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This sidescroller combines cat photography with the joy (misery) of social media clout-farmingMewtwo likes

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Image credit:Flyhigh Works

Image credit:Flyhigh Works

Miki looks down at her phone and smiles.

One of my proudest pictures of a 2018 trip to Croatia wasn’t of me and my pal. No, it wasn’t of the beautiful scenery or the glistening sea either. It was of many cats lying in the sun together outside a little church. I hadn’t seen that volume of cats in my life, nor that volumetogetherin one spot, all hanging out. Now, you too can live this magic: there’s a demo of this upcoming sidescroller calledNeko Odysseyon Steam, and it consists of you taking photos of cats for internet clout. It’s nice!

Neko Odyssey goes for a familiar nostalgic Japanese game look, employing a 2D pixellated style overlaid on a 3D backdrop. It really captures the heart, what with pleasant boppy music and an authentic-seeming town in the demo. Solid vending machine work. Good ramen restaurant layout. Strong abundance of cats.

One of my favourite pics was of a cat whose face was wedged in a crack in a wall.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Flyhigh Works

A picture of a cat nestled in a hole in the wall.

And I like this one of a cat who was sat opposite his owner in a ramen restaurant, clearly annoyed at his lack of a portion.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Flyhigh Works

Miki looks at her phone, which shows a picture of a cat sat in a ramen restaurant on her social media feed.

Some cats aren’t that easy to take photos of, though. Some demand cat food, while others are perched in hard-to-reach places you’ll need to figure out a route towards. According to theSteam page, there’s also a “storyline where you’ll unravel the mysteries of the town based on the information you capture in your cat photos”. I can’t say mine have much truth to them.

No, I won’t pretend that Neko Odyssey is going to be the next big thing. Butthe demois pleasant enough for a quick jaunt and a quick hit of the dopamine.

UPDATE:

Below you’ll find the photo of the cats I took in Croatia, please enjoy.

Image credit:Ed Thorn/Rock Paper Shotgun

Cats lounging in the sun, outside a church in Croatia.