The Cat and the Coup

About

The Cat and the Coup is a single player puzzle game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad and was released on June 15, 2011. It received very positive reviews from players.

"The Cat and the Coup" is a unique game that lets players experience the history of Iran's first democratically elected Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, through the eyes of his cat. Players influence Mossadegh's actions by knocking objects and scattering papers, leading him through significant events of his life. The game provides insight into Iranian history and encourages players to consider their connection to the past, particularly the relationship between Western video game players and Iran. It raises thought-provoking questions about democracy and its potential threats.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 670 reviews

story34 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Beautiful artwork and unique art style that effectively conveys the story.
Short but impactful, providing a thought-provoking overview of a significant historical event.
Free to play, making it accessible for anyone interested in learning about Iranian history.

Gameplay is simplistic and lacks depth, making it feel more like an interactive documentary than a game.
Very short duration (around 10-15 minutes), which may leave players wanting more content.
The historical context may be confusing for those unfamiliar with the events surrounding Mossadegh and the coup.

story
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
70%
2%
The game "The Cat and the Coup" presents a unique and artistic retelling of the historical events surrounding the 1953 Iranian coup, focusing on the life of Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran's first democratically elected prime minister. While some players find the gameplay mechanics clunky and the story somewhat disjointed, many appreciate its poignant narrative and striking visual style, which combines collage art and historical context to engage players in a brief yet impactful interactive experience. Overall, it is more of an interactive story than a traditional game, effectively highlighting a significant but lesser-known chapter in history.
- “What a masterfully told visual story!”
- “This game, while it has a bit of a clunky mechanic for the movement of the cat, conveys beautiful and masterful storytelling in a short span of time.”
- “The cat and the coup is definitely not a 'game' as we traditionally expect but more of an interactive story.”
- “The controls feel a bit clunky and the story is slightly confusing, especially if you are unfamiliar with the historical setting it refers to.”
- “Story-wise, this is just a very summarized and haphazard timeline of events starting from Mosaddegh's rise to power to his eventual fall from grace.”
- “The downside is that it is boring, as a story, and that the gameplay is essentially a frustrating element designed to keep the story from being told in a rapid series of clicks.”
graphics
103 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
46%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork, which combines traditional Persian miniatures with postmodern elements, creating a visually captivating experience. Reviewers highlight the unique art style and its ability to convey historical narratives effectively, despite the gameplay being simplistic and short. Overall, the visuals are described as mesmerizing, rich in symbolism, and integral to the game's educational purpose, making it a standout feature.
- “Absolutely stunning artwork.”
- “The graphics are largely inspired by traditional Iranian miniatures and feature a mix of medieval-style figures with masterful geometric patterns and vibrant colors.”
- “The artwork stayed very true to Persian history, the music was very soothing, and it was very informative.”
- “Graphics 2/10”
- “Its a history story with scrapbook graphics and turn-the-page gameplay.”
- “The music plus the really demented graphics style don't make me scared but more...freaked out.”
gameplay
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, often described as clunky and lacking intuitiveness, with many players noting that it consists mainly of straightforward puzzles that serve to advance the narrative rather than provide a challenging experience. While the mechanics are integrated into the thematic elements of the game, allowing players to engage with the story in a unique way, the overall gameplay is often seen as a secondary aspect to the stunning art and educational value of the historical content. Many reviews suggest that the game is more akin to an interactive storybook than a traditional game, making it suitable for a brief, engaging experience rather than extensive gameplay.
- “The mechanically simple controls for the cat and the easy tasks don't take away from the narrative and allow you to focus on the digestible history lesson.”
- “The gameplay is based on very simple 2D physics puzzles, and it took me ten minutes to play through, but the game is very, very beautiful and rather haunting.”
- “It draws gamers into a colorful world, presents a dark historically relevant story mixed with simple and easy to understand game mechanics that invest users in something somewhat unexpected.”
- “Admittedly, the gameplay isn’t always intuitive and can feel clunky at times.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is pretty much padding that hinders the pacing of the narrative.”
- “The gameplay is extremely simple, some physics-based stuff easily doable on some mobile devices and not really worth mentioning.”
music
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, often described as fitting perfectly with the game's themes of colonialism and history. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack features existing tracks, such as those by Nine Inch Nails and Erik Satie, they still found it evocative and atmospheric. Overall, the combination of music and art is highlighted as a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's artistic and narrative experience.
- “The music, the background art, and the cat movement just fit the history story perfectly.”
- “The games soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and sets the mood well.”
- “The art is beautiful and the music is too, but where this game shines is its inclusion of history within the narrative.”
- “The music isn't original but fits the sentiment of the story.”
- “The music plus the really demented graphics style don't make me scared but more...freaked out.”
- “Calm music you can play if you wanna fall asleep really.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a surreal and deeply melancholic tone, effectively complementing its historical narrative. The moody soundtrack, featuring adapted tracks from Nine Inch Nails and Eric Satie, enhances the immersive experience, creating a unique and haunting ambiance that resonates with the game's themes. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong emotions through its atmospheric presentation.
- “More importantly, it combines an incredibly surreal atmosphere with a very depressing history lesson for free.”
- “Plus the music, despite being issued under creative commons, gave a deep, rich atmospheric ambience to help portray the grievance of the Iranian coup.”
- “It has a sort of depressing atmosphere which is fitting for the story it tells.”
- “The animation art style and the somber music in the background (Eric Satie's Gnossienne No. 1) create a very strange, somber art house film atmosphere.”
- “More importantly, it combines an incredibly surreal atmosphere with a very depressing history lesson.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, blending a poignant narrative based on true events with whimsical visuals that create a unique emotional experience. While some players note its brevity, they find it touching, artistic, and thought-provoking, enhanced by a heart-wrenching musical score. Overall, it resonates strongly with those who appreciate video games as a powerful art form capable of evoking deep feelings.
- “I find this makes for an emotional hodge-podge as your mood is down from the depressing state of the true events being told in the story but the comical images which are moving it forward.”
- “If you like what video games can do as an art form, and how they can affect people emotionally in their own unique manner, this game is definitely the game for you.”
- “Also, the music sets an almost heart-wrenching mood which includes a piano piece by Erik Satie!”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of silliness and tragedy, as players navigate interactive gameplay as a mischievous cat, leading to both laughter and empathy for the protagonist. Reviewers appreciate the clever parody and the amusingly absurd puzzles, though some note the game's brevity. Overall, it offers a unique and humorous take on a significant historical event.
- “It's like a museum exhibition but it's digital and it has interactive gameplay as a cat who messes around; I love cats, it's funny and silly.”
- “The puzzles and controls were rather ridiculous and made me laugh a lot, but I felt bad for the protagonist as intended, as he gets knocked around by his cat.”
- “The small team that put this together really captured the true nature of parody; one of humor and tragedy in a simple concept wrapped around something all too real.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it highly replayable due to its engaging story and ease of play, others note a lack of puzzles and content that limits replay value. Overall, it seems that the experience may vary significantly depending on individual preferences.
- “Highly replayable as it is easy and the story is interesting to go through multiple times.”
- “If it is complex gameplay or high replayability, you will pass this game.”
- “But there are only a few puzzles, and after that there isn't much replay value.”
- “Replay value?”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to repetitive mini-games that lack variety, despite being complemented by impressive visuals and music. The experience can feel monotonous, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- “The accompanied visuals within this game make it a very awe-inspiring ordeal, yet the little mini-games that are packed within felt a little tedious, especially when it's a repeated loop of a black cat prancing around the same room over and over.”
- “A shallow history lesson accompanied by some nice imagery, good music, and tedious gameplay.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a brief 10-minute gameplay experience that is somewhat buggy, but it successfully encourages players to explore the historical context of Iran further.
- “The gameplay lasts only about 10 minutes and is a bit buggy, which detracts from the overall experience.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has sparked mixed feelings among users, with some expressing surprise at its inclusion in discussions of video games as art, while others are impressed by its execution. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to be a point of intrigue rather than outright criticism.

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7h Median play time

7h Average play time

7-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Cat and the Coup is a puzzle game with fantasy and historical themes.

The Cat and the Coup is available on PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing The Cat and the Coup.

The Cat and the Coup was released on June 15, 2011.

The Cat and the Coup was developed by Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad.

The Cat and the Coup has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

The Cat and the Coup is a single player game.

Similar games include Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Braid, Thirty Flights of Loving, Kentucky Route Zero, 1979 Revolution: Black Friday and others.

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