I liked it well enough. It actually reminds me of Alley Cat, with the use of jazzy music that changes by situation, and the very smooth cat-like animations, as well as the setting.

Basically, the game is a 3D metroidvania with no combat or death. There's the usual collectibles, the simple tasks, and such. Most of everything is optional, which I like. I also find the jumping mechanics to be pretty original, with how you aim your jump, much like how cats actually jump in real life.

The game is short, but I'm glad. I feel like it didn't have enough ideas to sustain something truly long. My main criticisms besides lack of variety are significant jank, and dialog that goes on for too long. Brevity is the soul of wit, and I'm not big on dialog that tries way too hard to be funny by going on for way too long!

Little Kitty, Big City. Hitting the gritty. Better than Stray by a bitty. Controls nifty, but sometimes mingy. "Worth $12.50", if I were grifty.

Nah, fuck that cringe shit. Look - the game is fine. Has some of the same misgivings as Stray such as the handholding and need for unfair amounts of precision on jumps, but unlike Stray, you can control your orientation and it's not as slow-going. The amount of customization (hats, some of which are functional) and the cheerful soundtrack both serve as highlights.

What you need to know if you wanna play this game:

The good:
- https://youtu.be/nxG7KXYPe0Q

The bad:
- Going for 100% makes the game worse, because everything in the game is unique unless it held by a person. There's only like 60 out of the 100 required cans on the whole map that aren't held by people, so have fun waiting to trip people. Also to get people to photograph you requires meowing at them if they're not angry and they're not too happy AND sometimes they just can't photo you.
- Additionally, the platforming needs some work. I gave this the same score I gave A Short Hike (they both play very similar), but it's a fair gap between the silly sweet goofiness of this and the crisp clean savoury A Short Hike. Simply due to this having all the added niceties but none of the rock-solid fundamental gameplay, it made me like A Short Hike more (besides the world design, it's really good here for no reason).

If you like pets (of any variety, not just cats) definitely worth a shot. This game is gushing with charm and begging to be played before you watch a playthrough. But maybe wait till sale cause $36.50 AUD is twice as much as it's worth (I understand first game from the studio and it's a 3D 'open-world' adventure game, however chillax on your first game guys you're scaring me).

I really don't have much else to add given the funny cat game appeal is what the game is, your assumptions will almost definitely be right. Much better than Stray (I still think the cat should have been a small dexterous robot), but I'm still waiting for the cat game where you don't need to focus on completing missions.

It is not something I usually mention, but as an esteemed cultural commentator, I must warn you, fine folks, that the on-release price tag of this game is a twinge steep for what you're getting. The result is delightful, and if you care about supporting talented young indie studios, then I'm sure you'll spare no expense. But there's a reason even the hawks at Nintendo bundled Bowser's Fury with another game.

Fortunately, I already suffer the humiliation of dedicating 52 minutes of my monthly earnings to the Microsoft corporation's monopolisation of the industry, so I played this at no additional charge. Yippee!

Little Kitty Big City is part of a growing wave of 3D platformers embracing an 'open-world' level design ethos post A Short Hike. In retrospect, Hike is the most important platformer of the last decade. Unlike every other time people say 'open-world' in video games, I adore this approach. It's been directly responsible for the best 3D platformers of this decade and feels like the first real innovation the genre has made after Super Mario Galaxy (2). Extremely OK Games' first entry in the genre, its anniversary project Celeste 64 from earlier this year, again showed how successful this approach is. We're making entire games out of Banjo-Kazooie levels, and I couldn't be happier.

Little Kitty Big City isn't that. This is definitely not a Platformer's platformer in the way Penny's Big Breakway is. It isn't about crazy jumps and movement. It's a jungle gym where the fun comes from simply existing within the space. Those bright colours, that soothing jazzy soundtrack, the fun and handsomely cartooned animals and dialogue; this setting is an object of serenity, a hook with which to hang off the game's real appeal. You get to be a cat. For real, this time. Not naming any names.

Kitty, or 'Henry' as mine was eponymously anointed by game end (creative, I know), is a glorious thing to embody. This game (which, to be clear, was obviously made with three pennies and a copy of a 2014 issue of 'Pocket World' magazine) cuts many corners with NPC animation and general cleanliness of the movement (I clipped through the floor and hit the out-of-bounds reset plane at least twice) but the bells and whistles shine where it matters. The Shiba poking his head out of the bush. The way Kitty rubs its butt on the ground and chases its tail depending on how you move. The way you pounce and scurry up walls. It's oozing with charm and completely wonderful from beginning to end.

The city is chocked with a series of cat-appropriate platforming challenges and chores. None mindblowing, though never less than delightful. I'll concede this gets a little fetch-quest-y in ways you might find less enjoyable than I, but I was having so much fun within this space that I couldn't muster the cynicism necessary to get frustrated. If you, too, were weened on Lego Marvel Super Heroes, then you'll understand why this compels me so.

Mileage may vary, but this clunky little strawberry cupcake of a game really delighted me. I for one, am content with a game existing in such a narrow and unambitious place, so long as it is ready to admit that's what it is. It injects just the right amount of tenderness into every moment and is much more savvy than you might initially notice. I can't help but notice the care of offhandedly detailing exactly why there are puddles of water and no cars on the roads. I can't help but realise this is the best in-game justification for fast travel I've ever seen! I can't help but find headbutting into people and stealing their bagels really fun! When the credits roll, it's in unironic Comic Sans! They know exactly what they're making and are delighted to be offering it. I cannot wait to show my niece and nephew this; they will adore it.