Cats get into all kinds of mischief whether they're indoor cats or outdoor ones. In Little Kitty, Big City, an indoor cat steps - falls - into the outside world for the first time and needs to get back home. This is the cozy cat game we've all been waiting for. Read this review to find out why!
Story
What is the story behind Little Kitty, Big City? It's about a small, indoor cat who is trying to make their way back home. They're lost in a Japanese city and need to get help from the various animals that live nearby. It's a simple story, but it doesn't try to be anything that it's not. This was always supposed to be a modern, funny, silly cat game, and that's what it is.
However, there are some elements of the story that I didn't expect while playing it. Each of the animals that you interact with are unique and they ask for your help in return for theirs. You get to know the animals enough to understand their personality, what they care about, and their motives. That's about as deep as Little Kitty, Big City gets, though. You meet a Crow obsessed with Shinies, a Tanuki that wants to change spacetime, and a baby duck that loves flying.
It's wholesome. It's supposed to be wholesome, and that's why it gets a high story score. There's nothing dark in this game; it's just another of the best cozy games for Switch and PC on my list.
Score: 5/5
Visual Design
The design of Little Kitty, Big City is slightly cartoon-ish with some more realistic elements like the sky. It has the feel of a Japanese visual novel or webtoon where the main characters are in High School. The more realistic sky doesn't look out of place, but it does make me wonder what the artists and designers of the game could have done if they decided to go for a more complex style.
I didn't want this game to be another Stray, particularly because both cat games have a similar starting premise (i.e. the stars of both literally fall into their respective environments). The difference is that this is a silly cat game and Stray is the story of a cat travelling through an area devoid of human life. Stray has much more dystopian themes. It's very realistic, both in art and in the possibilities of human life that it imagines the future to hold.
Little Kitty, Big City doesn't have any of that darkness hanging overhead. The freedom that a modern and funny cat game gave its own artists really shows in the weird and wonderful things that the game includes. For example, you'll see humans that are so much taller than little kitty and have no clear faces, yet they can express joy and anger easily; other animals look more detailed than their surroundings, as if little kitty sees potential friends clearer than anything else.
The really beautiful scenery that you get when you lay down in a sunspot for a nap is a joy. My favorite was the Japanese sand garden; listening to the chimes and watching the rays of sun glitter over little kitty... This game could have been more detailed, but it's fine the way it is.
Score: 4/5
Controls and Accessibility
I was concerned that I would struggle playing Little Kitty, Big City because the team suggests that you use a controller for it, even when you're playing on PC. Now, I don't own a USB controller or any kind of PC controller, but I don't think that I missed out on anything by using my keyboard and mouse. In fact, it was easier for me to complete precision jumps using a control system that I'm familiar with. I can see the benefits of using a controller, but I don't think it's as necessary as the LKBC team made it seem on the main menu.
As someone with the memory of a rubber duck, I was exceedingly grateful to the developers for keeping in button reminders for the various actions I needed to take to do things or open my menu. This felt like it added a level of accessibility to the gameplay - along with the built-in speech bubbles instead of captions.
The precision jump and ivy climbing mechanics were extremely useful, if not a bit buggy at times (i.e. not always jumping where you aim or getting stuck in ivy during a climb). I like how the LKBC team tied in the climbing ability to the storyline - you can't just speed-run this game; you have to work through the problems and find the items you need by exploring. And the pounce ability is hilarious.
Score: 4/5
Gameplay
Little Kitty, Big City is not an open-world game and the map is just big enough to make it feel like a challenge. As a player, I felt like there were enough things for me to do alongside the main story quests on the to-do list, without needlessly sending me halfway across the map for a side quest.
The Cat-chievements were funny, intuitive, and just enjoyable. One of the biggest selling points of this game for me (beyond it being a gremlin cat game) was that I could run, jump, climb, and take stuff from people for fun. Stealing a human's sandwich and watching them either A. Chase after me, or B. Stomp off in a huff is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.
I love the Japanese gacha machines as a way to get more of the hats, too. There are SO MANY hats. People want their cat hats. But 42 is a big number and it wasn't difficult to get enough Shinies to buy the hats from the gacha machines. I kind of wish the hats were randomized—like gacha usually is—but I understand why the hats are located in specific places.
Score: 4.5/5
Verdict
When Stray was announced, all cat enthusiasts were looking forward to running around as a cat and having fun. Little Kitty, Big City is what we hoped Stray would be. If you're looking for a cute game where you can run around as a little cat, this is the perfect game for you. It's not stressful, it's bright and full of color, and it's just a nice game to wile away the hours after work or during your downtime. There's no rush to get back home, and you get to make trouble for humans in soooo many different ways.
I felt so calm and relaxed playing this game. Even when I was failing my jumps or fell off a ledge, it was fine. Little kitty can literally fall from a roof and you get no damage at all. This cat has more than nine lives.
There's also a lot of modern humor in the game, which I really enjoyed. It's a game that kids could absolutely play, but there are comments, references, and memes that Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to understand.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Want to play Little Kitty, Big City for yourself? Check out our Pro Game Guides Little Kitty, Big City Walkthrough (All achievements) or read about the 10 Best cozy games coming to PC in 2024.
