From the cover alone, you can probably already tell what you're in for with Little Kitty, Big City, and yes, it is exactly as charming, delightful, and obnoxiously cute as you want it to be.

That said, as ridiculous as it sounds, I did have some slight apprehension going into this, given what kind of game Stray was (or, in this case, was not).

Thankfully, underneath all the sweetness, there is a fun lil platformer to be found in Little Kitty, Big City and it's not merely a cute cat simulator where you run around doing cute cat things. I mean, it is very much that as well, but it's also a half-decent collectathon with some simple but engaging puzzles and side quests for the titular little kitty to embark upon.

Really, 'simple but engaging' is perhaps the best way to describe this game. It doesn't try to be anything more or less than it needs to be. The entire thing can be finished in less than 6 hours, and outside of some wonky catforming controls and animations, it holds your attention the entire way through.

With fun platforming, endlessly delightful little touches to the cat's behaviour and animations throughout, an upbeat, jazzy score and a delightful sense of humour, it's exactly the kind of game you need to take a break from the 50+ hour narrative-heavy, live-service AAA games that inhabit the space.

Sometimes you just want to reject modernity and embrace kitty.

7.5/10

This game exists as a five star game at some lost point in time. It makes arguments that have been made better since. It comments on things that are no longer part of the zeitgeist. It evokes a feeling we don't feel anymore. The beauty of the game is not lost on me, and I don't think no one can feel what the game wants you to feel anymore, but I've read too many people mad at the fact that a game wants you to think about what it's telling you. "Ugh, why am I supposed to feel emotions in response to a narrative? Video games are about CHOICES and AUTONOMY! And I CHOOSE not to engage with art on any level that challenges me."