Purrgatory

About

Purrgatory is a single player action game with horror and comedy themes. It was developed by Niv and was released on August 22, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A slice-of-death visual novel about making friends, cracking cat puns, and waiting for eternity to pass.

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,978 reviews

story400 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Charming and relatable characters with well-written and unique personalities.
Heartwarming, funny, and thought-provoking story that balances humor with deeper emotional moments.
Free game with substantial content, including multiple endings and interactive puzzles/minigames.

The navigation and map layout can be confusing and difficult, sometimes requiring external guides.
Art style and controls are simplistic and occasionally clunky, which might not appeal to everyone.
Puns and some dialogue may become repetitive or annoying for players not fond of that style.

story
694 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The story is widely praised for its charming, heartwarming, and emotionally impactful narrative, featuring diverse, relatable characters each with unique backstories and development. It combines humor, thoughtful themes about life and death, and gentle pacing to create a memorable, cozy experience that resonates deeply with players despite its relatively short length. Overall, the narrative is considered the highlight of the game, offering a touching and well-crafted journey that many find moving and engaging.
- “With a rich cast of characters and a touching story, Purrgatory was such a fun game and I would really recommend it to anyone who loves casual, soft games.”
- “The characters, the shifting atmosphere, the storytelling, the arcs in both the narrative and individuals, the range of emotions it so perfectly provides... it was just peak.”
- “I was instantly attached to each and every single character, my sad loser self loved the story all the way to the ending.”
- “The story feels like an afterthought, with minimal emotional stakes or motivation beyond basic progression.”
- “I’ve lowered my score because of it being clunky, the map design, and some underwhelming story progression activities.”
- “Story line minimal and doesn't add anything to the experience.”
emotional
466 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its deeply emotional and heartwarming experience, often making players laugh, cry, and form genuine attachments to its well-written, lovable characters. Reviewers highlight its touching storylines, charming art and soundtrack, and meaningful themes about life, death, and companionship, creating a cozy, wholesome atmosphere that leaves a lasting impact. Many describe it as an unexpectedly moving and wholesome journey that artfully balances humor and poignant moments.
- “This is a beautiful game with simple, yet very charming and intentional graphics and soundtrack, with real and incredibly touching characters that I got attached to, to some instantly, to some with time, but I left with the feeling of 'I have made great friends right here'.”
- “Every single character is so well written, every small shift in how they change is just noticeable enough without feeling forced, and the cutscenes are so heartwarming.”
- “Purrgatory brought me to tears with the emotional depth and complexity of the characters and themes.”
music
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The music in this game is widely praised for its charm, emotional depth, and fitting atmosphere, with many players highlighting the memorable soundtrack and touching end credits song that enhance the overall experience. Though some find the music occasionally repetitive, it is generally described as relaxing, cozy, and integral to the game's unique vibe, often prompting players to purchase the soundtrack in support of the developers. Overall, the soundtrack deeply resonates with players, creating a warm, immersive, and memorable accompaniment to the story and characters.
- “The soundtrack is wonderful, especially near the end (those who got the true ending know what I mean).”
- “This is a beautiful game with simple, yet very charming and intentional graphics and soundtrack, with real and incredibly touching characters that I got attached to, to some instantly, to some with time, but I left with the feeling of 'I have made great friends right here'.”
- “The music is amazing (I have been listening to 'Purrgatory Blues' on repeat).”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and doesn’t add much to the overall atmosphere.”
- “Sound design is empty or there is just flat music playing in the background.”
- “Now, the art and soundtrack (excluding the last song) may be simplistic in nature, but they serve to highlight the mundanity of the bland space between heaven and hell.”
graphics
297 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The graphics feature a simple, hand-drawn, and minimalist art style that is charming, cozy, and uniquely fitting to the game's tone and narrative. While some may find the visuals rough or basic at first, the style grows on players and enhances the emotional impact and humor throughout. Overall, the graphics complement the story and characters well, creating a memorable and endearing experience.
- “This is a beautiful game with simple, yet very charming and intentional graphics and soundtrack, with real and incredibly touching characters that I got attached to, some instantly, some over time, but I left with the feeling of 'I have made great friends right here'.”
- “The art style is adorable, and the dialogue is fairly realistic and funny!”
- “The art style is charming and also inspiring to me (someone who is going into game design and has 0 talent for art) in that the artwork doesn't necessarily need to be high quality.”
- “First of all, the art style looks kind of cute, but it feels rough after looking at it many times.”
- “The art style is a bit cute and some of the character interactions are nice but if you look a little closer it feels like it was written by a 12 year old on Wattpad.”
- “It does not support widescreen and the largest it displays at is 1920x1080 but that is actually okay in this instance as the graphics are still easy to see and the text easy to read.”
humor
275 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is widely praised for being charming, clever, and heartwarming, with plentiful cat-themed puns and witty dialogue that resonate well with players. It balances lighthearted, goofy jokes with emotional and thoughtful moments, creating a funny yet touching experience. While some find the puns occasionally tiring, the overall comedic tone and relatable characters make the humor an integral and beloved aspect of the game.
- “Made me laugh, more than I'd like to admit, and made me cry, more than I'd like to admit.”
- “The writing is spectacular, the characters are all awesome, compelling, and funny, the arcs are all amazing.”
- “100% would recommend, wholesome game and made me feel all fuzzy inside after completing it—also no shortage of puns and hilarious scenes (they were roommates!!!) so lots of good laughs to be had too.”
gameplay
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The gameplay primarily consists of point-and-click mechanics combined with visual novel-style dialogue, featuring light puzzles and minigames that add variety and engagement. While some find it simple or occasionally repetitive, many appreciate how well the gameplay complements the charming characters and story, making for a cozy and enjoyable experience despite limited depth or progression. Overall, it's tailored for fans of narrative-driven, casual adventure games rather than those seeking complex or action-packed gameplay.
- “Gameplay is point and click adventure mixed with visual novel-esque dialogue segments, largely fetch-quest / puzzle oriented.”
- “The minigames were also enjoyable, a fine change of pace and more active gameplay really did make me feel more immersed.”
- “The characters, gameplay, puzzles and story were well thought out and I really enjoyed just speaking to the characters in between the little quests.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “The combat mechanics don’t evolve enough over time, which leaves little incentive to keep experimenting or mastering the game’s systems.”
- “The controls are relatively easy to get used to once you have an idea of where everything is, but I sometimes struggled with figuring out where I was or where to go (which I suppose is kind of the point, but some kind of map mechanic would have made my experience a lot less frustrating!).”
atmosphere
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its cozy, charming, and emotionally rich tone, blending philosophical themes with lighthearted humor and endearing characters. Its simple art style, clever use of music and sound, and unique, sometimes surreal environments create a warm yet occasionally eerie and mysterious mood that deeply immerses players. Overall, the atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between whimsical and contemplative, enhancing both narrative depth and replayability.
- “The characters, the shifting atmosphere, the storytelling, the arcs in both the narrative and individuals, the range of emotions it so perfectly provides... it was just peak.”
- “The art and music is adorable, the characters and story are so charming, and the overall atmosphere is so lighthearted and warm.”
- “Even though the nuanced character interactions are the standout part of the game, I particularly loved the liminal atmosphere of the environment and exploring our little world.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and doesn’t add much to the overall atmosphere.”
- “The maze-like layout and elevator music just add to the atmosphere and really make purrgatory feel authentic.”
- “The simple audio and visuals, while not impressive on the surface level, really helped add to the general atmosphere of the game, and also compliment its humor very well.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
23%
The game is highly praised for its exceptional character development, showcasing meaningful growth and exploration of personal struggles that deeply engage players. The charming, simple, and adorable character designs, coupled with thoughtful storytelling and representation, create a strong emotional connection and memorable experience. Overall, the character development enriches the narrative, making the game both impactful and enjoyable.
- “The character development was amazing, helping them get out of their shells, exploring, the sound effects/music, it was all perfect.”
- “The story was fun, there was a ton of character development, and it is one of those games I'll look back on and think that I wish I could play it again for the first time!”
- “I love the cute and simplistic art, and I was really impressed by the brilliant character development throughout.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The game offers moderate to high replayability, with multiple story routes and character arcs encouraging players to explore different outcomes. While some find it enjoyable for a few playthroughs, others highlight its rich character interactions and varied experiences that make it highly replayable. Overall, it provides a charming and engaging experience with plenty of reasons to revisit.
- “Very replayable with a ton of stuff to do!”
- “And that's onto the replayability of the game - I loved that each character had their own stories to explore and you could dip in and out of each character's background to explore. Running into new people was very exciting, and I loved to see how their personality was integrated into the sin they represented without being super pushy.”
- “Charming atmosphere, cute art and the best cat puns :3 A great way to spend a couple hours; also I like the replayability since I didn't quite get the whole experience in my first playthrough!”
- “There's not much replay value, but for a free game that's only about 90 MB, it's so good!”
- “I didn't want to be rude or mean to the characters because they're all so nice and feel so realistic, so I pretty much played it being nice to everyone, but I'm interested to see what kind of replay value it has, because I'm sure there are plenty of routes to go.”
- “There is some replayability in it in case you want to achieve the best possible ending.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
56%
Grinding in this game is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially in visual novel or reading segments where progress relies on constant clicking. However, some players find the gameplay and quests engaging enough to offset the grind, considering it worthwhile despite the time commitment. Overall, grinding may require patience and potentially multiple playthroughs to achieve the best outcomes.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay can be a little tedious, especially if you want the good end, but in my opinion it is beyond worth it.”
- “You'll need a second live for grinding.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally stable, though some users experience occasional startup bugs. Overall, stability issues are minimal and do not significantly impact the gameplay.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is praised for being unobtrusive, as it avoids frequent ads and spam, creating a smooth experience for players.