Pixel Sundays: In-depth analysis of the Cat Quest saga

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There are sagas that are born with the ambition of becoming blockbusters and others that, like Cat QuestThey tiptoe into your library and end up carving out a permanent place in your memory. What began as a modest project from a small indie studio has transformed into a three-game franchise that blends cats, humor, and action RPGs accessible to almost any type of player.

In this special Pixel Sundays-style analysis we're going to review the entire history of Cat QuestFrom the first mobile title to the pirate adventure of the third installment, including the cooperative gameplay with dogs in Cat Quest II, its context within the indie scene, its technical performance, the best and worst aspects of each installment, and why it has established itself as a "cozy action RPG" ideal for both veterans and those just starting out in the genre.

The origin of Cat Quest: how an indie dream became a saga

The first installment of Cat Quest was released in 2017Debuting on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, and later making the leap to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, it emerged from The Gentlebros, a very small studio that had already been awarded for its mobile game Slashy Hero, and which here decided to take a further step with an open world action RPG starring cats.

From the beginning, the idea of ​​the studio was to create a immediately understandable action RPGWithout the need for lengthy explanations or complex skill trees, they drew inspiration from classics like The Legend of Zelda and the straightforward loot system of Diablo, but filtered through a much lighter, more colorful, and more casual lens that would be well-suited to the short mobile gaming sessions.

The mobile origin is noticeable in many elements: the The controls are very clearEverything responds quickly, matches can be played in short bursts, and the gameplay flow is immediate. There are no endless cutscenes or cumbersome menus; in just a few minutes, you're already exploring a compact map, entering dungeons, and testing spells without feeling overwhelmed.

Although the marketing budget was modest, word of mouth and positive reviews They did their job. The first Cat Quest garnered around 95% positive reviews on Steam with thousands of ratings, won awards such as "Best Role-Playing and Adventure Game" and "Best Art Design" at Intel Level Up 2017, and achieved an 89/100 on Metacritic for iOS, solidifying the studio's reputation and gaining attention at events such as The Game Awards.

Story, world and tone of the first Cat Quest

The plot of Cat Quest begins with a anonymous protagonist cat He is sailing with his sister when a mysterious white cat bursts onto the scene, kidnaps his sister, and destroys the ship. While our hero is unconscious, a purple spiral mark appears on the back of his neck, and a feline spirit named Spirry emerges to act as his guide.

We awaken in Felinia (Felingard in English), a kingdom populated by anthropomorphic felines, where we discover that the hero is a “blooddragon”A member of an ancient caste of warrior cats capable of wielding magic, who in the past defeated the dragons that ravaged the world. That lineage mysteriously vanished, and now the dragons return just as our character arrives to claim his sister.

The villain, the white cat Drakoth, is also revealed to be a dragonblood and proposes a poisoned deal: if the protagonist defeats all the dragons From the kingdom, he will return his sister to him. From here, the adventure takes us through villages, caves, ruins, and cities, with main quests that unravel the mystery of the Dragonborn and side quests that expand the lore with family feuds, thieves, mages, and old grudges.

Despite the fact that the basic plot is fairly typical —threat of dragons, chosen one with special power, kidnapped sister—, the game manages to bring it to life thanks to its light tone full of cat jokesReferences to movies, TV series and other video games, and a collection of small towns and eccentric characters that make the journey more enjoyable than its synopsis suggests.

Cat Quest gameplay: action, simplicity, and agile pace

In terms of gameplay, Cat Quest is a real-time action RPG Viewed from an isometric perspective. With a controller or keyboard, you have one button to attack with your weapon, another to roll/dodge, and four back or additional buttons to assign spells. No complex classes, elaborate builds, or convoluted systems: the key is to move well and press the button at the right moment.

All enemies telegraph their attacks by red areas on the floorThese are circles, lines, or larger areas. If you leave the area in time, you won't be hit; if you stay, you'll suffer damage that can be fatal if the enemy is several levels higher. This visual approach to combat keeps the action clear and avoids overwhelming the viewer with effects.

Regarding progress, the protagonist has a general level that increases with experienceThis is obtained both by defeating monsters and by completing side quests. These quests are accepted from notice boards scattered throughout cities, often feature their own mini-stories, and reward you with generous amounts of gold, equipment, and even key abilities.

The equipment is divided into weapons and armor that alter four stats: health, armor (which functions as additional health that regenerates), physical damage, and magic damage. Each piece has a associated level that automatically increases When you get duplicates, you merge the item into your inventory and improve its numbers without having to manage overcrowded inventories or constant sales.

Magic, on the other hand, is learned and improved in arcane temples scattered across the map. There you spend gold to unlock spells like fire circles, horizontal beams, ice pillars, or healing spells. Each enemy has different resistances and weaknesses: ice creatures are much more vulnerable to fire, while some mages are barely affected by spells but fall quickly to physical attacks.

Casting spells consumes mana, which is recovered by melee attacks, thus incentivizing a Constant cycle of physical attack and magic castingIt's a simple but effective system, with room to adjust your style depending on the equipment and spells you prioritize, although it's true that some initial spells can be too efficient and carry you through almost the entire game with them.

Dungeons, side quests, and world structure

The Cat Quest map functions as a large 2D overworld in which The characters are large and the cities are tiny.It's almost as if you were playing on an illustrated board game. Scattered across the map are caves and ruins that act as self-contained dungeons, with a recommended level displayed before entering.

Each dungeon usually has a very direct objective: Clear the area of ​​enemies and open chestsThe first time you run them, you get a bigger final haul, but you can repeat them as many times as you want to keep gaining experience and some gold, although the key loot doesn't regenerate. Some include secret paths or hidden branches, but overall they're fairly simple in design.

The placement of these caves on the map does not always follow a strict logic; it is common to find level 25 dungeons alongside level 60 dungeonsThis forces you to check the number before entering. The progression is designed so that you alternate between main and secondary areas, revisiting zones from time to time when your skill level allows you to clear them easily.

The side missions, despite their charming stories and a good number of jokes and references, They tend to be very repetitiveThe vast majority of them boil down to going to a point marked with an arrow or dashed lines, defeating a few enemies summoned by a spell on the ground, or clearing a specific cave; this structure is repeated over and over again.

Some mission chains take advantage of this repetition to tell interesting little stories or have a moral, but the seams show when you find yourself going from one end of the map to the other You're constantly running errands between two characters who live far apart. Later on, you unlock the ability to fly, which greatly speeds up travel, but you've probably already endured those long journeys before.

Difficulty, quality of life, and save game

The difficulty of Cat Quest could be defined as a balance leaning towards the easy way outIf you stay within missions and dungeons of the appropriate level, you will rarely die, and even if you make mistakes, the game is quite forgiving; however, when you venture into areas several levels above, any carelessness can cost you almost your entire life bar.

The enemies share the same types of spells that you can learn, which makes it simple read their patterns and anticipate attacksThe feeling of level and skill progression is very natural: you gain points almost without noticing, you unlock spells organically, and you never need to stop and grind aggressively if you usually accept missions from the notice boards.

Regarding saving, the game does not allow saving at any time; instead, you have to sleeping in inns in cities, where you also recover health, armor, and mana. However, if you die during a mission, you respawn at the mission's starting point, making the penalty mild and preventing significant progress losses.

As a light cutting game, it lasts approximately between 4 and 7 hours If you play at a normal pace and dedicate time to the more interesting side quests, it becomes an ideal choice to play between more demanding or longer titles, without losing the feeling of having experienced a "complete" adventure upon completion.

Artistic aspects, performance and location

Visually, Cat Quest opts for a very colorful 2D styleWith landscapes and buildings reminiscent of watercolor paintings, characters and elements like trees and bushes drawn with a bold, cartoonish style, and an interface that betrays its mobile origins, it's a deliberately unrealistic approach that allows it to age much better over the years.

The use of color is functional and friendly, helping to read the map at a glance and clearly distinguishing icons, routes, and hazardous areas. The interface remains clean and minimalist, avoiding cluttering the screen with unnecessary indicators, which is especially appreciated when playing on a laptop or during long sessions.

Technically, it's a lightweight game that It runs at 60 FPS on modest systemsIt requires very little disk space (about 250 MB) and, in general, doesn't have any significant bugs or performance drops; if you're interested in how it will affect Direct Storage In games, that text explains the technical promises and realities. The graphics options are basic—mainly the resolution—but sufficient for what it offers visually.

The audio complements the experience very well, with a adventurous soundtrack The music is driven by percussion that reinforces the feeling of constant travel through the overworld and caves. The biggest drawback is the scarcity of tracks: they are quite repetitive, especially the one for the world map, and it's easy to get tired of listening to them after several hours.

The Spanish localization has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it shines in the creation of “meow-fuzzy” word games With city names, feline expressions, and distinctive speech patterns for some characters, the world is given a lot of personality. On the other hand, the translation suffers from punctuation errors in questions and exclamations, as well as occasional mistakes with spacing between words—details that can be confusing or detract from the reading experience.

The best and worst of the first Cat Quest

Among the highlights is the enormous amount of References to movies, TV series and video gamesSome are very obvious—direct references to Game of Thrones, nods to The Lion King or Twin Peaks—and others more subtle, like the archaeologist cat Cara Loft, a clear parody of Lara Croft. This meta-referential humor, combined with the cat jokes, helps to keep a smile on your face.

The way the game feeds the world's lore Through main and side quests, ruins scattered across the map, and dragon remains that hint at a larger story, the final stretch, without giving away any spoilers, surprises with well-executed twists and a moral lesson that is well-deserved.

On the downside, it's noticeable that it's a modest project in the limited variety of character and enemy modelsThe inhabitants of the villages are constantly repeated, the sorcerers share the same sprite, and many monsters recycle their appearance by simply changing the color palette, something that even affects several important dragons.

The repetitiveness of the side quests and many of the dungeons also detracts somewhat from the experience, despite the charm of their stories. And while the lighthearted gameplay is one of its appeals, those seeking a deeper challenge in the action RPG genre may find it here. too simple and undemanding in the medium term.

The leap in quality: Cat Quest II and cooperative play with dogs

Following the growing success of the first installment, The Gentlebros launched Cat Quest II in 2019This time, they targeted PC and consoles with the clear intention of enhancing couch co-op gaming with a controller. The result was a sequel that feels less like a simple expansion and more like a logical evolution of the formula, with notable technical and gameplay improvements.

The most striking thing is the introduction of local cooperativeCompletely optional but very well integrated. Two players can share the screen seamlessly, one controlling a cat and the other a dog, in an adventure that explores the (always humorous) conflict between the feline and canine kingdoms.

The game's pace and enemy design are adjusted to encourage cooperation: creature variations are expanded, attack patterns are refined, and Skill structures are introduced with more freedom without sacrificing clarity. Accessibility is maintained, but there's additional room to experiment and coordinate roles with your partner.

On a technical level, the sequel takes a step forward with Better performance, smoother animations and more legible effects. The world becomes somewhat more complex, with more biomes and better interconnected areas, which helps missions feel less isolated and the whole to gain cohesion.

The reception was again very positive: Cat Quest II reached around another 95% positive reviews on Steamdemonstrating that the formula was still working and that the addition of cooperative play had been a wise decision for families, couples, and groups of friends looking for a relaxed split-screen experience.

Cat Quest III: Pirates, Open World at Sea, and Feline Ambition

In 2024, Cat Quest III arrived (also known as Cat Quest: Pirates of the Purribean), which takes the saga to a new marine setting. We leave behind the classic medieval tone of the first two installments to embrace a pirate setting in an archipelago called Purribean, full of islands, treasures, and enemies on land and sea.

We once again embody a cat belonging to the lineage of the Seekers, adventurers tasked with protect the North Star of the region's pirates. The plot, simple but effective, pits us against the Pirate King and his henchmen, mixing light adventure, constant humor, and a much more open exploration dynamic than in previous titles.

One of the key changes is the importance of the Maritime navigationFor the first time, the ship becomes the central element of the gameplay: we sail the sea, fight against other ships with cannon fire, search for secrets hidden on small islands, and manage routes that connect a much larger and denser map.

The combat system remains accessible, but the third installment adds more nuance and variety: they combine melee attacks, ranged attacks, and magic With a wider range of skills and equipment customization options, this allows for a better adaptation of playstyles to each player and to the different types of enemies and special bosses.

Exploration also takes a major leap forward. The new map is designed as an expansive and well-interconnected region, in which There is always something to doInteresting characters to meet, puzzles to solve, hidden chests, secret islands, and missions with delightful twists. The pacing is excellent, ensuring that in about 10-12 hours there's hardly a break between combat, story, and discoveries.

However, not everything shines equally. The naval battles, despite their thematic weight, are somewhat simpler and less deep than one might expect, as they are based almost entirely on positioning the ship to leave the enemies within range. to bombard them with cannon firewithout too much additional strategic layer.

Role-playing design, progression, and audiovisual aspects in Cat Quest III

The role-playing component in Cat Quest III is reinforced with a more ambitious progression systemWe continue to level up in the classic way, but the map and mission design better guides the player on where they can go or where they are not yet ready, integrating that "level wall" into the story's development itself.

The equipment and upgrades are more in-depth than in previous installments, allowing for some pretty powerful builds. In fact, some items and combinations are quite... unbalanced because of how effective they arewhich slightly reduces the difficulty of certain battles if you decide to take full advantage of them.

Visually, the leap is very noticeable: the game maintains the series' 2.5D isometric identity, but the variety of settings, lighting and color They are very well crafted. The islands, the port cities, the sea itself, and the characters all boast a level of care that makes each area enjoyable to explore and revisit.

The character and enemy animations, along with the spell and cannon fire effects, reinforce the feeling of dynamic adventure without descending into visual chaos. The soundtrack complements the pirate theme and adventurous tone perfectly, while the sound effects and atmosphere complete the experience. a very well-rounded audiovisual experience.

The overall result is a third installment that is larger, more varied, and deeper than its predecessors, to the point that many players and critics consider it the most complete installment of the franchiseOn Steam it also boasts a very high percentage of positive reviews, around 94%, although logically with a smaller player base due to being the most recent release.

Artistic style, humor, and a sense of timelessness

One of the greatest achievements of the Cat Quest series is having opted, from the beginning, for a intentionally simple artistic style But full of personality. The use of simplified shapes, clean lines, and a vibrant color palette ensures the games still look fresh years after their release.

By not pursuing realism or the latest trendy effects, the franchise It does not depend on specific technical trends.Therefore, it ages much more slowly. This is especially noticeable when comparing the first game with the third: there is an obvious evolution, but all three share a consistent visual identity that makes them instantly recognizable.

Humor, based on feline puns, references, and parodic situations, permeates the entire experience. Far from being mere decoration, it forms part of the very structure of missions, dialogues, and place names, giving rise to a creative and very playful location that many players remember almost as much as the battles.

Despite this lighthearted tone, the games know when to get a bit more serious and include emotionally charged scenes or unexpected plot twists. They never become dark or tragic stories, but they do offer moments of surprise and small reflections wrapped in a friendly and familiar packaging that works equally well for children as for adults.

Cat Quest within the indie scene and its community

The Cat Quest franchise has earned its own place as light alternative to the big RPG monstersIn contrast to gigantic titles, full of systems and dozens of mandatory hours, here the focus is on clarity, a brisk pace and the possibility of playing for a while without feeling like you have unfinished business.

In this sense, the saga fits perfectly into the label of “cozy game” with action RPG DNAThere's combat, progression, and bosses, but the focus isn't on extreme challenge but on comfort, stress-free exploration, and the pure pleasure of watching numbers climb while laughing at a bad cat joke.

On mobile, Cat Quest proved that a premium indie without free to play model It could work very well if it offered a polished and honest experience. On consoles and PC, it has established itself as a safe bet for those looking for a light but well-designed role-playing game, a kind of "bridge" to larger productions or as a break between them.

Over time, the series has created a small but very loyal communityIt's especially active on social media with fan art, comics, and memes. The positive tone of the games, along with the cooperative gameplay of the second and third installments, promotes cooperation over competition, something that also extends to how the saga is discussed and how content is shared on streaming platforms.

Although it has never been a dominant franchise in sales or media presence, its consistency, coherent evolution, and ability to attract both new players and those who have been in the hobby for years have made it a a discreet but highly respected figure within the current indie scene.

The trajectory of Cat Quest makes it clear that you don't need to aspire to be a AAA title to make a mark: with a very clear heart, a focus on accessibility, constant humor, and well-measured progression, The Gentlebros have built a saga that grows with each installmentIt dares to experiment with cooperative and pirate modes without losing its essence and remains one of the most enjoyable and affordable options within the modern action role-playing genre.