Copycat

JFC, the part where it says to prepare for the tears? Yeah, that's not a joke. If you're going to adopt a pet, please dear god take care of it and be responsible. Don't be one of those people that abandons a pet. These things are not wild animals, they are creatures that rely on us to get by. EDIT: I need to add a few things. I was so upset after this game that I immediately hugged my nearest cat and then went outside to feed one of the strays that comes around a lot. This is not a bad game. It is short though so I only recommend it on sale. You'll finish it in 3 hours. The game froze up on me one time where all the sudden no controls worked and I had to Alt-F4 to get out. The story is extremely sad but this is a very real problem and I think the point of the game is to help spread the message about this topic. I live in a rough area so a LOT of people get pets but then can't afford to feed them or just don't want them anymore so they toss them outside and we have countless stray cats and dogs running around this part of the city.

I should preface this by saying that this game showed up to me during a difficult time unrelated to a cat or a dog. The first second I saw this game, it was on sale and I listened to the trailer for about 10 seconds. I sobbed uncontrollably. I Began the game at about 3 am. It's 7 am now. The game is worth it to go through. I struggled to not cry while going through the up and down roller-coaster of emotions the narrative brought to me. I'm lucky and happy this showed up in my lifetime. I'm lucky I saw it. it was very worth it to go through the game.

Bored with the usual games, I came across this little gem. It’s the kind of game that has something to express and succeeds to tell it through the secret power of interactivity. I finished it the last week, but the experience left me something I started to mumble and mumble about day after day. At first it looks cute and wholesome, more on the casual genre; then sadness, loliness and drama arrive and you start to appreciate some interactive narrative solutions. Without realizing it, you continue playing for more than three hours, totally outside the usual space-time dimension; when the credits start, you stay there for a long time with the controller in your hand trying to understand what you played. It’s me or there is something more than what they are pretending to sell? Are we sure it’s about cats? They wrote: “A poignant narrative-driven game about rejection, belonging and the meaning of home”. Tbh, it made me think about people growing old, unhealty and alone! Sometimes artists are not really conscious about their expressive power. For sure, it’s not really about cats! I mean, the cats in the game are really too human! Maybe developers invented nothing, they were inspired by previous titles as The Path, Edith Finch, That Dragon Cancer and so on, but I think they added something very peculiar that I still need to elaborate in a further run; they are very good storytellers for sure. Maybe sometimes it’s more on the casual genre, but in many situations it makes very interesting use of interactivity aimed at storytelling. Absolutely suggested to cats lovers and gamers who like narrative titles. We need more games like this departing from the usual formula based on shootings, fightings, challenges for challenges sake; games focused on narrative and artistic expression, hopefully with bigger budget, higher production value, more complex interactive narrative mechanics.

[h1][b] TLDR: Disappointing narrative, limited gameplay, and a general rough/janky feeling all contribute to a “Not recommended”. There are better options for both narrative and gameplay. [/b] [/h1] [h1]CONS: [/h1] ➖Some rough animations ➖Forced narrative ➖Controller (recommended play device) barely works in menus [h1] [b] Content (Game world/Narrative) – [3/10] [/b] [/h1] The game world entirely takes place from the perspective of a cat, mostly from the third person view, but occasionally from the first. The setting is a general suburban neighborhood consisting of houses on a cul-de-sac and some small parks. You don’t get to explore anything freely and often your range is restricted to the specific confines of where the story chapter takes place. I didn’t find anything unique or special about the game world. Even the dream segments, while odd, provide little of substance. As for the narrative, I did not find it to be great. First off, the main human, Olive, is a terrible cat owner, with her daughter being a close second. While I would like to think no one is stupid enough to buy a second cat after “Losing” the first one and then forget you bought a second one, then remember you bought a second one but instead of taking it back to a shelter, you decide an empty field is better…I don't doubt somewhere there is someone actually like that. Dementia age notwithstanding. Secondly, the cat you play as is waaay too smart to know what is going on. The narrative would have hit harder if it was more of a silent game and only the humans talked. Thirdly, the ending is just trash. [Spoiler]A supposedly “Happy” ending where both cats are outdoor cats that visit Olive frequently. This ending does NOTHING to address my first point of Olive being a bad owner and just opens the whole story up to the inevitable future issue of the cats being forced into the wild when Olive inevitably dies in about 2 weeks. Really, I think the best possible outcome would have been the cat back at the shelter, or with a new, actually loving, family. [/spoiler] [h1][b] Gameplay (Mechanics/Difficulty) – [4/10] [/b] [/h1] The mechanics consist mostly of some simple navigation with minigame quick time events. I felt the cat's movement was generally janky while often being unresponsive. I understand this is a small development team and they opted to go the way of free-form jumping a la Little Kitty, Big City instead of predefined routes like Stray. This is clearly the more difficult route to take, so while I applaud the attempt, the roughness of movement is ever present. This is a very easy and casual game. Even failing some very hard QTEs at the end, the game I think simply removed the timer and let me progress. There doesn’t seem to be any fail states present. [h1] [b] Graphics (Quality/Technical) – [4/10] [/b] [/h1] Graphics range from nice looking to subpar.. There are rough animations, clipping the camera through walls, and expressionless human faces. On the other hand, the world can look nice in the park with the sun shining against the water. I’d say more often than not, the graphics were on the subpar side. Technical is also rough. The graphical options are woefully inadequate with only about 3 or 4 things to choose from. The UI seemed very unresponsive with a controller, which is the games recommended way to play. Despite no FPS cap, I was getting an average of ~230, which is great, but somehow the game still looks like it was running sub-60. Furthermore, since there is no DLSS, I tried to use Lossless Scaling and the game slowed to a crawl, further making me think there might be something hardcoded at the engine level to force the game to 60FPS or less. Also, I crashed to desktop once during a pivotal choice (car) and had to redo the entire chapter. i9-13900KF | RTX 4090 | 64GB RAM | 1440p @ 240hz | Windows 11 installed on SSD [h1] [b] Audio – [5/10] [/b] [/h1] No real complaints here, but nothing entirely special. Music wasn’t really noticeable, but the times that it was playing, it sounded fine. Voice acting is present and frequent. I wasn’t impressed by the acting. [h1] [b] Replay Factor (Longevity) – [3/10] [/b] [/h1] Low. Aside from achievements, this is a linear story with very minimal choices. [h1] [b] Final Verdict – [4/10] [/b] [/h1] Copycat is a narrative-focused game that tells the story of a cat picked up from a shelter, and what they experience at the hands of humans. While there is nothing crazy like animal abuse, the game does deal with some occasional heavy themes, it only entertains the thoughts, never the action. For my biggest negative, I would have to say it's the narrative. Perhaps the technical side too, but since this is such a huge narrative-focused game, I would have to go with what let me down the most. The narrative is supposed to be the huge draw of this game. As a cat lover and owner for decades, I was prepared for the feels. Unfortunately, they never came. Instead I was frustrated by the ineptitude of humans while also questioning the internal monologue of a cat way too aware of its situation. The narrative at times felt very forced through the cat’s monologue basically telling the player how they should feel. I really think that this could have been presented better if there was no cat monologue and allowed the player to draw their own emotions from what's in front of them, instead of the writers beating them over the head with a stick. It just really feels too forced. As for the positives, I honestly struggle to think of a single one. Maybe audio, but every part of the game just seems mediocre at best with the biggest draw, the narrative, missing its mark. So I’m going to use this space to recommend some alternatives. If you like playing as a cat: Little Kitty, Big City review: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/1177980?snr=1_5_9__402 Stray review: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/1332010?snr=1_5_9__402 If you want a short game with a masterful narrative (pretty much anything by Freebird Games): To the Moon (old) review https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/206440?snr=1_5_9__402 Finding Paradise review: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/337340?snr=1_5_9__402 Imposter Factory review: https://steamcommunity.com/id/Synikx/recommended/1182620?snr=1_5_9__402 Overall, I cannot recommend Copycat. The narrative was a letdown and left me feeling disappointed while the gameplay is minimal at best. [h1] [b] Recommend? [Y/N] [/b] [/h1] [h1]No[/h1] You can find my curator page here: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/Synik_GR

After playing this game, I was stunned that such a masterpiece was made by 2 DEVELOPERS and that this is their first game. I definetely am recommending this.

I think most reviews will have covered the key points of the game by this point. I will say that it's an odd creation; less a game, more an interactive essay on the nature of 'home,' what it means to be abandoned, and also - maybe - encouraging people to value and be kind to stray animals. Gameplay elements are enjoyable, but not hugely challenging - just the right level to entertain while also taking in what the developers are trying to say. That said, it's a rough ride as an emotional experience. There's a happy ending, of sorts, but as so many people have said, keep tissues handy. Ultimately... Bravo to the developers. They've told a difficult story in a way which is engaging, at times breathtakingly original, and just plain... Beautiful. I thoroughly recommend it (but do note it doesn't outstay its welcome - it's rather short). Thank you, devs, for 'Copycat.'

Man, I feel so frustrated. This game clearly wants to convey a message and I understand that - but the gameplay wasn't fun at all. It was all very depressing. I feel bad for the poor cat and wish I could take her in. If you want a fun game, don't get it. If you want a sad story for a couple of hours, get it but not at it's full price.

I streamed this game and here is some feedback: allthatyaz: this game ruined me emotionally. 10/10 megx20x: cried many times but 10/10 would try again Personally I loved the game, highly emotional! Not sure about home is where you are needed- the game touches on a lot of abandonment issues that is cross pets and humans. I work in child relief care home in the UK and that notion isn't imo healthy. I understand this was about animals but just something to consider. Overall I would give the game a 9/10. LOVED the music!

For AUD 21.75, this 14GB game is NOT worth it. I've seen this game is rated "very positive", yet I want to know why when: 1. The graphics look TERRIBLE. There literally are no leaves on the trees during the dream sequence, the black panther doesn't even have fur, nor its texture smooth. The worst offenders are the eyes, on the humans it looks soulless. Not to mention the cat which looks even more like a robot. It's like someone had fun with Gmod and slapped a price tag on it. 2. The gameplay is HORRENDOUS. I love when street cats fight each other and I have to mash buttons on my controller to just scare them away. Oh you have to do it several more times for the entire game. Also, the chase sequence is pretty tame. Look at both the Ori games, their chases have actual weight and you'll lock in also due to the phenomenal soundtrack. Here, the same Zack Snyder wonder woman sfx.mp3 is used everytime the cat does anything. 3. The story is a DISGRACE. We're meant to hate on the granny, yet I sympathise with her the most. As someone whose grandma has dementia, it's really hard to side with a cat which acts like a dick. Oh also the music accompanying the story is god awful I played this game shortly after marvelling at Lies of P cat moments, when the cat slowly warms up to P's humanity awakening. The fact that a non-cat game can show us how distrust/trust affects companions with good graphics/OST makes me regret even buying this game EVEN ON A DISCOUNT. Just watch any other Hollywood pet movie....

Ya, this game is chill and I did enjoy my time with it. The game is short and respects your time.

Play this game if you want your heart ripped out 100 times. Beautifully made, the music is incredible.

Not sure what the negative reviews were about, as this is a beautiful game that pulls at one's emotions over an abused cat adopted by an elderly woman in poor health. The niggle about her "abandoning" Dawn can be explained by cognitive decline for such a person, though her passion for this cat was unquestionable. I chose the wrong ending but in watching a walkthrough, it didn't make much difference. The cat's actions were spectacularly identical to a natural cat (we've owned 7 over the years) and it was nice to play a 'story heavy' game for a change, rather than fighting or running nonstop for my life or trying to solve ultra complex puzzles. Highly recommended!

This game is such an experience. I cried so much and I got so mad at all these horrible humans treating our little kitty with such little respect. Poor kitty also didn't exactly get adopted by the best pet parent since there was absolutely no cat furniture in the entire house- will chalk that up to limitations in 3D models, since most of the furniture I recognize from other games as well, must be from the engine's catalog. Also, I feel like this game has a section that uses Ai generated artwork, which is a bit of a shame, since it's funded by the Australian government. personally wouldn't choose to back the use of ai, but alright... furthermore, the game's performance TANKS during the scene in the park. I was running on 15fps even though my pc is pretty beefy and i turned all setting to minimal. Goes back to reasonable after that section, though. All in all, not a perfect game, but the story is good and pretty sad, painting the house in my little pawprints was fun and I did cry, so I'd give this one a 7/10 overall. Moral of the story is a 9/10. Take good care of your furry family members y'all! (and recycle)

Worth the 8 dollars, fucking amazing, I don't recommend playing this game under the influence, you WILL shed some tears, a bit slow moving but its so worth it at the end.

I really enjoyed this game, definitely sad storyline but in the end it was worth it. Really gives perspective of how stray cats would feel! thank you for making this cute game

This game has terrible, terrible, truly abhorrent moral and ethical views. "Sure, cats are literally interchangeable as long as they look the same." -- "Sure, simply discard of the cat when you don't need it anymore." -- "Why would you return it to the shelter? Simply abandon it in the next woods." But you are supposed to and are forced to forgive the woman because she's old and frail. "Home is not about where you live, but where you are needed most." -- What a psychopathic sentence you end your game with. No spoiler warning. Don't buy the game!

Muito bom este jogo, é bom o assunto que ele trata que é sobre abandono de animais em uma perspectiva romantizada, realmente muito triste a historia, mas o jogo é bom se você quer algo amigável para jogar. This game is really good, and the topic it addresses, which is about animal abandonment, is romanticized. The story is truly sad, but the game is great if you're looking for something friendly to play.

amazing game, great graphics and good story line, very sad though but i do recommend!

Like 10/10 hey!! As someone who was unwanted and fostered.. who also rescues cats from the street and has got them new homes or has welcomed them into my home like a few times during this game I was teary hey!! I first hand see the trauma of what being abandoned does to these wonderful creatures and how much time it takes to bring them back to being the domestic gems they were supposed to be!! This is a game for children, developed by only 2 people to tech them not to abandon their pets but it is worth every cent and every second of game-play regardless of ones age :)

Nicely put together game. Pretty straightforward and a bit of an emotional roller-coaster if you genuinely love cats. I got quite angry a few times, out loud! Whoops. I played it on PC and I do think controller would be much better for certain parts, as I was too slow finding the keys haha (which is what they advise at the start, but alas, no controller). Thanks for a lovely game and putting the emphasis on how easily humans will adopt any animal, with unfortunately sometimes very sad consequences.

this is such a cute game I loved playing it I fell in love with Olive she is such a sweet old lady it broke my heart when she left me that way but the ending made up for it in a way. I did cry when I thought she had died :c anyway its such a lovely game

I'm all for supporting small developers but sadly the way this game is I just cannot do that. While the simple style and obviously indie look and feel of the game wouldn't be a problem, the game itself runs terribly even on a dedicated gaming pc. It's either low fps or simply tons of stuttering at key moments the optimalization is sadly really bad. As for the story itself I'm speechless and not in a good way. I expected a hopeful story of love, warmth and compassion and instead got the worst possible experience which was basically promoting animal abuse. Like all around. Wanted a heartwarming story? Maybe a thrilling detective kind of game to find out what the title might mean? Well too bad instead of all that you can experience the worst humanity can offer with the most unrealistic presentation of people around. The inner dialogue of the cat wouldn't be bad per say but the way the story is presented is just downright goofy and sad. It doesn't carry any weight, it's all over the place and it just cannot carry out a good message. Spoilers ahead for the story so read with caution if you want to experience this game for yourself for some reason. [spoiler] You start as a frail old lady and adopt a cat of your choice, after your previous one got lost. Sweet and simple. You bring them home, the cat is afraid and doesn't like it and dreams about being wild and free. [/spoiler] All good so far. And then [spoiler] the lady suffers a medical episode and her horrible daughter tosses you/the cat outside like the piece of shit she is. Okay we can hate one horrible person sure. But it gets worse. The original cat returns and is welcomed home. You are kicked to the streets and have to navigate a cruel world before you return to your old lady who basically shooes you away because she already has a cat (seeming like she forgot the fact that she adopted you for some reason). Fucked up but sort of still on track. Then later on in the game there is a reveal after you confront the original cat where the old lady grabs you and takes you for a ride... you might be expecting where this could go. If you guessed back to the shelter... nope. She drives near the fucking wilderness and reveals (like some super villain) that she was very much aware that she adopted you, the player cat and that she just cannot take care of two. So what does she do? Leaves the cat in the middle of bum fuck nowhere because "this is the best for you" [/spoiler] Like this was my tipping point. The most text book portrayal of abandonment, abuse and neglect right there. At that point after a brief chase scene I closed the game and decided to make this review. So yeah I absolutely do not recommend it and if you are curious just watch a gameplay/walkthrough of it. It's not worth anything in my opinion

well... ripped my heart out over and over. If you cry at the fox and the hound dont play this unless you like crying. very emotional and heartfelt. home is where youre needed most

Its games like yours that made me want to study game development. This game made me laugh, made me smile, it made me cry and upset (not a negative thing at all). This game hits close to home with the topic of mental health issues,I thank you for making a game that made my heart soar and ache all at once

This game was a cute little indie game you can play in one sitting if you feel like it. The ending was a bit anti climatic however. Very easy to get all the achievments in one play-through. I give it 8/10.

This game was so good, it told a story about real life things that actually happens with pets. Did it make my heart hurt? yes. Did i still enjoy this well made game? 100%. If you want a game with beautiful graphics and a strong story, copy cat is definitely the game.

Copycat keeps you wanting to play to find out whats in store next for Dawn and Olive. Though its sad at times its a good story that the game tells, The life struggles that are shown in this game gets you thinking. And the fact that you get to be a mischievous cat in an old woman's house is amusing. I mean who doesn't want to knock all the things off the table and on to the floor like a naughty cat would.

Story-driven with an important message. Easy gameplay like several mini-games in one, and really lovely tie in.

amazing but heartbreaking game, i probably shouldnt have played it right after i had to rehome my other cat and i definitely shouldnt have chosen his colouring but overall great game i loved the end though and how it all worked out

A beautiful, and at times heart-breaking game. Has a relatively short playtime (just over 3 hours), thus can be played in one sitting, and weaves a satisfying, bittersweet narrative. May make you want to go and cuddle your own cat, and let them know that you appreciate them (and will love them furever).

The storytelling is simple but so impactful. Definitely got me to cry, even with it being very short I still very much enjoyed the game!

I loved the game as much as I love cats themselves. Actually one of the cutest yet saddest games on this site.

OMFG I hate this game so much! It legit took me through an emotional roller coaster! I swear everyone in this game are scum, except for maybe the child. I cried so much and had to hug my cat between breaks. I didn't know whether I wanted to recommend this game or not, it's so disappointing story-wise--I mean I GUESS the ending was good...but the traumatic journey left a sour taste in my mouth as a cat mom. Olive is irresponsible in more ways than one, her daughter is a wicked witch and the neighbors SUCK just as much! BUT that aside, it really is a beautifully crafted game, though it felt a bit clunky at times. Some of the achievements irritated me (butterfly). But in the end I conquered it all! As sad as this story is, I DO recommend it.

Such an amazing game created by such a small team. Hug your pets close :)

Best played with a controller Story was good but made me upsetti 100% in one playthrough but there are missables Wait for a sale Cats cats cats

ITS RLLY GOOD BRO. It reminds me of that one other cat game I was obssesed with back in like 2022 or wtv. I rlly liked the vibe and honestly almost cried (which normally doesnt happen when playing these games) PLEASE make a second game or even a fully diffrent game with the same vibe because this was amazing.

PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! I cried so hard my cat spent the whole game in my lap licking my cheek. If this game doesn't cause you to feel something then I feel sorry for you. This is a competitor for making me cry like I did watching The Notebook.

A real beautiful story that made me cry more than once, the only thing that I could mildly complain is that the cat physics felt a little iffy, other than that, I loved it, best of luck to the devs! Hope to experience more of their work!

Really unpleasant gameplay experience, the narrative is too linear, we have to be a complete prick to Olive - which I get is the idea, I got the shape of the arcs and all, but like... and then the 'other' Dawn is conveniently found and we're stuck and then we're dropped off and - The whole thing is just... no. Olive seemed good for a bit, but then it gets worse, and it was easy to have it be Mae and I - I did not finish and I regret buying this. Happens and all, but no. Not a good game.

Played this on stream and it was a very well received by the community. Definitely one heck of a roller coaster ride but the ending was great. Please make more!

A good story slightly held down by janky gameplay. This game is a roller coaster of emotions and absolutely worth a playthrough despite its flaws. Controls, animations, physics and some gameplay elements, especially the "combats" (series of button presses) are definitely weak points, especially since towards the beginning of the game, succeeding at the QTEs fails the action and towards the end, where it gets really hard, failing succeeds the action, I quickly stopped bothering. The game is short, about 2.5-3 hours, but an experience I'm glad I played. I tried a few times to redo chapters and illusions of decisions are frequent, a few unlock a bit of story, but all go back to the same path. Yes, I recommend this game. Get past the jank and enjoy the ride.

A short but a great game, pretty worth the price even if i got it on a sale

Cute, full of feeling, and over faster than I wished it. But any game that gives me a 'meow' button is good in my book anyways. I loved the different play styles you had to utilize during the game. Definitely recommend it for any cat lover!

This game was incredible! It definitely made me cry. It would be cool if there was different endings based on the choices you made, but overall it was still an amazing experience!

I wanted this game ever since I first read about it, and it was worth getting! Short, sweet, and very emotional. One of my own cats wouldn't stop rubbing himself on me and my controller while I was playing the last part. This is a lovely little game, especially for such a small team, and I'm really glad I got to play it.

This is an amazing game, definitely now one of my favourites, such an emotional story, I highly recommend this

it was an emotional rollercoaster disguised as a narrative puzzle game and i sobbed at the end. "shes a 10 but left me for another cat" ahh game

Not as polished as "Stray", but I enjoyed it anyway. It's cute, and the environment is nice to explore. Some parts of the story are a bit frustrating, but I guess the game is supposed to play on emotions. Questionable ways of taking care of the pet tho. Too little research? Olive as the 'good one' felt weird because of some things.

Amazing game. Would definatly recomend this game to everyone. Amazing story and you have so many choices! Love it. Will play over and over again!

Overall I would say this is a good story with heartfelt moments and tearjerker moments alike. I wish there wasn't QTEs, my daughter and I struggled to do them with how fast and precise you have to be. If you love cats then bring some tissues, still recommend despite the issues I had. <3