Developer: HumaNature Studios
Publisher: RedDeer.Games
Platform: Switch, PC, iOS
Tested on: Switch
Kimono Cats – Review
We’ve only just taken a look at Mad Skills BMX 2, and we’re already back with another review of a mobile game that made the jump to the Switch. This time, it’s a title that saw its debut on Apple Arcade, however, so there probably aren’t going to be microtransaction-related speedbumps present. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the game in question, Kimono Cats, seemingly tries to offer a relaxing and worry-free time at a Japanese festival instead. We put on our kimono and took a stroll along Kimono Cats’ stalls to see if it was worth the visit.
Story
Although there is a story present in Kimono Cats, it is very light. Players take on the role of a cute little cat. There is a traditional Japanese festival happening, and our feline protagonist decides to take his love interest on a romantic trip there to impress her. Those two sentences pretty much cover the entirety of Kimono Cats’ narrative. The story serves as little more than a framework for the main gameplay, which centers around festival activities. In between the different festival stages, there are village-building elements present in the gameplay. While the festival gameplay and village building are tied to one another when it comes to gameplay, the latter feels distinctly separate when it comes to the story.
Graphics
Much of Kimono Cats’ appeal comes from its charming cartoon visuals. The hand-drawn art style leans into bright colors and rounded designs, both when it comes to the Japanese festival streets and its animal inhabitants. It fits with the cozy, whimsical atmosphere of the game. Since Kimono Cats relies on 2D illustrations and relatively simple animations, it doesn’t require a lot of hardware power to run smoothly either. This results in a stable performance, and snappy and responsive transitions between mini-games and wandering the festival streets.
Sound
For a title that has its roots as a mobile game, Kimono Cats has a surprisingly immersive soundscape. As you walk past the different stalls, you’ll hear crowd chatter and other festival sounds, making the game feel very lively. The different mini-games make effective use of cheerful arcade-style sounds. Negative events are underscored by cartoonish sound effects. The game’s music is light and cheerful as well, and incorporates traditional Japanese instruments to tie everything together. The game doesn’t incorporate any voice acting, but that’s not a huge miss, given how well the rest of the audio works here.
Gameplay
The core gameplay loop of Kimono Cats centers around visiting the different streets where the Japanese festival takes place. Each of the streets acts as a separate part of your date. Your goal is to fill up an affinity meter, which indicates how much your companion cat likes you. As you scroll past the stalls, different bubbles float above your head. Popping the bubbles triggers different mini-events. Some bubbles contain mini-games, representing festival activities; others give rewards, and some affect the flow of your date. The outcome of popping a bubble isn’t always positive -sometimes, you’ll accidentally feed your partner a snack they won’t like, for example. In order to complete a level, you’ll need to completely max out the affinity meter. Kimono Cats is a laid-back, positive game, and during our time with the game, we didn’t encounter anything that would make us “lose” the game. However, negative bubbles did prolong the time it took to complete a level.
The structure of Kimono Cats’ main gameplay mode, where you’re walking along a straight track and triggering events and mini-games, is very similar to that of Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, with the main difference being that the mini-games themselves are a lot shorter and less involved here. They’re simple representations of festival activities, like throwing balls at targets or trying to catch as many dango balls on a skewer as possible. Mini-games will earn you coins or items, which can then be spent in the game’s village building mode. Here, you can place, upgrade, and expand a little cat village with decorations. As you complete levels, new decorations, shops, and characters are unlocked, motivating you to keep playing and revisiting the festival to gather more resources.
For the kind of game Kimono Cats sets out to be, it more than meets expectations, but there are a couple of caveats to consider. Early on, the game relies a lot on trial and error when it comes to popping bubbles, as it isn’t always clear what the effect of an item is going to be. In our first run, we accidentally fed our betrothed a burnt lizard on a stick, resulting in her becoming sick. The game doesn’t explain how to counteract something like that. In fact, you’re encouraged to try and see what every bubble does -including the negative ones- as at the end of a level, you’ll be rewarded for any new bubbles discovered as well. As we kept playing, though, we quickly figured out that the cure for lizard-invoked sickness was to simply feed our companion other food they did like. This is exemplary of Kimono Cat’s overall difficulty level and shallowness. As accessible as the gameplay is, it is lacking in both depth and replay value. The minigames can get repetitive after a while, even though the game is a fairly short affair in the first place, comprising a mere 18 levels. This is reflected in Kimono Cats’ RRP of €8.99, which feels bang on the money for a shorter, more casual gaming experience.
Conclusion
What Kimono Cats lacks in depth, it makes up for in sheer charm and coziness. If you’re looking for a casual, worry-free game to unwind with after a stressful day, then this is a very good option. The gameplay is very accessible, the visuals are adorable, and the soundscape ties things together neatly. If you’re after a more substantial gameplay experience, you’re probably better off elsewhere. If you can keep your expectations in check, however, then you’ll have a fantastic time at this Japanese festival.
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