Kitten Burst
- January 20, 2024
- Jam2go
"Kitten Burst" is a charming puzzle game where players pop adorable kitten-filled soap bubbles. Match and combine bubbles of the same color to clear them from the screen, while avoiding obstacles and collecting power-ups. With its relaxing atmosphere and increasing difficulty, it's a fun and engaging game for all ages.
Reviews
- The game features a charming aesthetic and engaging music that enhances the overall experience, making it hard to put down.
- The story is heartfelt and nostalgic, resonating with players who grew up with early 2000s internet culture, and the characters are well-developed and relatable.
- Gameplay is fun and addictive, with a unique blend of racing and bullet hell mechanics that encourage exploration and replayability.
- Some players experienced performance issues and crashes, particularly in certain worlds, which could detract from the overall enjoyment.
- The controls can be unintuitive, especially for boss fights, and the lack of mouse support during gameplay can lead to confusion.
- There are minor continuity issues in the plot that may be noticeable to players familiar with the developer's other content.
- music131 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its engaging quality and emotional depth, with many players highlighting its ability to enhance gameplay and storytelling. The soundtrack features a diverse range of electronic genres, including breakbeat and drum and bass, and is noted for its dynamic responsiveness to in-game actions and environments. Overall, the music is considered a standout element, elevating the game's aesthetic and providing a nostalgic yet fresh auditory experience that resonates with players long after they finish playing.
“The music is lovely, some songs get stuck in my head on repeat, and others make me feel emotional while also getting stuck in my head.”
“The soundtrack is great and has a lot of variety in terms of both genre and tone; I particularly enjoyed the museum level race theme, 'Rip My Heart', 'Shiver', 'Burning Bright', 'Traveller', and both of the ending themes.”
“The music goes along with whatever is happening on screen, and the gameplay is very appropriate for this kind of setting.”
“The music goes along with whatever is happening on screen and the gameplay is very appropriate for this kind of setting.”
“So of course the models are a little stiff, environments aren't the most 'polished', and the music change when you enter a new objective/part of the level can be a little abrupt.”
“These are songs that were meant to be listened to in 240p YouTube videos and crackly, pirated mp3s, not the crystal-clear, near lossless format modern computing allows us to have.”
- graphics77 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning y2k aesthetic, vibrant visuals, and attention to detail, creating a nostalgic yet fresh experience reminiscent of early 2000s internet culture. Players appreciate the unique art style, character designs, and the seamless integration of visuals with the gameplay and music, although some report performance issues and occasional glitches. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its charm and appeal.
“I love this game, the story is amazing, the graphics are amazing, the damn Y2K/frutiger aesthetic is perfected.”
“The art style is gorgeous, the characters charming, the gameplay is fun, and it feels like a love letter to gaming.”
“The combination of gameplay, aesthetic, music, and theme hit just the right spot for me.”
“All I can really complain about is that, by product of being created in Unreal Engine, it is a very graphically-intensive game, even at the lowest settings, and that can make it feel a bit jittery sometimes.”
“It has its quirks, the graphics can be a bit off-putting (even for an indie nerd such as me) and the performance is four times worse than it should be for a game that looks like this, but once you get over that I feel comfortable calling it a rough gem of a game.”
“Just a warning though: it's a pretty buggy game, for example I had to go through a lengthy part of the ending three times because at low graphics it crashes because of a missing texture apparently, but it's not like the jank absolutely ruins the game, you just need a bit of jank tolerance.”
- gameplay72 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, characterized by its charming aesthetics, engaging music, and a mix of racing and bullet-hell mechanics that provide a fun yet challenging experience. While some players noted a learning curve and occasional control issues, many found the gameplay addictive and rewarding, especially after mastering the mechanics. Overall, the game combines innovative gameplay with a captivating story and vibrant visuals, making it a standout experience despite minor criticisms.
“The gameplay is fun and challenging; after getting a handle on steering with the controller, I want to go back and try to 100% the circuits and boss fights.”
“The racing gameplay has a learning curve that felt fair and well-paced with the level-up mechanics.”
“Every second of gameplay was a joy, and I relished the journey from start to finish.”
“My only critique of this game comes in gameplay; I feel like the boss fights are way too unreadable. It's hard to tell what bullets are going to hit you, especially when they're filling your screen, with irrelevant bullets blocking the camera, and tilting the camera seldom helps.”
“And for the gameplay or experience of playing the circuits and doing the boss fights: I'm not going to pretend here that it's perfect. The controls don't always feel wholly precise, the hitboxes of the ion 'packets' can feel too unforgiving at times, it's not made explicitly clear how open-ended the circuits often are, and understanding positioning in boss fights can be difficult.”
“Only real criticism about the gameplay is that avoiding obstacles and judging your position in space can be a little tough in boss fights.”
- story66 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story has received widespread acclaim for its engaging narrative, charming characters, and emotional depth, often blending humor with heartfelt moments. Players appreciate the unique early 2000s internet aesthetic and the way the story intertwines with gameplay, creating a cohesive experience that resonates deeply. While some minor continuity issues and underdeveloped character interactions were noted, the overall storytelling is considered a standout feature, making it a memorable and impactful journey.
“The storytelling is truly touching, drawing me into a captivating narrative that resonates deeply.”
“This game has been a wonderful experience so far with fun engaging gameplay and a story that has sent me on a journey of emotional awakening.”
“The story is one of the most wonderful and cohesive I've seen in indie gaming in the past few years, and the way that it blends with the gameplay and the aesthetics is seriously impressive.”
“Too often do games come up with an idea and then slap a story together based on that.”
“The gameplay is very innovative and fun (especially for a speedrunning oriented soul like myself), and while the rational part of my brain says the story and jokes are awful, the story did get me attached and the jokes made me laugh, so that's all that matters, right? You just need to approach the game with absolutely no expectations and let the game fill those in for you; that'd be my advice.”
“It's not super experimental, generally a 'revive cyberspace, but there's an evil megacorp planning to take it for themselves' plot and we didn't get very far, but the characters all shine, especially the secret boss.”
- emotional21 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its wholesome characters, touching story, and a soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience. Many reviewers reported feeling deeply moved, with some even crying during key moments, highlighting the game's ability to evoke nostalgia and heartfelt connections. Overall, the combination of engaging storytelling, relatable themes, and memorable music creates a profoundly emotional journey for players.
“This game made me cry.”
“The storytelling is truly touching, drawing me into a captivating narrative that resonates deeply.”
“The music is lovely, some songs get stuck in my head on repeat, and others make me feel emotional (while also getting stuck in my head).”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its blend of nostalgic early 2000s internet jokes and clever, self-aware dialogue, creating a lighthearted yet emotionally engaging experience. Players appreciate the witty character interactions and the incorporation of meme culture without feeling overbearing, resulting in a fun and memorable atmosphere. Overall, the humor complements the gameplay and story, making it a standout feature that resonates with players.
“This game is a masterpiece; it manages to juggle both the lighthearted internet humor of the early 2000s with a story that becomes quite sad at points.”
“There are so many unique ideas done literally nowhere else, silly jokes, funny references, and just a bunch of small things that really show you how much passion went into making this.”
“The dialogue is really funny and witty.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its engaging writing, fantastic soundtrack, and unique vaporwave aesthetics, which together create an emotional and immersive experience. While the humor and story contribute to a charming and relatable environment, some players feel that NPC interactions could be deeper to enhance the overall atmosphere further. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a memorable and distinct aspect of the experience.
“The humor is funny, the story is fantastic, and the overall atmosphere is incredible.”
“What sets it apart even more is the fantastic soundtrack, perfectly curated to evoke emotions and enhance the overall atmosphere.”
“The vaporwave aesthetics crossed with the unique environments lead the atmosphere to be completely different than anything I've ever played, and it's great.”
“The story is cute, engaging, and very 'human' feeling - it feels a bit lacking though in that conversations with NPCs found around levels are somewhat surface level, remarks that sort of build the atmosphere of the stage and the overall condition of the characters within it, but not so much them as individuals.”
“Love the early 2000’s atmosphere.”
- character development5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its lively writing and unique presentation, resembling a forum thread that enhances the storytelling experience. The character designs and animations are highlighted as exceptional, contributing to a heartfelt narrative that resonates with players. Overall, the combination of engaging gameplay, nostalgic humor, and a creative early 2000s internet aesthetic enriches the character development and overall experience.
“The artwork and character designs are awesome, the writing is so lively, everything being written as if it was a forum thread. The story seemingly rewired my brain to some degree... it is a lovely game.”
“A really enjoyable racing/bullet hell game that uses its unique early 2000's internet setting and style for creative level and character design, along with a surprisingly engaging and heartfelt story.”
“Fresh gameplay, beautiful areas and art style, great character design, amazing soundtrack, hilarious and nostalgic humor and references.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and crashes, particularly in specific worlds. While the graphics may not be impressive and performance is notably subpar for its visual style, adjusting texture settings can help improve the experience. Overall, despite its quirks, many still find it to be a worthwhile game.
“The upgrades provide a good balance of options between making the game more forgiving and increased performance for increased demand on skill.”
“On a technical note, I had some bad performance issues on several of the worlds (Arbormyth and Lost Loch) and one major crash. While it didn't stop me from finishing the game, I could see it stopping some players.”
“It has its quirks; the graphics can be a bit off-putting (even for an indie nerd such as me), and the performance is four times worse than it should be for a game that looks like this. But once you get over that, I feel comfortable calling it a rough gem of a game.”
“If you are very concerned about performance, running on medium or low texture settings also works.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find significant replayability in the game due to its upgrade system, which encourages revisiting older levels for improved performance and times. The score-attack elements further enhance replay value, making it enjoyable to return to the game even after completing the campaign. Overall, the game offers ample opportunities for players to engage repeatedly.
“It's a lot of fun and has a lot of replay value.”
“The upgrade system also provides some replay value to older levels, allowing players to achieve better times on previous races.”
“As someone who enjoys score-attack games, there's a lot of replay value here.”
“There's built-in replay value, but I'm not sure if I'll still be engaged after updating the game; we'll cross that bridge after I finish the campaign.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have several bugs, including crashes related to low graphics settings and missing textures, which may require players to have some tolerance for jank. However, many users note that the issues have been addressed through patches, improving overall stability since launch.
“Just a warning though: it's a pretty buggy game. For example, I had to go through a lengthy part of the ending three times because at low graphics it crashes due to a missing texture apparently. It's not like the jank absolutely ruins the game; you just need a bit of jank tolerance.”
“It was a tiny bit buggy when I first started, but it's been patched.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express a desire for a public leaderboard feature to enhance the grinding experience in races, as it would provide a sense of competition and reward for improving times, similar to the mechanics in "Neon White."
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find the grinding mechanics to be overly repetitive, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and feels like a chore rather than a challenge.”