The Indie Cat Sim Sandbox features a city full of things to do.
Double Dagger’s Little Kitty, Big City was featured in the recent announcement of the Nintendo Indie World event, and we had the chance to sit down and preview this cat-focused platformer in action. You’re a domestic cat who had dozed off too close to an open window ledge until it rolled to the ground and had to find a way home. The intro had some great expressive moments, set against a jazz piano piece that reminded me of the sounds you’d hear from the New York City skyline.
Cats have a set of tricks with the ability and means to cause trouble. In addition to tapping people, Swipe also allows you to flip pots and cans, and more. Kittens can also grab things with their mouths, crouch, run and jump. By holding down the jump button you can create an arc that will show you where your jump will land. Double Door knows how cats feel like cats in the way their bodies bend, scratch walls, and run through narrow passages.
When you combine the fun atmosphere of cats with an open city, magic happens. The city acts as a large sandbox and is given very few instructions other than the introductory tutorial. Scattered around the city are small missions to tackle, some of which include activities like “Kill 10 Plants” or “Collect 25 Shinies” (Shinies in this case are coins, nuts, bolts, etc.). . These missions prompt a lot of exploration, leading to new discoveries that inevitably distract you from your objective, such as following someone’s trail, finding a new animal character to talk to, or pouncing on a bird.
All elements come together very well and the experience is very low key and carefree. A playground in the city full of toys sounds like a lot of fun, and it can be a very special experience when you have it all. Double Dagger Studios’ Little Kitty, Big City is coming to Nintendo Switch next year.
