show to click when they want you to click it with a little very limited exploration tossed in.”
    • “Even though the story is wonderfully written, the gameplay is boring.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and actually pretty boring; the choices have absolutely no impact on anything.”
  • graphics
    259 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the charming art style and beautiful visuals, particularly in dream sequences. However, some critiques highlight technical issues such as glitches, outdated graphics, and inconsistent quality, especially in character models. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they effectively complement the game's emotional narrative and gameplay experience.

    • “Such a great game, beautiful graphics as well as a touching storyline 10/10 for me!”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, voice acting spot on, the game development blew me away but not as much as the ending.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the immersion you feel, even the nature expert grew on me by the end.”
    • “The graphics look terrible.”
    • “Graphics range from nice looking to subpar. There are rough animations, clipping the camera through walls, and expressionless human faces.”
    • “The graphics are outdated, possibly from around 2012.”
  • music
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience, with many players noting its calming and beautiful qualities. While some found the soundtrack repetitive or occasionally out of place, the overall consensus is that it effectively complements the game's visuals and narrative, creating a memorable atmosphere. However, a few reviews expressed dissatisfaction with certain musical choices, indicating that not all players found the music to be impactful or fitting.

    • “Beautiful game, very emotional and heartwarming, and the soundtrack was amazing as well. Thank you for creating this <3”
    • “The soundtrack deserves a huge spotlight here: it carries the emotional weight of each scene so gracefully, especially during dawn’s dreams.”
    • “The music adds a lot to the whole experience the makers wanted to convey; played with headphones and it paid off.”
    • “Oh also the music accompanying the story is god awful.”
    • “I hated the music (it was either generic emotional music or out of place/tonal whiplash jungle music) so I ended up turning off the music and instead put on a Spotify playlist.”
    • “The music is meh.”
  • humor
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a blend of clever narration, funny cat behaviors, and emotional moments that create a rollercoaster of laughter and tears. Players appreciate the witty commentary and humorous interactions, particularly from the cat's perspective, though some feel the humor is occasionally overshadowed by the game's more serious themes. Overall, the game successfully balances lightheartedness with poignant storytelling, making it an enjoyable experience for those who appreciate both humor and emotional depth.

    • “Amazing and funny narrative, while also being wholesome and touching sensitive topics.”
    • “The game is very cute, ran smoothly, and had lots of fun mini-games and very humorous commentary.”
    • “Mostly, the game is quite humorous with a cheeky narrator that acts as the cat's thoughts and conscience, and a cast of human characters who interact with the cat throughout the three-hour story.”
    • “Not funny.”
  • stability
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players noting various bugs and glitches, particularly with controls and textures. While some experienced significant issues, others reported smooth playthroughs with minimal disruptions. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game is somewhat buggy, these issues are generally not game-breaking and can be overlooked, especially considering the small development team.

    • “Lately I had to change the launcher command line to 'pulse_latency_msec=40 %command%' to resolve some audio glitches, but that's not the game's problem.”
    • “The game has a few glitches here and there where I was getting stuck and would have to reload, but that didn’t affect the gameplay much.”
    • “While not the best, I didn't really enjoy it due to being deep and its buggy nature. The animations don't feel realistic, and you can teleport a short distance, which overall ruins the immersion.”
  • optimization
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent lag, low frame rates, and stuttering, even on recommended hardware. While some users experienced minimal performance issues, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from its otherwise charming qualities.

    • “Charming but unoptimized.”
    • “Somehow it still manages to be very unoptimized.”
    • “Had some performance issues but it didn't really ruin the game.”
    • “The only real complaint I have is that it's very unoptimized and lags quite a bit even on recommended hardware.”
    • “I had a lot of performance issues, especially later in the game where my FPS regularly dropped to around 12 when looking around - then suddenly jumps to the 80s. I tried swapping to low quality but it didn't help.”
    • “On top of that, the game’s optimization is awful, which is surprising given its lack of detail and features.”
  • grinding
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating due to repetitive mini-games, poor pacing, and an inability to skip cinematics or choose checkpoints. While some enjoyed the experience and found it engaging, others felt it detracted from the overall enjoyment, leading to a sense of boredom and dissatisfaction. Overall, the grinding elements seem to overshadow the narrative, making it a slog for many players.

    • “The dream sequences are tedious and some take forever seemingly for no reason, which can get frustrating.”
    • “Overall not a pleasant experience; the gameplay was tedious and the story just made me angry.”
    • “This game is a tedious slog with a downright dangerous message ('go back to your abuser if they say they need you').”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive storytelling, stunning visuals, and effective use of music, which together create a captivating experience that draws players in. While some mechanical issues may occasionally detract from the overall ambiance, the emotional depth and masterful pacing contribute to an unforgettable journey. The combination of beautiful art, well-executed animations, and a strong narrative makes the atmosphere a standout feature, enhancing the game's emotional impact.

    • “The immersive atmosphere and the masterful pacing of the narrative come together to create an unforgettable experience that draws players in from the very beginning.”
    • “The music, too, adds a lot to the atmosphere, making the world feel alive as you guide your cat through her journey.”
    • “A beautiful story about belonging that hits deep, becoming increasingly atmospheric and immersive as the journey progresses.”
    • “Given the emotional subtlety the game is aiming for, these mechanical hiccups can occasionally distract from the atmosphere, though they are unlikely to ruin the experience for most players.”
    • “I feel like some of the atmosphere was used to evoke a forced sentimentality, over what is ultimately a tedious game that cannot figure out its pacing.”
    • “Very few titles use solid storytelling and captivating atmosphere to attract an audience.”
  • replayability
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting that while there are some opportunities for achievement hunting, the linear story and lack of significant branching paths reduce the incentive to replay. Most reviews suggest that the experience is enjoyable but short, typically lasting 2-4 hours, and would benefit from more varied outcomes or a chapter select feature. While some players find nostalgic value in replaying, the consensus is that the game does not offer substantial replay value.

    • “Infinitely replayable (or almost).”
    • “There is some replayability to get the other achievements, and they aren't too hard.”
    • “There are choices which might offer some replayability - I haven't tried yet to see - if you could deal with a second round emotionally.”
    • “This one broke me; I can sit here and talk about the graphics (good, not amazing), gameplay (fun but repetitive), bugs (some), price (good for $5 - $10, not $20, got in a humble bundle), game length (short, 2-3 hours), replayability (none - very small) for hours, but at the end of the day.”
    • “The story remains fairly linear, and its impact relies more on tone and emotional resonance than on branching paths or replayability.”
    • “However, it has no replay value.”
  • character development
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is notably uneven; while the human characters lack depth and growth, the cat character experiences a more meaningful evolution that enhances the story. Overall, the narrative is engaging, but the absence of significant development for most characters detracts from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, the game remains enjoyable, particularly considering the small development team's efforts.

    • “It was a quick play-through with a good story and evolving character development.”
    • “I was initially really sad at the start of the game that there were no positive options when you first go into the house - the options were 'bite' or 'scratch.' I didn't want to do either, but I can see this was important to the story now, and I appreciate the cat's character development.”
    • “The humans (aside from the little boy) are really horrible and don't have any character development.”
    • “There was no character development in the story, and no consequences to any of this.”
    • “So - it's a cute story, a little simple and maybe lacking in the character development aspect of the human characters, but fine enough overall, especially for such a small development team.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for creating a misleading sense of choice, as it primarily functions as a story-driven walking simulator with minimal interactive elements. Users feel that the game's pacing suffers, and the emotional appeal seems contrived, likely influenced by the developers' advertising background.

    • “The advertisement delivers the illusion of choice in what turns out to be a storybook walking simulator with a couple of mini games.”
    • “I feel like some of the atmosphere was used to evoke a forced sentimentality, which makes sense since the writers worked in advertising, over what is ultimately a tedious game that cannot figure out its pacing.”
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4h Median play time
3h Average play time
3-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Copycat is a action adventure game.

Copycat is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Copycat.

Copycat was released on September 19, 2024.

Copycat was developed by Spoonful Of Wonder.

Copycat 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 stability.

Copycat is a single player game.

Similar games include Before Your Eyes, Until Then, Goodnight Universe, My Little Puppy, Night in the Woods and others.