Paws

Starting at $9.49Buy now

Paws is a tale of two halves and sees you traverse a vast and harrowing landscape while fending off the threats that hunt you as you make your way home. Journey through the expanded world of Shelter 2 in this standalone adventure!About Paws: "Dark and grime, twist through the vines, Slip through perils with finesse and toil. Be two for strength, be two of mind, Find the way home to familiar s…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 380 reviews

story66 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and music that enhances the emotional experience.
Engaging story that provides a unique perspective as a lynx cub, making players feel connected to the character.
Touching themes of family, friendship, and the harsh realities of nature that resonate with players.

The game is very short, with a playtime of around 1-2 hours, which some players feel does not justify the price.
Controls can be finicky and the camera angles may lead to confusion during gameplay.
Some players experienced bugs and glitches that affected their overall enjoyment of the game.

story
150 mentions
44 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a young lynx cub's emotional journey to reunite with her family, exploring themes of loss and friendship. Players appreciate the beautiful art style and music that enhance the heartfelt narrative, though some find the linear plot and short playtime limiting. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its emotional depth, making it a memorable experience despite some gameplay frustrations.
- “This game tells a great story of how a lynx cub gets lost in the wilderness and heads on a long journey to reunite with her family.”
- “The journey of a lost lynx cub as she discovers the wonders of the mysterious world around her, and a story told through gorgeous poetry and art.”
- “The art style is beautiful as always, and the story is emotional without needing a single word spoken.”
- “The world to explore isn't large, the story is linear, and 'loss and friendship as its central themes' is a bit pretentiously worded, although the story, as always, is quite emotional.”
- “So, unless you're looking for a one-and-done, extremely short little story that is more scripted events than it is puzzles, this might be for you.”
- “I felt that the Shelter 2 game was much more entertaining; I thought this would have a bit better storytelling as it was focused on you trying to find your way back to your family.”
emotional
80 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing that it evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears. The touching story, centered around themes of friendship and loss, is complemented by a beautiful art style and a heartfelt soundtrack, creating a cozy yet bittersweet atmosphere. While some players note the game's short length and occasional confusion in gameplay, the overall emotional impact remains a highlight, making it a memorable experience for those who enjoy heartfelt narratives.
- “A beautiful and heartwarming game, but don't try to understand the lore because it's really confusing.”
- “The story is touching and tugged at my heartstrings.”
- “This game made me cry..... and while I do regret crying like a baby because of the plot, it felt really good and was really worthwhile.”
graphics
69 mentions
51 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, often described as enchanting, cute, and reminiscent of a storybook. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and detail, some find the visuals challenging to navigate and occasionally amateurish. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's emotional impact and immersive experience, despite some criticisms regarding accessibility and realism.
- “My favorite thing in the world! I love this game so much, 100% recommended. So sad but shows the reality of how cruel nature can be. I love the graphics; this game is so pretty and the details are amazing!”
- “The best part about this game is the presentation. Both the unique graphics and the sound design are absolutely stunning, absolutely the quality level I expected after playing Shelter.”
- “Although graphically far from photorealistic, the 'painted fairytale storybook' style is the best looking installment of the series yet, accompanied by stunningly beautiful and sensitive music that fits the setting perfectly and amplifies the experience.”
- “Bringing it back to the graphics though, it was also hard to see one of the options you had from where you were.”
- “I got this game on sale back in the day after I saw its picture because of how much of a crazy cat person I am, but after just a few minutes of playing it, it just turned out to be really trash because the graphics are very clumpy and toyish looking and the surroundings of how everything looks makes my eyes uncomfortable.”
- “The graphics are also very hard to look at sometimes.”
music
50 mentions
54 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the overall experience with soothing and atmospheric soundtracks that perfectly complement the visuals and storytelling. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often describing it as heartfelt and capable of evoking strong emotions, making the gameplay feel immersive and magical. Overall, the combination of stunning music and art style contributes significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “A sweet, somewhat short game with a cozy and exciting atmosphere, and an incredible soundtrack that is raw and heartfelt.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful and well written, and the aesthetics and animation are overall pleasing.”
- “Beautifully designed levels, atmospheric music, color concrete moments between fog and dusk, and incredibly heartwarming.”
- “But as much as I love the graphics and music and story, I cannot recommend this one.”
- “The music is really relaxing at times, and at other times it adds to what you are feeling as the character and story progresses.”
- “One part I was at a swamp-like area and the background music really set the mood that this place isn't very welcoming, which was fantastic.”
gameplay
36 mentions
19 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players appreciating the emotional depth and atmosphere, while others criticize the mechanics as repetitive and lacking challenge. Many feel that the movement and controls could be improved to enhance engagement, and some express disappointment in the limited gameplay variety and scripted elements. Overall, while there are positive aspects, particularly in storytelling and emotional resonance, the gameplay experience is often seen as underwhelming compared to previous titles in the series.
- “I love the gameplay and I have to say it's one of my favorites (if not the favorite!) of the entire Shelter series and I wish more games like this would be published.”
- “Not like the other Shelter games, more story-driven gameplay which is a welcome change for this game series.”
- “The atmosphere, gameplay, story, and everything in between is just so good!”
- “This made me give up on exploring the levels for secrets very fast; the secrets didn't feel worth bonking the poor kitten's head against the wall so many times. If the only mechanic of your game is moving, you have to make sure moving around is engaging, or at least not actively unpleasant.”
- “Too scripted, the controls are awful (jumping on the bear is equally difficult as it is pointless), and there are very half-baked mechanics.”
- “It's more solid than a lot of other titles and digital toys out there and it has a well-defined beginning and end, but the gameplay just isn't as enjoyable as it could be and most of the challenge comes from the controls of the game rather than the game itself or any conscious gameplay design choices.”
atmosphere
9 mentions
44 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its cozy and immersive qualities, enhanced by a heartfelt soundtrack and beautifully designed levels. Players are encouraged to take their time to fully appreciate the vivid surroundings and engaging moments, which contribute to a heartwarming and atmospheric experience throughout the gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that significantly enriches the player's journey.
- “A sweet, somewhat short game with a cozy and exciting atmosphere, and an incredible soundtrack that is raw and heartfelt.”
- “Beautifully designed levels, atmospheric music, color concrete moments between fog and dusk, and incredibly heartwarming.”
- “If anything though, I feel like the world is even more vivid than the previous titles and the atmosphere along with the background music playing during specific parts really set the atmosphere really well.”
- “The atmosphere, gameplay, story, and everything in between is just so good!”
- “Atmosphere is a big part of this game and it gives a very nice feeling to players who are just joining or even still playing from start to finish.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some achievements requiring significant effort and time, often necessitating guides for completion. While certain tasks, like collecting mushrooms and butterflies, can feel tedious, the overall grind is not considered excessively overwhelming. However, some elements, such as food, seem to serve little purpose beyond contributing to the grinding for achievements.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Achievements are a bit too grindy (1000 mushrooms, 100 butterflies) but not completely overdoing it.”
- “Food doesn't seem to have a purpose beyond grinding for achievements.”
stability
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for numerous glitches and bugs that hinder gameplay, including unresponsive tutorial elements and characters getting stuck. Many players found the experience frustrating and felt the game seemed unfinished, suggesting that significant improvements are needed before it can be recommended.
- “There were some glitches I ran into - certain important tutorial control elements didn't trigger when they were supposed to during my first playthrough, so I was pretty confused about how to move forward at a couple of spots, and that was frustrating.”
- “From the start, it seemed unfinished and rushed. The controls are weird, and I was getting lost many times. I couldn't feel the vibe I was expecting, and when I finally got to know the bear everyone was talking about, it turned out to be buggy and stuck at times. Shortly after meeting him, I got stuck and couldn't continue.”
- “The game overall is very buggy and still has quite a few tweaks to fix.”
replayability
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with only two possible endings and a short playtime that diminishes the incentive to revisit it. While the level design is clever, the lack of substantial secrets and a compelling storyline contributes to a feeling that once completed, there is little reason to play again.
- “Stay away from the scripted, confusing tunnel vision story and open things up to a beautiful world of possibilities and replayability.”
- “The level design is clever, offering some replay value, but there are only so many levels to hide secrets and ghosts.”
- “The game is graphically beautiful, but the overall experience is super short, leading to limited replay value.”
- “Replay value diminishes after playing through the two possible endings, as the level design is clever but there are only so many levels to hide secrets and ghosts.”
- “The storyline was okay but nothing really great. The game, graphically like all their titles, is beautiful, but the overall game is super short. Once you play through it, you pretty much won't really have to play it again; it doesn't really have any replay value.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of lightheartedness and emotional depth, featuring funny and cute characters that evoke laughter while also delivering poignant moments that can lead to feelings of sadness. This bittersweet storytelling creates a unique and honest experience for players.
- “One minute you will be laughing, and then suddenly you will find yourself feeling emotions of sadness. This is a bittersweet game that tells a story I feel is so honest.”
- “Funny and cute characters.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players have reported significant glitches that hinder the game's performance, leading to frustrating experiences and occasional loss of progress.
- “Please fix these glitches, as they significantly impede the game's performance and sometimes cause me to get lost.”