The Cat Machine
- August 12, 2015
- Cranktrain
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamThe Future is Meow! The Cat Machine is a game of logic, and cats riding around on trains. As we are all aware, The Cat Machine is a giant contraption that maintains the stability of earth's orbit around the sun. A fun logical puzzler with over 50 levels, now you can build that machine too!
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Reviews
- The game features clever and challenging puzzles that require logical thinking and creativity, making it engaging for puzzle enthusiasts.
- The cat theme adds a humorous and charming element, with cute graphics and entertaining sound effects that enhance the overall experience.
- There is a good variety of levels that gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying sense of progression as players solve each puzzle.
- The controls can be janky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- Some players found the puzzles to be repetitive and lacking in variety, as many levels revolve around similar mechanics.
- The game has limited replay value and is relatively short, which may not justify the price for some players.
- music30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as fun, upbeat, and infectious, enhancing the colorful and whimsical atmosphere. While some players found the soundtrack enjoyable and worth purchasing, others criticized the sound effects and noted that they eventually disabled the music to concentrate on gameplay. Overall, the music adds a lighthearted charm, particularly highlighted by the cute songs sung by cats at the end of puzzles.
“And every puzzle gives you the added bonus of hearing the cats sing a cute song at the end.”
“All of this is underscored with a zippy, upbeat soundtrack that is oddly infectious on its own.”
“All with a cheerfully looney premise, adorable oddly colored cats, and a lighthearted cheerful soundtrack that brings capital letter 'F' fun.”
“The music and sound effects are horrible.”
“The soundtrack was not composed of meows.”
“Music is in the wonky, Disgaea-type flow.”
- humor20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its clever and humorous approach to puzzles, featuring a unique cat and train track theme that combines challenging gameplay with funny dialogue and quirky sound effects, such as amusing cat meows. Players appreciate the lighthearted, nerdy humor and catchy music, although some feel the visuals could benefit from more professional art design. Overall, the humor enhances the engaging puzzle experience, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
“Very funny and challenging game - simple, but it makes you think... not as easy as one might imagine at first sight!”
“The concept and occasional dialogue are funny, while the puzzles grow to be very challenging.”
“The mechanics are simple and intuitive, and the graphics, music & text are hilarious.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique and intuitive puzzle mechanic that encourages players to explore various combinations, though the interface can be frustrating. While the humor and graphics enhance the experience, players note that the gameplay remains largely static over time, leading to a desire for more varied mechanics in potential sequels. Overall, it strikes a balance between challenge and engagement, making it a refreshing addition to the puzzle genre.
“The mechanics are simple and intuitive, and the graphics, music, and text are hilarious.”
“It's a good puzzle game about cats, with a unique mechanic and great humor.”
“It's refreshing to find a puzzle game mechanic that straddles the line between challenging and thought-provoking without crossing over to exasperation.”
“The gameplay is almost equivalent to trying all possible combinations of connections, but indirectly (certainly not through the game's interface, because it's too annoying) so either in your head or through external means.”
“As time goes on you start to learn a few tricks to solving puzzles, yet there is little to no change to the gameplay itself.”
“I would appreciate a sequel with improved production values, extended gameplay mechanics, and a real sense of comedic urgency.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally described as cute and beautiful, with a unique art style that blends 70s aesthetics with modern elements. However, some users note that the visuals can be basic, featuring single-color fills and thick black outlines typical of mobile games, and mention that certain effects, like the water graphics, can be annoying. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's charm and humor.
“The art style is beautiful.”
“Visuals are a unique blend of 70's aesthetics and modern design.”
“The mechanics are simple and intuitive, and the graphics, music, and text are hilarious.”
“Graphics are pretty basic, with single-color fills and thick black contours, which is typical on mobile.”
“Visuals are very 70's meet the present type feel.”
“Water graphics can be a bit annoying.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story is characterized by a whimsical backstory that some players appreciate, but overall, it lacks coherence and clarity, leading to confusion. Despite this, the engaging level design is noted as a strong motivator for continued play.
“Very little of the story makes any kind of sense.”
“The whimsical backstory is a plus, but the level design is what kept me playing till the end.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has low replayability due to its short length, though it offers enjoyable and challenging moments, particularly towards the end. Overall, while it may be fun and cute, players may not find much incentive to replay it.
“This game is sadly not that long and the replay value is pretty low, but on the bright side, this game is fun (for a time), cute, and it even gets rather hard at the end.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as progressing through numerous levels feels repetitive and lacks variety.
“There's a bunch more levels to do, but it's more of the same - feeling a bit tedious to grind through them all.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game runs smoothly on low VRAM systems, specifically noting good performance on Mint 7.2. Overall, stability appears to be a strong point for this title.
“Runs great on my Mint 7.2, low VRAM computer.”
