Hustle Cat

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,794 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.)

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,794 reviews
story516 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • Adorable characters with unique personalities and engaging storylines.
  • Inclusive options for pronouns and character appearance, allowing for a personalized experience.
  • Charming art style and a delightful soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
  • The game is relatively short, leading to a feeling of wanting more content.
  • Repetitive dialogue in routes can become tedious, especially when replaying for different endings.
  • Some technical issues, including crashes and a slow skip function, can disrupt gameplay.
  • story1,172 mentions

    The story of "Hustle Cat" is described as charming and engaging, featuring well-developed characters and a unique premise involving magic and a cat café. While many players appreciated the heartwarming narratives and the variety of routes that reveal different aspects of the overarching plot, some noted that the story can feel repetitive and lacks depth in certain areas, particularly regarding character backstories and the main plot's resolution. Overall, the game is praised for its cute art style and enjoyable writing, making it a delightful experience for fans of visual novels, despite some criticisms about pacing and the need for more detailed explanations.

    • “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 beautiful and compelling!”
    • “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.”
    • “To sum it up, the game is very cute with an equally cute art style, however the story isn't really deep nor well explained.”
  • music344 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and immersive quality, with many players highlighting specific themes like Graves' theme as standout pieces. While the soundtrack effectively sets the mood and enhances the gameplay experience, some users noted that it can be repetitive and occasionally cuts out during certain scenes. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to its charm and replayability.

    • “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 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).”
  • graphics206 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 graphics only give you the aesthetic of characters without any depth to them.”
    • “The artwork can vary in quality and the plot doesn't change much through most of the routes.”
  • humor196 mentions

    The humor in this game is widely praised for being charming, clever, and genuinely funny, often eliciting laughter from players. Many reviews highlight the relatable and witty dialogue, particularly from the main character, Avery, whose interactions with other characters are both humorous and heartfelt. Overall, the game balances lightheartedness with emotional depth, making it a delightful experience for fans of cute and funny storytelling.

    • “I cannot recommend this game enough, it's funny, adorable, and will definitely make you a bit emotional.”
    • “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!”
    • “I actually laughed out loud many times because what they said was funny or actually (dare I say) clever.”
  • emotional130 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Hustle Cat" is widely praised for its heartwarming storytelling and relatable characters, often evoking laughter and tears from players. Many reviewers noted that while the narratives may follow a formulaic structure, they still manage to deliver genuine emotional moments that resonate deeply, particularly in specific character routes like Mason's and Graves'. Overall, the game is celebrated for its wholesome themes, inclusivity, and the ability to create a strong emotional connection with players.

    • “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.”
    • “Mason's route was my personal favorite; it was very heartwarming and genuine, and it managed to make me tear up in the end.”
  • gameplay50 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily focused on reading and making choices typical of visual novels, with multiple routes and character interactions that enhance replayability. Players can customize their character's pronouns and gender, adding a personal touch to the experience, though some reviewers noted a lack of gameplay options and a slow skip mechanic for repeated dialogue. Overall, while the gameplay is engaging and nostalgic, it could benefit from improved mechanics and more diverse choices.

    • “The art style, music, and gameplay are great!”
    • “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.”
    • “Further, you have to play all the routes and unlock the secret route in order to get the full plot and truly figure out all of what's going on, which I think was a really clever game mechanic and a way to keep people interested even after they've played their favorite characters' routes.”
    • “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 development50 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the depth and growth of both the main character and love interests across various routes. However, some reviewers feel that the pacing is too rapid, limiting the emotional investment in the characters, and express a desire for more opportunities to influence outcomes. Overall, while the character designs and writing are praised, many believe that the game would benefit from a longer format to allow for more substantial character development.

    • “I also enjoy the fact that both the love interests and the main character go through character development throughout the game.”
    • “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.”
    • “But each route is quite different, and I felt that the character development done in that short amount of time was pretty great!”
    • “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.”
  • replayability30 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as high due to its multiple paths and numerous endings, which encourage players to explore different routes. While some reviewers noted that the game is relatively short, the variety of choices and outcomes significantly enhances its replay value. However, a few comments suggest that the replay value may vary depending on individual interest in exploring all available routes.

    • “There's like infinite replayability and I could replay the routes many, many times.”
    • “Plenty of replay value for all the different endings (including at least 2 bad endings).”
    • “This game is full of feels, has an amazing soundtrack, and tons of replayability.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is often described as tedious, primarily due to repetitive text and a cumbersome skip function that lacks speed adjustment, making replays feel laborious. While some players appreciate the focus on story over stat-raising mechanics, the overall experience can become monotonous after multiple routes, despite the narrative being enjoyable. For those seeking a more streamlined visual novel experience, this game may not meet their expectations.

    • “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 dialogue gets a little tedious.”
  • atmosphere20 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as friendly, immersive, and relaxing, with a charming blend of art and music that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the cute and magical elements, which create a chill environment that draws them into the story. Despite initial impressions of blandness, the atmosphere grows on players, making it a key highlight of the game.

    • “I thought the style was perfect for the atmosphere.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 of the cafe is friendly, of the chosen family style, and something is always happening.”
    • “And the art and atmosphere just really seem to grow on me because I thought it seemed bland at first sight.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game exhibits a range of stability issues, including occasional glitches, bugs, and crashes, particularly with the skip button and gallery functionality. While some players report significant problems, others have experienced minimal issues, suggesting a mixed experience regarding stability. Overall, users recommend saving frequently to mitigate potential disruptions.

    • “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/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).”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including 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 to progress, further indicating potential coding inefficiencies.

    • “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 optimization as well.”
    • “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 10 analyzed playthroughs

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