Cat Me If You Can Review – Capturing The Perfect Meowment

Cat Me If You Can is a relaxing photography adventure that has you taking pictures of hidden felines in a black-and-white world.

Did you know that some people think cats are divine beings? You probably did. Then again, it is not a mystery as to why we humans trip over ourselves to basically dedicate our lives to our furry masters. Their idiosyncrasies are well documented, but seeing them in action is amusing all the same. They will deliberately throw to the floor every cup, glass, and item of value on a kitchen table. They will make biscuits on our bodies. What endears us to them and makes us want to gain their favor, though, is how they deem us worthy of their love. Cat Me If You Can is a heartwarming, relaxing photography adventure about snapping felines in such situations.

That’s all there is to it. Go play it. Well, to be fair, there are many little details that make Cat Me If You Can so much more than what it says on the tin. Yes, you take pictures of cats scattered across nine themed black-and-white levels from a first-person perspective. Those themes are modern cities, medieval landscapes, and, of course, ancient Egypt. But it is not only the fact that you will find cats in the most unsuspecting situations, but also how the atmosphere of the game itself invites you to relax and explore to your heart’s content. Observant players will find themselves at home here.

Self-described as a cozy game, from the soothing bossa nova soundtrack to the stunning architectural layout of this map, it oozes that description. Using a TARDIS-like machine to teleport to these different settings, there is no real narrative goal as to why you should photograph all these cats frozen in time. In the game’s defense, none are really needed. This is because there are satisfying environmental stories that can be pieced together on each level. These are found by discovering the several layers that Cat Me If You Can has.

Other than the abundant cats that you need to take pictures of in the open areas, there are two more exciting opportunities to discover. One is having to collect specific items to make a specific type of cat come out. Let’s say, for example, in the first level, you explore a gorgeously rendered city that has apartments, concert venues, restaurants, and more. One of the facilities is a classroom high above a building. A careless student let his homework blow away by the wind, and it is up to you to find each of the assignments to make them appear. 

The second and equally enticing prospect to fully 100% a level is to snapshot determined items to make an epic cat appear. I am not hyping up the game more than I should; that is literally how it is described in-game. And oh, what epic cats you’ll find in your journey. Going back to that first area to avoid further spoilers, you need to find a guitar, a mic, and a couple more items for a rockstar cat to be summoned in the level. Cozy and cool.

Most of the time, the cats will be exactly where you expect them to be. If you enter a restaurant, you may see them lounging on a chair or on the kitchen sink. In open landscapes, they will probably be sneaking through the bushes. And when I say abundant, I do mean at least 85 in the first level. Not to be alarmed, to be clear, as it is not necessary to complete everything a level has to offer to move forward. In all instances, you just need to get a shot of a number of cats for the further levels to be unlocked. That is unless you live for the thrill of that achievement sound that pops up when beating a level in its entirety.

One last detail worth mentioning, in line with the laidback vibe, is that there is an option for the game to highlight what you are missing if you have lost your patience. This is honestly a great compromise, considering that while most cats will be easily perceivable, at some point it just might be a little too tricky to find where they are hiding. Cat Me If You Can’s goal is to immerse you in its lively landscapes to capture cats and sometimes solve puzzles. But if at some point these become too irritating, there is an option to even reduce the hint system’s cooldown to just ten seconds.

Verdict

The question about what makes an indie game special is one often brought up by developers and players alike. In Cat Me If You Can’s case, it is simple. It captures a relaxing atmosphere for observant explorers to photograph cats and occasionally interact with the environment. Cue the impossibly slick soundtrack that invites you to not only look at every corner with ease but also to take it easy while doing so, and you have a formula that cat lovers everywhere will rejoice in.