Hustle Cat

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 897 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Hustle Cat Game Cover
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In "Hustle Cat," you play as Avery Grey, the newest employee at A Cat's Paw, a popular cat cafe with a mysterious staff and a strange book in the basement. As you work and get to know your coworkers, you'll uncover the cafe's secrets and maybe even find romance. The game features a diverse cast of characters and a catchy soundtrack. . The above summary is based on the information provided by the game's creators.)

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Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 897 reviews
story258 positive mentions
grinding11 negative mentions
  • Adorable and well-written game with charming characters and a fun, immersive story.
  • Inclusive options for pronouns and character appearance, allowing for a personalized experience.
  • Engaging routes that provide unique insights into each character's backstory and personality.
  • The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it doesn't justify the full price.
  • Repetitive dialogue in the common route can become tedious during multiple playthroughs.
  • Some technical issues, including crashes and bugs in the gallery, can detract from the overall experience.
  • story586 mentions

    The story of "Hustle Cat" is generally praised for its charm and engaging characters, offering a cozy narrative set in a cat café with magical elements. While many players appreciate the unique routes and character backstories, some feel the overall plot lacks depth and can be repetitive, with significant details often left unexplained. Despite these critiques, the game is noted for its heartwarming moments and the fun of exploring different character arcs, making it a delightful experience for fans of visual novels.

    • “It's such a unique story and an awesome concept, and the characters are amazing; I just want more!”
    • “The story is compelling, and the plot twists are good, even if by now I can see most of them coming.”
    • “The story is rich, the characters are beautifully written, and the overall game is adorable.”
    • “Both the characters and the story aren't fleshed out really well.”
    • “However the actual story of the mystery of the café almost gets glossed over in every single route.”
    • “The story was a bit rushed, especially towards the end with barely anything explained and the romance system based seemingly on your choices during the interview in the beginning, when you haven't really met any of the main characters.”
  • music172 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and immersive quality, enhancing the overall experience with a variety of themes that suit different scenes. Many players highlighted specific tracks, such as Graves' theme, as standout pieces that evoke strong emotions and nostalgia. While some noted occasional repetitiveness and a limited number of tracks, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and atmosphere.

    • “The music is beautiful, and the art is wonderful.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing (the theme song reminds me of Panty and Stocking, so that was nice to have a nostalgic feeling).”
    • “The music is fantastic, the art is adorable in its own way.”
    • “The music isn't anything to write home about, but it does the job fine in setting up the atmosphere and mood of the scene.”
    • “But on the other hand, it's lacking a lot of content; there could be way more pictures and options to choose from, also the music doesn't change very often.”
    • “The music got annoyingly repetitive (two songs in particular were played way too much during upbeat and relaxing moments that made them anything but).”
  • graphics103 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which effectively complements the overall aesthetic of a cat café. Many reviewers highlight the quality of the character designs and the vibrant visuals, although some note inconsistencies in artwork quality. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for players who appreciate visually engaging content.

    • “The graphics are very well made, the avatars are nicely drawn and the cats are super cute.”
    • “The artwork and style quality is great, you can tell that they put a lot of effort into it.”
    • “The art style is adorable and the concept is just really neat overall.”
    • “The artwork was inconsistent and very sloppy.”
    • “The artwork can vary in quality and the plot doesn't change much through most of the routes.”
    • “Conclusion, characters are fine, artwork is mighty fine but it's just not 20 bucks worth it in the end in the sense of overall content.”
  • humor98 mentions

    The humor in this game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, with many players reporting genuine laughter and emotional engagement throughout their experience. The dialogue is described as witty and relatable, featuring lovable characters that contribute to a lighthearted yet occasionally poignant narrative. Overall, the game strikes a delightful balance between cute, funny moments and heartfelt storytelling, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.

    • “I was expecting this to be hilariously bad but then it just ended up being legitimately hilarious and cute.”
    • “The writing is smart, funny, and emotive -- the characters are incredibly lovable and never quite fall prey to the archetypes that usually plague games like this!”
    • “It's cute, funny, magical, and also packed with serious notes and passages.”
  • emotional65 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and relatable storytelling, with many players expressing strong emotional connections to the characters and their journeys. While some routes may feel formulaic, the writing effectively balances humor and heartfelt moments, often leading to laughter and tears. Overall, players find the game to be a touching experience that resonates deeply, making it a standout in the visual novel genre.

    • “There are some emotional beats in some routes that can tug at your heartstrings.”
    • “I came into it expecting a silly visual novel about cats and dating, but ten hours later here I am, emotionally compromised because I just love everything about this game so much.”
    • “The emotional parts actually have feeling to them because of the good writing.”
  • gameplay25 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily focused on visual novel mechanics, featuring multiple routes and extensive dialogue that encourages players to explore different character interactions. While the nostalgic art style and music enhance the experience, some players find the gameplay repetitive and suggest taking breaks to avoid burnout. The inclusion of gender-neutral options and a clever route-unlocking mechanic adds depth, though the skip function could be improved for a smoother experience.

    • “The art style, music, and gameplay are great!”
    • “There are many routes to choose from and dialogues during gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay itself is medium-short, but if you try to go through all of the different character's routes, then it will take up an afternoon.”
    • “It's a lot of reading and not much else for gameplay.”
    • “Some things that I didn't like were the lack of options surrounding the gameplay itself.”
    • “In certain ways, this game feels like a linear visual novel that the developers crammed routes into to artificially lengthen gameplay.”
  • character development25 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the depth and relatability of the characters across various romance routes. However, some reviewers feel that the pacing of character development is too rapid, leaving little time for deeper exploration of the characters' arcs. Overall, the combination of engaging writing, cute character designs, and a diverse cast contributes positively to the experience, though some players desire more impactful choices to influence character outcomes.

    • “I also enjoy the fact that both the love interests and the main character go through character development throughout the game.”
    • “Sweet cast of characters, really enjoyed the story and character development even if I found the conflict to be a bit simple.”
    • “The way he is portrayed to have been extremely committed to being a witch and yet still having not found his true magic is both heart-wrenching and fascinating - Reese failing at magic until he realizes he doesn't need to live in his father's shadow is great character development, and his real magic is quite interesting.”
    • “This game would have to be a lot longer to actually have enough time for character development and story.”
    • “There was just never enough character development to really get me interested in them.”
    • “Character development in each route seemed too fast paced.”
  • replayability15 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it high due to multiple paths and endings, others note that the relatively short playtime limits the overall replay value. Many appreciate the variety of routes and the potential for different experiences, making it worthwhile for those interested in exploring all options. However, some caution that the replay value may not be as significant for players who prefer to stick to a few routes.

    • “There's like infinite replayability and I could replay the routes many, many times.”
    • “Multiple paths make for great replayability.”
    • “Plenty of replay value for all the different endings (including at least 2 bad endings).”
    • “If you have the cash to spare and this seems like something you'd like, I think it might be worth it, but the replay value is pretty low and the routes aren't that long, so I'd keep that in mind.”
    • “Although the game is somewhat short, the number of endings increases the replay value quite a bit.”
    • “The playthrough is somewhat short (a couple of hours), but as there are several routes to explore, the replay value is high.”
  • grinding11 mentions

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, primarily due to repetitive dialogue and a cumbersome skip function that lacks speed adjustment. While some players find the experience worthwhile for the story and character routes, others express frustration with the need to repeatedly click through familiar text, especially after completing multiple routes. Overall, the game is seen as less grind-heavy compared to others in the genre, focusing more on narrative than stat-raising mechanics.

    • “Text was copied and pasted in some parts, and it felt tedious rather than an enjoyable and fresh experience.”
    • “The fast forward/skip function is also tedious, as there is no way to adjust the speed or completely skip dialogue between decisions, which there are way too few of.”
    • “After you finish about three routes, the dialog gets a little tedious.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as friendly, immersive, and relaxing, effectively enhanced by its art style and music, which, while not exceptional, contribute to the overall mood. Players appreciate the cute and magical elements, along with relatable characters, creating a chill environment that draws them into the story. Overall, the combination of these elements fosters a captivating and enjoyable experience.

    • “I thought the style was perfect for the atmosphere.”
    • “I appreciated the art, the music, the whole - very immersive - atmosphere and the cuteness that emanates from 'Hustle Cat'.”
    • “The music isn't anything to write home about, but it does the job fine in setting up the atmosphere and mood of the scene.”
    • “The atmosphere, the music, the characters - everything just sucked me in until I had no bearing on how much time was passing in the real world.”
    • “The atmosphere of the cafe is friendly, of the chosen family style, and something is always happening.”
  • stability7 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is marked by occasional glitches and bugs, including issues with the skip button and random crashes. While some players report significant problems, others have experienced minimal disruptions, suggesting a mixed experience regarding stability. Frequent saving is recommended to mitigate potential issues.

    • “However, I'd also like to warn possible consumers about the amount of bugs and glitches.”
    • “The game is a little buggy; sometimes it crashes randomly or the skip button doesn't work.”
    • “Occasional glitches and bugs (I've had the game freeze up on me once; be sure to save and save often! That and the gallery stops letting you click on images after you view a few of them).”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for slow loading times and frequent crashes, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the lack of a text speed option forces players to click excessively, suggesting potential links to the game's optimization issues.

    • “The game has some coding and optimization issues; it loads slowly compared to other visual novels and crashes every couple of hours on my system. However, thanks to the autosave feature, I never lost any progress.”
    • “The lack of a text speed option means you have to click a lot to speed the text along, and I'm starting to suspect that this is also linked to the game's optimization.”
    • “There is no text speed option, so you have to click a lot to speed the text along, and I am starting to suspect that it's also linked to the game's optimization.”
    • “There are coding and optimization issues: it loads slowly compared to other visual novels and crashes every couple of hours on my system (although thanks to the autosave, I never lost any progress).”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

9hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-21hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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