Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora

About

"Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora" is a noir-style Metroidvania adventure game where you play as private investigator Emma Jones and her cat partner Franky. Solve grisly murders, explore a 3D side-scrolling world, and find clues to unlock secrets and resolutions. With a variety of revolver rounds and a spiffy jazz soundtrack, uncover the truth in a world filled with cats and other animals in fancy hats.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 132 reviews

story18 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features a charming atmosphere with witty dialogue and a unique noir style that many players find enjoyable.
The gameplay includes interesting puzzles and a variety of bullet types that add depth to the mechanics, making exploration rewarding.
Despite some flaws, many players appreciate the humor and creativity of the game, finding it a fun experience overall.

The map design is often confusing and maze-like, leading to frustration and a lack of direction for players.
The reloading mechanic for the revolver is cumbersome and can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
Many players report bugs and technical issues that can hinder progress and enjoyment, particularly in later stages of the game.

story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The game's story is a mix of humor and noir elements, featuring engaging characters and a richly designed world, though it suffers from a disjointed narrative structure that can lead to confusion. While many players appreciate the comedic dialogue and the freedom of choice in side quests, some find the overall storytelling lacking depth and coherence, making it a hit-or-miss experience. Despite its flaws, the game offers replayability with multiple endings and is recommended for those who enjoy atmospheric storytelling intertwined with puzzle-solving.
- “The game has a good and funny story to it, with some interesting characters to discover along the way.”
- “Overall, I enjoyed the game and there is replayability value since there are various side quests to seek out and there are (from what I've read) around fifteen different endings.”
- “Well-written detective story with lots of comedic dialogue within the cases.”
- “First off, the story is often all over the place as it is possible and very likely you will stumble across later events earlier than you should, and they will not make sense (e.g. I found and arrested suspects I didn't even know yet).”
- “So yeah, the way the story is structured sucks.”
- “An adventure game with platform elements and encouraging exploration, but a story and setting that I cannot care about.”
humor
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever and witty humor, featuring hilarious characters and engaging dialogue that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the light-hearted tone and quirky charm, which effectively balance the noir theme without becoming overly dark. While some technical issues were noted, the humor remains a standout aspect, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a fun and entertaining adventure.
- “This game has an absolutely enjoyable atmosphere, hilarious characters, and a beautiful commitment to the bit.”
- “A well-written, charming, and genuinely funny noir indie adventure game about a pair of private investigators uncovering a criminal conspiracy.”
- “A humorous little noir-styled game filled with lots of hilarious and witty dialogue and a creative use of weaponry. I recommend this game for anyone looking for an enjoyable silly romp for the low price of 15 dollars.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of enjoyable elements and significant flaws. While the game features charming aesthetics, engaging platforming, and a unique blend of mechanics, it suffers from poorly designed puzzles and a cumbersome ammo reloading system that detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the exploration and nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles.
- “The gameplay itself is also very fun, with a mixture of puzzles requiring different weapon ammo, and a very large map to explore.”
- “This experiment with mixing and fusing gameplay mechanics and styles results in a one-of-a-kind game, and it's well worth its price.”
- “Great writing, a fun noir setting, and great platforming gameplay.”
- “The other gripe is a clumsy ammo reloading mechanic where you manually insert skill bullets into a four-chamber revolver.”
- “Swapping out the ammunition is such an annoying mechanic; it would be much easier to put in some sort of ammo configuration and swap to it with a button or hotkey.”
- “Very buggy and chunky gameplay.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
32%
11%
The music in the game is highly praised for its classy and enjoyable quality, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and character personalities. While some players noted that the soundtrack loops in certain areas, this did not detract from their overall enjoyment. The blend of noir and blues elements, particularly the saxophone solos, contributes to a relaxing backdrop that complements the game's artistic style and narrative.
- “The overall sound is chill and relaxing, and, with all the intricate sax solos, it stays in the background, as a good soundtrack should.”
- “I love the music, the atmosphere and the great writing.”
- “The soundtrack loops if you enter a new area with the same music.”
- “Which is pretty amateur as I can now see, but for some reason I decided to buy the bundle with the soundtracks and 'Jones on Fire'.”
- “When you play something noir, blues music with a juicy sax is necessary.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
15%
15%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm, engaging characters, and effective soundtrack, contributing to a delightful experience. Many reviewers appreciate the unique elements, such as the presence of cats and a female protagonist, while some note a disconnect between the atmosphere and the story. However, a few critics feel the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, highlighting a mixed reception in this aspect.
- “This game has an absolutely enjoyable atmosphere, hilarious characters, and a beautiful commitment to the bit.”
- “I love the music, the atmosphere, and the great writing.”
- “Very cute game, with great atmosphere.”
- “Doesn't succeed in creating any kind of atmosphere (despite the claims).”
- “Liked the atmosphere, but didn't understand the story: that's what I call a good film noir adaptation ;)”
- “Love the atmosphere, the fact that cats feature very heavily and that it's a female protagonist (but that doesn't make any difference!).”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics are generally described as charming and visually pleasing, with a fresh art style that enhances the atmosphere and character personalities. However, some criticism is directed at the bland backgrounds and repetitive room designs, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals surpass initial impressions from screenshots, they could benefit from more polish and color variety.
- “The visuals are nice and pleasing, the soundtrack is good, the characters all feel like they have their own little personalities, and it's interesting to piece together the story and see where it goes.”
- “The graphics are actually better than the screenshots/video convey - going past an alleyway there's all levels of parallax going on.”
- “I like it, it was charming with its graphics, atmosphere, and I enjoyed each individual character's personality.”
- “All the rooms look the same, thanks to that terrible bland background they use (maybe try making it a little more colorful? So people could recognize stuff?) and terrible camera aesthetic where it turns with you when you reach a corner of the room.”
- “The art style is fresh, though at times I feel it's a bit too sharp around the edges and needed more polish.”
- “The aesthetics and the writing are charming, but the puzzles, objectives, and investigation mechanics are shoddy and mostly unenjoyable.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, particularly due to the repetitive nature of platforming and navigation, especially in the gum factory. Many express frustration with unclear objectives and tedious travel, leading to a loss of patience and enjoyment as the game progresses. Overall, while some areas are initially fun, the grind becomes overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.
- “My only real issue with this game is that some of the objectives aren't clear. You'll get them eventually, but sometimes it takes a little longer. The main thing, though, is that some of the areas are a little tedious. They're fun at first, but then it just feels like I'm doing the same thing over and over again, and I start losing patience.”
- “I will comment that later in the game, in the gum factory, it can feel a bit tedious working your way through.”
- “It can be a bit buggy and tedious to travel to places and to understand what is required to progress in the story.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches, hanging dialogues, and a generally buggy experience that can disrupt gameplay. Players have reported tedious travel mechanics and confusion regarding story progression, leading to frustration and multiple restarts. Overall, the stability of the game is a major concern for users.
- “It glitches out and hangs constantly - dialogue either blipped by or it hung on people's lines to the point where I had to restart it three times before giving up.”
- “Very buggy and chunky gameplay.”
- “It can be a bit buggy, tedious to travel to places and to understand what is required to progress in the story.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, noting that even when faced with frustration, the desire to return and continue playing remains compelling. This suggests that the game effectively engages players on an emotional level, driving them to overcome challenges.
- “But despite how frustrated it made me feel, I wanted to come back and play more.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability due to its numerous side quests and approximately fifteen different endings, encouraging players to explore various paths and experiences.
- “Overall, I enjoyed the game, and there is replayability value since there are various side quests to seek out and around fifteen different endings.”