Cats in Time – Travel the World in Search of Lost Cats!

“If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?” – Stephen Hawking

Overview

Cats in Time is an adorable and relaxing puzzle game in which players can explore vibrant 3D dioramas, solve puzzles and find cats that have been lost in time!

Narrative and Styling

The limited narrative elements begin with the player being tasked with fixing a time-travel machine that looks suspiciously like a washing machine! On doing so, all the cats that were in the room go missing, scattered across time, and it is up to the player to find them. The story is quite minimal but it provides some fun context for the gameplay.

Cats in Time features colourful 3D dioramas in a simple but pleasant style, with vibrant colour palettes and hints of texture. The different scenes take place in a range of times and places, with themes such as Egyptian, Greek, German, wild west and an underwater zone! These all have distinct looks, with buildings, and landscapes that are different across the various zones. Similarly, the upbeat music is befitting the theme of each section which nicely ties together the visual and audio elements. Pleasant ambient sound effects such as birds chirping add to the atmosphere and help bring the scenes to life. Cute little miaows also occur every time the player finds a cat which is a jolly addition to the sound design. Overall, the aesthetics are lively and vibrant adding to the positive feel of the game.

Gameplay

Cats in Time’s gameplay is very casual and laid back and consists of seven differently themed zones made up of four levels each plus four more recently added bonus zones with only two levels each. Each level has ten cats and three postcard pieces to find. In order to find the cats the player will need to explore the dioramas and solve puzzles. These include Sokoban-type puzzles, jigsaws, inventory-based, logic and hidden objects as well as simpler interactions. There is a decent tutorial at the start of the game and the controls are pretty straightforward and intuitive so it is quite accessible. Likewise, although there is a noticeable difficulty curve, none of the puzzles are overly difficult and they provide enough of a challenge to be both satisfying and relaxing.

Summary

Cats in Time is a casual but enjoyable cross between a puzzle game and a hidden object game. It offers vibrant 3D visuals, upbeat music and satisfying puzzles that are not too taxing, giving the game a laid-back and positive feel. The assortment of zones and different themes help keep things interesting and add a bit more variety to the gameplay. It has a good amount of content and will take between 4 and 7 hours to complete depending on play style and speed. This family-friendly game is a lot of fun and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing and cute puzzle game.

Looking for more cute puzzle games? Take a look at these reviews:
Harmony’s Odyssey – A Cute and Magical Puzzle-Filled Adventure! – Zodiacats – A Magical Game of Cat Puzzles and Astrology! – Letters: A Written Adventure – A New Word Puzzle about Friendship!

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