Mobile Game Review: Neko Atsume

Game: Neko Atsume
Console: Mobile
Developer: Hit-Point
Release Date: 20th October 2014

Sometimes you need a break from games with a lot of action, or from playing 48 NES games in the past 2 weeks. Sure, there's Animal Crossing or Tomodachi life that you can dip into, but where are all the cats? The answer is on Neko Atsume, the kitty collecting game which is gripping the nation (well, sort of). I understand that some gamers would hesitate to call this a game, but I think we can safely say that despite very little "action", an enjoyable and entertaining piece of software which players interact with is a game.

Neko Astume is played in the player's yard where there's a food bowl and spaces to set down toys which will attract cats. There's a large selection of toys and food that can be placed down, and different combinations of the two will attract different cats. The currency of the game is fish; grey and gold, which makes it seem as if the game will be microtransaction based, but it's actually very easy to acquire fish of both types with very little effort.

Once cats arrive and begin to interact with the toys in the yard, players can take photos of each cat, or the scene as a whole, but unfortunately can't do much to truly interact with them. Once a cat has visited several times, there's a small chance that it'll give players a memento to signify their friendship. If players check the app a few times a day, getting most of the non-rare cats mementos is pretty easy.

A yard expansion is sold in the shop, allowing more cats to visit, and a second food bowl to be placed. There's also the option to decorate the whole play area in a few different styles, though this doesn't make a huge difference to which cats visit. There's a large variety of cats featured in the game, with a current total of 49.

Graphically the game is drawn in a cute cartoon style and each cat has a very similar body type (save for one food thief who shall not be named!). While the markings vary from cat to cat, perhaps a few size differences would also lend some interest to collecting the entire set. The music of the game is very much reminiscent of games like Animal Crossing, and gives the same relaxed and playful feel.

Overall Neko Atsume isn't a game for everyone; if you're after thrills or challenging gameplay then this isn't for you. It's also something that wouldn't work at all on a home console, or even a portable one, for that matter; it's such a perfect fit for mobile gaming, due to the nature of checking back every now and then for cats. It's cute, and a fun distraction from whatever it is you're doing and a different type of game to nearly everything we're used to.

Rating: 76/100
Grade: B