‘Copycat’ is a short, 3-hour narrative-driven experience that takes you on a heartbreaking journey defining found family and what it means to have a Home.  

Play as a newly adopted cat named Dawn, who struggles to get comfortable in her new home with a sweet older woman named Olive. With catlike choices such as ‘Scratch’ or ‘Bite’ and ‘Approach’ or ‘Hide,’ players can choose to start as a sweet kitty trying to start anew or a cautious cat with a troubled past. 

The story is warm and nourishing, with bright, seamlessly gorgeous gameplay graphics that complement the story themes of love and family for the first chunk of the game. As things take a devastating turn, the story themes reflect loneliness and relinquishing the past, and the game becomes darker with the colors and contrast.

From a newly sheltered cat to a loved house cat and then to a street cat, Dawn goes through the hoops and demonstrates balanced character development in a journey to discover who she is and what she wants.

Through the Eyes of a Cat 

Australian independent developer Spoonful Of Wonder executes this third-person story effortlessly through a cat’s perspective. The heartfelt tale follows through a beautifully crafted story arc that had me in tears. The voice cast is good and reflects the emotion in each scene. The kitty mechanics are easy to maneuver, with some fun minigames to sharpen Dawn for the real world. One of my favorite aspects of “Copycat” is your cat’s witty, conscious dialogue spoken by a nature documentary expert, which is hilarious. I love the comedic jabs to the lifestyle of my cat ways. 

As I played, I wanted to see the relationship between Dawn and Olive grow. The tension and resistance from Dawn made me curious as to why the cat was being so mean. However, as the story unfolded, I realized that Dawn was not only Olive’s first cat. Alas, Dawn was also hesitant to get close to another human after living a life of distress. Like so many real shelter animal stories, I felt my heart drop. Through my anticipation for closure, I was absorbed to finish the story.

“Copycat” is such a wholesome little experience. Definitely pick it up if you love furbabies and can spare a moment for a good story.

Available now on Steam!

Reviewed on Steam. Review code provided by the publisher.