In LIttle Kitty Big City, players take on the role of a cat who has to get home. (Nintendo)
Matt Wood wants to get into the minds of cats. That's the driving force behind his indie project “Little Kitty Big City.” Inspired by his own feline friends, Mario and Roxy, and with the help of his children, he contrives an unnamed feline protagonist who falls from a safe window sill and ends up on the city's streets. We've created a game that focuses on: A Tokyo-like city.
The goal of “Little Kitty Big City” is to get home, but that's easier said than done. Cats literally live the high life and reaching the top of a skyscraper seems impossible. While playing the game, players will notice that felines cannot tolerate water. Wood and his team at Double Dagger Studio use puddles as barriers.
Gameplay is free-form, with players controlling a cat as it roams the city. Cats talk, and they communicate with other creatures, including manipulative crows and older, wiser felines. It can also be a prank. You can grab a shoe with your mouth and hide it in another part of the room. Players can jump by holding down the B button and see the trajectory of their jump. You can also jump onto the kitchen counter or jump over the fence.
Players use triggers to control their feet. As a result, the cat protagonist can hit and break pots and other items on the shelf.
“I wanted you to be the cat from the cat's perspective,” Wood said. “I don't want you to be the one controlling the cat.”
That's one of the reasons why humans in the game don't have faces. Wood said that for cats, humans are more like objects that perform functions such as grabbing food and providing affection. In one example, a cat encounters an artist staring at a blank canvas. Cats can inspire humans by knocking over paint, walking across the canvas, and leaving footprints all over the place.
Meandering elsewhere, the feline moves the box, discovers a hole, and slips under the fence. The animation of the cat crawling under the area is perfect. From there, I could see the kitten staring blankly at a cell phone while tripping a walking human. If you fall, your cat may steal your smartphone and run away. This kind of intentional mayhem reminds players of “Untitled Goose Game.”
One of the missions the player receives is from a crow who wants a shiny object. Cats have to collect fish from birds to get them, and the rewards build up stamina. Cats only have enough energy to climb. Players exploring the environment will also find Gochapon capsules containing costume items. Players can dress up their cats just for fun.
Finally, “Little Kitty Big City” is intentionally family-friendly. Cats shouldn't get hurt. If you fall, you will land on your feet. You can hunt and pounce on birds, but the birds will flee and leave behind their feathers. Wood said he invented the game with his children, and they came up with some ideas. Ideally, players can play the campaign with a child by their side as they explore the world and provide input on what the cat should do.
Little Kitty Big City is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch later this year.
