Little Kitty, Big City

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Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty Big City Cover.png
Developer(s) Double Dagger Studio
Publisher(s) Double Dagger Studio
Director(s) Matt T. Wood
Composer(s) Riley Koenig
Engine Unity [1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseMay 9, 2024
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Little Kitty, Big City is an adventure video game and debut release from American indie developer Double Dagger Studio. The player assumes the role of a cat lost within a city, with the main objective of making its way back home. It was released for Nintendo Switch, Windows, the Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X/S on May 9, 2024.

Contents

Gameplay

Little Kitty, Big City is a third-person adventure video game where the player controls a black, domestic cat that is lost within a large Japanese city. The player has to navigate the cat back to its owner's apartment, but can also interact with the city via many typical cat actions, such as catch birds, jump into boxes and trash cans, steal items, and emote. [2] [3] [4] The player can also communicate with other animals and embark on quests, earning new emotes and wearable cosmetic hats as rewards. [5] [6] [7] Hats can also be found by locating hidden capsules around the city, or by collecting shiny objects and exchanging them with a crow. [8] A fast travel system allows the player to quickly move around the city by warping between sewer manholes they have found and activated. [9] By eating fish found throughout the city, the player gains the ability to climb ivy, with each fish increasing the maximum amount of time the cat can continuously climb without running out of stamina; the player must find every fish to reach the cat's apartment and finish the game. [10]

Development and release

In an interview with KING-TV, Double Dagger Studio founder Matt Wood said that the main inspiration of Little Kitty, Big City were his cats Mario and Roxy and his children. [11] On November 13, 2021, it was shown off at the indie Wholesome Games event during its Wholesome Snack showcase. [4] [12]

In an Indie World presentation on April 19, 2023, it was announced that Little Kitty, Big City would be released for Nintendo Switch. [13] A demo of the game was showcased at Summer Game Fest 2023, where it was slated to be released in early 2024 for both Nintendo Switch and Windows, as well as Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. [14] [15] A demo of the game was made temporarily available during Steam's Next Fest from June 19 to 26. [16] [17]

Little Kitty, Big City was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 9, 2024, and was also added to Xbox Game Pass on the same day. [18] The game hit 100,000 sales two days after its release. [19]

Reception

Little Kitty, Big City received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . [20] Wesley LeBlanc of Game Informer praised the mechanics, while Imran Khan of IGN complimented the graphics but criticized the camera controls. Maddi Chilton of PC Gamer commented on the exploration aspects, stating that "normally [she'd] worry that it would feel confined, but considering the scale of a cat (little), it feels like plenty to explore." [22] On the other hand, Jess Lee of Digital Spy criticized the game's personality, stating that "once the credits rolled, there was very little about the experience that stuck with [them]." [23]

Upon release of the demo, Lauren Aitken of PC Gamer favorably compared the game to Untitled Goose Game , praising its art style, quests, and animations. [16]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Little Kitty, Big City for "Family Game of the Year" at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. [24]

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References

  1. ↑ Saver, Michael (June 10, 2024). "Games Made with Unity: May 2024 in review". Unity Technologies . Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (November 15, 2021). "I Want To Play The Cat Game Right Now". Kotaku . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 13, 2021). "Adventure game Little Kitty, Big City announced for console, PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Smith, Graham (November 13, 2021). "Little Kitty, Big City looks like the adorable cat game I crave". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. ↑ Finley, Brittni (November 13, 2021). "Little Kitty, Big City Is Reminiscient of Untitled Goose Game". Game Rant. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. ↑ Bellingham, Hope (November 15, 2021). "Little Kitty, Big City gives us the same chaotic vibes as Untitled Goose Game". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. ↑ Wald, Heather (January 31, 2022). "25 indie games to look out for in 2022". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ Bell, Alice (May 15, 2024). "I am dissatisfied with the hat selection in Little Kitty, Big City". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ Martin, Garrett (May 13, 2024). "Little Kitty, Big City Lands on All Fours". Paste Magazine. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  10. 1 2 LeBlanc, Wesley (May 9, 2024). "Little Kitty, Big City Review - Feline Fun". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ Meny, Ellen (January 19, 2022). "A Bellevue man is creating a video game where you play as a cat". KING-TV . Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  12. ↑ Innes, Ruby (November 15, 2021). "Finally, A Game That Lets You Be A Silly Little Cat Doing Silly Little Things". Kotaku Australia. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  13. ↑ Romano, Sal (April 19, 2023). "Little Kitty, Big City adds Switch version". Gematsu. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ Romano, Sal (June 13, 2023). "Little Kitty, Big City adds Xbox Series, Xbox One versions". Gematsu. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  15. ↑ Reynolds, Ollie (June 14, 2023). "Hands On: This Kitty Turned Out To Be Our Biggest Summer Game Fest Surprise". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Aitken, Lauren (June 20, 2023). "Little Kitty, Big City is like Untitled Goose Game for cat fanciers". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ West, Josh; Loveridge, Sam (June 20, 2023). "15 Steam Next Fest demos that you shouldn't skip". GamesRadar. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  18. ↑ Bošnjak, Dominik (May 9, 2024). "Xbox Game Pass Adds Day-One Open-World Game". Game Rant. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  19. ↑ Kerr, Chris. "Little Kitty, Big City tops 100,000 sales in two days". Game Developer . Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Little Kitty, Big City". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ Khan, Imran (May 9, 2024). "Little Kitty, Big City Review". IGN. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Chilton, Maddi (May 9, 2024). "Little Kitty, Big City review". PCGamer . Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  23. ↑ Lee, Jess (May 10, 2024). "Little Kitty, Big City is cute but lacks in one key area". Digital Spy . Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  24. ↑ Welsh, Oli (January 10, 2025). "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a GOTY front-runner at the DICE Awards". Polygon . Retrieved January 11, 2025.
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