Fisti-Fluffs: Feline Fighting Fun in Cat-tastic New Combat Game

“I meant,” said Ipslore bitterly, “what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?”
Death thought about it.
“CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.” – Terry Pratchett

Overview

Fisti-Fluffs is an adorable physics-based combat game in which up to 4 players can claw and miaow their way to victory in a series of cat-based party games with both co-op and PVP modes and customisable kitties.

This game is being reviewed as part of the Indie Game Collective (IGC) showcase.

Gameplay

Fisti-Fluffs allows players to adopt, customise and dress up a kitten that they can then interact with in the playroom. Once ready there are five game modes to play, the only co-op mode is Kibble Defence which involves fighting off waves of rats, racoons, foxes and other critters in order to preserve the cats’ dry food. This is the only mode that cannot be played with bots and requires a second player.

The other multiplayer modes are PVP based and include Tussle, a game of last cat standing, Crown Control, in which cats must fight to be the first to wear and charge up the titular crown, Destruction, which is exactly as it sounds and involves roughing up the level as fast as possible. The final offering is Party Mode which consists of a series of shorter versions of the previous game modes.

In addition to the five-game modes, there are also 6 levels or maps in which to battle, these are an apartment, backyard, cat cafe, rooftop garden, magic cabin and an alleyway. The Kibble Defence game is played in a separate larger map of a house. Within all of the various modes gameplay is quite simple, cats can claw, pounce, miaow and shield themselves but without any levels of complexity players may find themselves mashing buttons somewhat mindlessly. However, the wobbly cats and physics-based combat makes everything feel somewhat unpredictable and add to the fun.

Narrative and Styling

The game’s simple narrative doesn’t really extend beyond the premise that the hoomans are away and the cats are inevitably causing mischief and destruction. However, this works well with the party games experience, with Fisti-Fluffs intended to be played in shorter doses with groups of people.

Players get a choice of cute or metal music, both options have limited tracks but they largely sit in the background during combat and as such, do not get too repetitive. The sound effects are much more prominent with miaows, mews, clawing, smashing and hissing noises dominating the soundscape. Fisti-Fluffs has a very colourful, low-poly, cartoon-like art style depicting a selection of fun environments and a huge range of cosmetic items such as costumes and hats that can be obtained by completing certain challenges.

Summary

Fisti-Fluffs is a fun game with a cute premise and art style and is ideal for short bursts of casual multiplayer gaming. However, there are some small bugs, such as throwing invisible toys, menu glitches and cats clipping into furniture. It is also worth noting that the game does not support online multiplayer gaming, despite the fact the title is well suited to it.

Overall, there is enjoyment to be had, especially with friends, but the limited content and unfinished feel mean it is difficult to recommend this at the full price of nearly £20. The discrepancy between the price of switch/PC versus mobile adds further insult to injury in this regard.

For more games with cats, why not check out:
Purrfect Date – Romance and Research on Cat Island – Purrgatory – Explore the After Life in this Casual New Visual Novel – Shadow of the Wool-Ball Mod Review

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