IFReviewed by
Andrew Plotkin on 2006-07-01 04:28
Maybe I'm in a cranky mood because it's late and I've played too many games. But I didn't have the energy to explore this one. If I can't figure out the first puzzle in a game, I'm very likely to play from the walkthrough thereafter, and that was the case here.
The cat schtick is well done. You have to act like a cat. (Although it's certainly a very strategic cat.) The world appears as it would to a cat, which is good; and you treat the world as a cat would, which is better. The touch of blithe self-centeredness is just right.
And I liked that the overall plot, your owner's illness, is coherent -- but above a cat's notice. Cause and effect aren't really in the cat domain, and certainly not long-term responsibility. Okay, the bursts of strategic puzzle-solving aren't really consistent here. Nonetheless.
The author was careful to make experimentation safe. All the consumable resources have replacements available, and although there are many ways to lose, I don't think there are any ways to get stuck. (Except for running out of time. The strict move-limit near the beginning is annoying, particularly since, as I said, that puzzle stumped me. The limit could just as easily have been dropped -- the repeated messages about being hungry are sufficient incentive.)
