A new leash on life.
When Untitled Goose Game arrived in 2019, it took the industry by storm. It would go on to be nominated for a ton of awards and win several, such as taking home the BAFTA for Best Family Game. The game, which saw the titular Goose, had you perform a wide range of random acts, from stealing keys and nabbing a child's eyeglasses to making a gardener’s day a living nightmare. So, when Double Dagger Studio revealed their take on the formula, one that sees a cat set loose in a small city, well, you certainly have some big goose shoes to fill.
While I hit the credits about three hours into Little Kitty Big City, with still plenty left to explore, I was eager to dive back in. This is due to how cleverly the city and its collective of personalities fit so well into this formula. Kitty, whom you can name once you've beaten the game, will find themselves cast down from their perch, high atop an apartment building. After a few quick moments with a Shiba Inu and a capitalistic crow, the titular Kitty is in need of a way back to their bed with a clear view of the city.
To do this, it's actually rather simple. You'll encounter the aforementioned crow who shares Intel about some tasty fish. They also share about their love of shiny things and will trade said fish for 25 pieces of them. Afterward, you’ll then find even more shiny pieces for the crow at numerous Gatcha machines, trading them across for one of several hats. This is on top of the countless hats you’ll find in capsules that are found everywhere across this city.
Still, the news of this fish is your ticket home. Consuming one gives you a single stamina paw that drains as you climb. To get back up to your owner’s apartment, you'll need a total of four fish. Despite this being the main objective, getting them is not difficult at all. For example, one fish is given to you for those 25 pieces, the next is simply found by grabbing it from a fishing line of a man next to some water. Wait for him to drop it, snatch it up, and run away; that's it. The other two are also fairly easy to come by, making your core objective rather simple. This is made even easier as their locations are already present on the map.
However, that objective of getting home is only part of the whole package. Across the fairly small neighborhood to explore, you'll find a small cast of characters. From a papa duck who has lost his kids, a tanuki who has worked out the science of interdimensional travel, which allows you to fast travel through a series of manholes, to a chameleon who is shocked you can see him. You'll find several more colorful characters as you continue to travel around, all loaded with a ton of dialogue and purpose. That Shibu Inu from earlier? Turns out he has lost his four prized tennis balls. No, not the ones behind him in a huge pile, but very showy purple ones that are hidden about.
Most objectives are in the general area, apart from tracking down the four ducklings, each of the fish, and having to find a phone for a beetle who is the social media assistant for a local cat influencer named Taffy. In fact, this is also how you'll unlock photo mode, by receiving a cement-gunked phone that you'll swap for the new one that you've taken from one of the many people walking about. And that cat resting in one of several resting spots high atop an apartment building? Well, he needs a bagel, so it’s time to hit the streets and find a human holding a bagel.
The faceless human population roams the streets, carrying bread, bagels, and cell phones, all of which can be retrieved should you trip them. You can also nuzzle up against their legs as well, having them pet you, or pick you up and escort you out of an area not meant for young cats. There are also a series of soccer nets placed about, with an achievement of having a person kick the ball back to you, one I got purely by accident as I was attempting to have them kick it away from the random puddle blocking the street.
The city itself is staged where you'll progress through particular neighborhoods in a set order. This is due to the number of fish you'll require in order to climb about or navigate around the pools of water that flood certain streets, blocking your path. Eventually, you'll discover holes in the walls to crawl under or use your climbing powers to navigate around said obstacles. Eventually, you'll be finding shortcuts back to old stomping grounds, such as distracting a few dogs by dropping a bone in their bowl or using those newly found climbing abilities to take the high road, finding new costumes and shinies to then in turn trade into new hats.
Your Kitty can be dressed up in a variety of hats from ladybugs to crabs to even that of a dog, the Shibu Inu, to be exact. There are a total of 42 hats to collect, which come pretty fast and furious as you begin to explore and gather up the needed shiny pieces to buy them from the crow. And once you've beaten the game, anything left remaining will be revealed on the map, so it's good to hit your main objective early and then clean up everything else you have remaining to do.
The general gameplay loop of Little Kitty Big City is by performing a few tasks and using your cat-like skills to jump to out of reach places or paw at objects to knock them off, such as large glass containers filled with shiny objects; that, or dropping a potted plant on an unsuspecting person. Jumping is handled one of two ways, you can freely jump a short distance, which does feel a tad stiff, or hold the button down to measure your jump as you release the button and see the Kitty then make said jump. You can also use this tactic to pounce on birds, securing a feather to use the fast travel system.
Since the jump is fundamentally the biggest mechanic in the game, the stiffness from your basic jump, and how twitchy the cursor can be to measure your longer jump doesn’t feel as fluid as everything else you have from a movement perspective. That said, moving around, and crawling under low gaps all feel good. Even the climbing feels generally fine with no real complaints. There were countless times where I would free jump and there would be no real distance gained, often having me fall down and then having to climb back up. I don’t think the jump is bad by any means, but given it is your main way to navigate the city, I do wish it was a bit better.
Adding to the general gameplay are the various quests and conversations you’ll have. While there is a vast assortment of random objectives you’ll stumble upon, you’ll be asked to perform certain feats by the collective of characters featured in this city. Each character has a lot of dialogue and in some cases, almost too much. I did enjoy what came of those conversations, but felt that some of it could have been condensed to make these moments a bit snappier. That, or if the game had fully spoken dialogue, then that could have been a solid compromise. In fact, I would not be surprised to see a cartoon series come from this; it’s that charming.
Visually, Little Kitty Big City does everything right to create an endearing and impressive experience. Since the game is focused on the Kitty and his friends, having the humans be this faceless sort of entity works well. The city itself has a very light cel-shaded feel that is very subtle, allowing the detail of its world to stand out, especially with the stark contrast of a black cat pulling your attention to it. And, speaking of the Kitty, their animations are rather charming, and really do a great job at injecting this game with a ton of personality.
Little Kitty Big City will certainly entertain those looking for this type of experience. My own cat was personally interested in the journey I took and was hyper-focused on many of this cat’s movements. The Untitled Goose Game approach certainly works and the game is extremely digestible that you can easily polish it off in a single day or a more casual weekend. If this is the start of a Little Kitty Big City franchise, then Double Dagger certainly has my attention and my time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more adorable hats to find and a city to explore.
Developer - Double Dagger Studios.
Publisher - Double Dagger Studios.
Released - May 9th, 2024.
Available On - Xbox One/Series X/S, Switch, GeForce Now, PC.
Rated - (E) - No Descriptors.
Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X.
Review Access - Little Kitty Big City was downloaded and reviewed off Xbox Game Pass.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.