Cats With Standards

[H1]The only cat game where the boss might be capitalism[/H1] Cats With Standards is one of those games that leaves you tilting your head like… well, a confused cat. It’s weird, creative, and oddly charming, but also inconsistent in tone: a mix of childlike storytelling and dark dystopian themes that don’t always blend smoothly. You play through 6 short chapters narrated by an uncle telling a story to their niece/nephew, following the life of a cat living in a strict, efficiency-obsessed society. On paper, it’s a fun setup (dystopian cat drama!) but in practice, it feels a bit unsure who it’s really for. The dialogue and presentation are simple and playful, yet the subject matter dips into surprisingly dark territory, complete with a few light jumpscares when starting certain minigames. Not quite nightmare fuel, but definitely not bedtime-story material either. Gameplay-wise, it’s a series of simple minigames, mostly light hidden-object tasks, stitched together by short narrative scenes. The art style is surreal and offbeat (in a good way), giving everything a slightly creepy but endearing energy. The amateur voice acting adds to that charm too; it’s not polished, but it fits the game’s quirky, homemade vibe. And since it’s made entirely by a solo developer (with no AI tools involved!), it deserves props for that creativity and dedication. Where it stumbles is in the writing and pacing. The story doesn’t offer much choice or consequence, and the allegory about capitalist conformity feels a bit recycled. The uncle-kid storytelling frame also breaks immersion, snapping you out of the dystopia just when you start getting into it. The final chapters rush to wrap things up, leaving the overall narrative feeling a little half-baked. Still, it’s hard not to respect what the solo dev pulled off here. Cats With Standards is a short 40-minutes, strange and sincere curiosity that’s fun to poke at if you like weird indie experiments or dystopias with whiskers. Just don’t go in expecting deep moral revelations or gameplay depth; this one’s more of a quirky interactive fable than a true thinker. Proceed with low expectations. [quote]For more reviews like this one, please check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45639970-Ele%2527s-Little-Recommendation-Corner/][b]Ele's Little Recommendation Corner[/b][/url]![/quote] [quote]For reviews covering all types of indies, recent and old, don't hesitate to drop by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/][b]IndieGems[/b][/url]![/quote]

[b][i]An interactive surreal story for children and their parents, combining Point & Click Quest and hidden object gameplay with a plot set in a dystopian world of cats and dogs.[/i][/b] Gameplay: https://youtu.be/UhnO2uukwHI In this dark, unreal world, cats behave like dogs to avoid punishment or expulsion. They are forced to obey authorities and lie even to themselves. The game features excellent multi-voice acting, unique hand-drawn graphics, wonderful music, and numerous animated and interactive elements. The game takes about an hour to complete. The narrative is divided into six chapters and interspersed with mini-games. + Multi-voice acting. + Hand-drawn graphics and unique characters. + Wonderful music/original soundtrack. + Surreal atmosphere and horror elements. + Humor. + Mini-games. + Achievements.

A hauntingly beautiful small game. Its atmosphere lingers, its design feels just right. The brief story is disturbing in a way that feels painfully real — it makes you think about the world, and about the expectations we all carry, day after day. A subtle yet profound piece that invites reflection. → "It's never too late to lift your gaze."

Pretty short game, Miau. But it's fun. Miau Worth the price. Miau

Cats with standards is a weird indie game. The theme lingers around dystopian and gloomy times, but shifts to creepy every now and then. It's a wild ride, but fun indie weirdness as it is. 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜..

Its something new. Interesting

It's quirky, it's weird, it's abstract, a true indie game in the word's original meaning. It has that feeling of a good, home-cooked meal. It's not what you get at a fancy restaurant, but it feels good and cozy. Tbh, I'm not entirely sure what the game is about as a whole, but there were some segments that actually brought up some thoughts and feelings I could relate to. That doesn't often happen to me in games. I loved the subtle details in the visuals and ambience sounds. I'm just baffled more than anything. It's a really, really weird, artsy game that definitely has some real-world experiences and thoughts behind it. Definitely worth the money and will leave a lasting impression.

Definitely odd, this is a dark comedy interactive comic book. It's about choosing between conforming to an oppressive regime for social safety vs taking a risky stance for personal freedom. The timed events are not really timed because it doesn't matter if your 'win'. Some visual effects might cause sensory issues. The length is right, about 1 hour for a play through with some dialogue choices, consdiering the story is quite simple. No lengthy texts, the narrative impact stays solid throughout. Definitely worth it if you want mostly a ~1hr visual novel with a few actions and a simple, dark story line with oddly cute art. I enjoyed it. It does what it sets out to do and doesn't try to be 'too much', which is refreshing.

This is the game that I did not expect to see. Not much of a game, but more like a movie that'll blow your mind and make you think your own life in different perspective. Highly recommended to play with headphones on as the audios are phenomenal.

5/5 success simulator... or something else. Go with an open mind and enjoy the weird ride!