The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart

About

In "The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart," Nora Handa, a regular boy, finds himself turned into a black cat after kissing Patricia, the princess of the Netherworld. To break the spell, Nora must be kissed by a girl. This visual novel follows Nora's journey to regain his human form while navigating the complexities of high school life and supernatural dilemmas.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart screenshot

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story66 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

The story is a humorous and absurd romance harem comedy that effectively balances lighthearted moments with more serious themes.
The artwork is beautifully executed with a variety of well-drawn characters and engaging CGs, enhancing the overall visual experience.
The voice acting and soundtrack are top-notch, contributing to the game's enjoyable atmosphere and emotional depth.

The game suffers from significant censorship, with many H-scenes and content cut from the original version, leaving some players disappointed.
The writing can feel disjointed and lacks flow, making it difficult for some players to fully engage with the narrative.
Many routes do not connect well with the main premise, leading to a lack of closure and coherence in the overall story.

story
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
3%
The story is characterized by its absurd humor and cliches, interspersed with lighthearted sketches called "mewsings" and some touching moments, creating a comedic yet engaging narrative. While the plot may feel disjointed at times and lacks depth in certain routes, it is generally well-received for its charm, character development, and enjoyable voice acting, making it a fun experience overall. Despite some content cuts, the story remains entertaining and is complemented by a delightful soundtrack, appealing to fans of rom-com visual novels.
- “The premise is ridiculous with the story rarely taking itself seriously and the characters being fun and charming; the writing is paced well and usually light-hearted, regularly making me actually laugh out loud.”
- “Just a very absorbing story you can't ever put down, filled with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor from wall to wall, nearly non-stop.”
- “While the game seems more focused on funny things, it also has impactful moments and a story that was surprisingly good.”
- “The story itself is pretty decent, and it has a good quality, yet, I'll agree with everyone who's complaining, the normal version is really bad.”
- “One could say that the initial problem is not the main one, but if three out of four routes have absolutely nothing to do with it, it just feels like the story wants you to forget about it and just enjoy the sweet dating life.”
- “They drag on and on conversations that should never last as long as they do, and these conversations are pointless, and have no bearing on the story.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and reliance on clichés, often delivering funny moments through light-hearted sketches and charming interactions, particularly in romantic routes. While many players found the humor consistently enjoyable and engaging, some noted that it could be hit or miss, with certain sections feeling tedious or lacking in comedic impact. Overall, the game balances its comedic elements with heartfelt moments, creating a mix of laughter and emotional depth.
- “It is quite funny in its absurdity and clichés that permeate the whole story, interspersed with short, lighter, and humorous off-story sketches called 'mewsings', along with a few more serious and touching moments.”
- “Just a very absorbing story you can't ever put down, filled with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor from wall to wall, nearly non-stop.”
- “Highly recommend this as it not only has some pretty funny moments, but it also has some heartfelt and emotional moments.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The music in the game is widely praised for its variety and quality, featuring around four dozen well-composed tracks that enhance the lighthearted atmosphere and match the gameplay context effectively. Reviewers highlight specific songs, such as '月のしらべ～patricia～' and '月', and rate the soundtrack highly, with scores around 9.5/10, noting its addictive nature and ability to evoke emotions. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
- “The novel includes a great variety of songs - around 4 dozen of them - that are well composed and lovely to listen to and fit very well with the lighthearted atmosphere of the story.”
- “Aside from the gameplay aspect, the background music is also great; it fits the game and I love hearing it so much, it leaves me in awe for a while just from enjoying the vibe.”
- “The soundtrack is very addictive to listen to as each bit of it matches what is going on pretty well.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances humor and emotional depth, featuring absurdity and cliches alongside heartwarming and touching moments that resonate with players. Many reviewers highlight the natural transitions between comedic and serious tones, with character development, particularly of Patricia, eliciting strong emotional responses, including tears. Overall, it offers a rich experience that combines laughter with heartfelt storytelling, making it a memorable journey.
- “Highly recommend this as it not only has some pretty funny moments, it also has some pretty heartfelt and emotional moments.”
- “I love the game for its atmosphere, but I like just how quick it can change into an emotional one as well; it does it very naturally and doesn't seem forced at all.”
- “Regarding this game, put your mindset as enjoying a good ride of comedy and slice of life; this game is heartwarming and puts you in a chill and warm feeling.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
36%
7%
The graphics are highly praised for their superb execution and appealing character designs, particularly the unique foreign gothic aesthetic. While the variety of background scenes is noted as somewhat generic, they are still well-crafted, contributing to an overall visually engaging experience. However, some reviewers feel that the writing does not match the quality of the artwork.
- “The artwork is superbly executed and well drawn.”
- “Finally, there is a good variety of background scenes included that, while more generic than the artwork at large, are still well executed.”
- “I dig the foreign gothic girl from netherworld aesthetic.”
- “The artwork really pops and the character designs are very good, but the writing really misses the mark.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a delightful blend of lightheartedness and emotional depth, enhanced by a diverse selection of well-composed songs that complement the narrative. Reviewers appreciate the seamless transitions between humorous and poignant moments, creating a dynamic and engaging experience that feels both natural and immersive. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its ability to evoke a range of emotions while maintaining a fun and entertaining tone.
- “The whole game revolves around a funny or silly atmosphere, and they do that very well. However, this game also has moments that I can only describe as beautiful.”
- “I love the game for its atmosphere, but I like just how quickly it can change into an emotional one as well. It does it very naturally and doesn't seem forced at all.”
- “The novel includes a great variety of songs - around four dozen of them - that are well composed and lovely to listen to, fitting very well with the lighthearted atmosphere of the story.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is rated 8/10, with users noting that it is somewhat limited, typical for a visual novel (VN). However, the overall experience is enhanced by excellent background music that complements the game and contributes to an immersive atmosphere.
- “Aside from the gameplay aspect, the background music is also great; it fits the game, and I love hearing it so much. It leaves me in awe for a while just from enjoying the vibe.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development, particularly for Patricia, is highlighted as a strong point with genuinely heartwarming moments; however, the overall writing quality detracts from the experience, leaving some players disappointed despite the impressive artwork and character designs.
- “It has some genuinely nice and heartwarming moments, and Patricia's character development is honestly great.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization has been noted to have minor performance issues, particularly when suspending during on-screen animations, which can lead to lower framerates. Additionally, players have reported occasional sluggishness when multiple visual novel assets are active in a scene simultaneously.
- “I experienced minor performance issues once when I suspended the game during an on-screen animation effect; when I returned, I had a lower framerate.”
- “I experienced minor performance issues doing this once, when I suspended while an on-screen animation effect was happening. When I came back, I had a lower framerate.”
- “Occasionally, the game's performance will feel sluggish if many visual novel assets are active in a scene at once.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with long stretches of pointless banter that detract from the overall experience. After several hours, many express frustration and doubt about continuing due to the lack of engaging content.
- “It's just pages and pages and pages of tedious and pointless banter that easily do not need to be there.”
- “It's possible that there might be more drama later on, but after 5 hours of very tedious humor, I'm not sure I can get that far.”