Little Kitty, Big City Review: A Whisker Shy of Perfect

Little Kitty, Big City is a true labor of love from developer and publisher Double Dagger Studio. Available to play across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, the open-world exploration game is rife with strategy and platforming elements that span the length of its lighthearted story. Following a seemingly nameless cat that’s fallen from its apartment window, you’ll traverse the city to find your way home, stopping at anything and everything on your way there. Cat lovers and avid gamers alike will surely appreciate this wholesome indie marvel.

Curiosity Can’t Kill This Cat

In the best way possible, Little Kitty, Big City plays a lot like a viral collar-cam video following an outdoor cat on its daily routine. Set to a soundtrack of chirps and purrs, the lost pet’s problems somehow seem small in comparison to the adventure that awaits in the Eastern-inspired city. If you’re like me and tend to work in circles, you’ll find the overlapping quests and menial tasks of your typical cat endlessly fun.

From the moment you set foot in the city streets, there’s a new friend or activity waiting around every corner. As you gain more energy, jumping and climbing are your greatest skills, leading you just about anywhere you please. From there, it’s easy to lose track of time while weaving through puddles and pedestrians, mingling with city animals, and following the scent of tasty fish.

Some tasks serve no end, but you’re largely rewarded for your curiosity and well-meaning missteps, racking up shinies and achievements for things like breaking clay pots, tracking pawprints through spilled paint, and ransacking birds’ nests as you go. There may be no point in stealing slippers through open doors or copping controllers from the arcade, but it’s still one tough impulse to ignore. I mean, it’s best to carry on with this trowel I found in the garden, right? Curiosity can’t kill this cat, but satisfaction brings you home.

A Charming Tale Chock-Full of Humor and Small Victories

At the heart of the adventure-based Little Kitty, Big City is its endearing feline protagonist, who remains without a name for the bulk of the game. (No spoilers here!) Referred to simply as Kitty, the lost pet’s personality and expressiveness make even the most mundane tasks worthwhile. Likes include hats, shinies, empty boxes, and perfect nap spots. Although, you’ll definitely want to steer clear of puddles, unfriendly dogs, and the occasional cucumber — which may or may not be a snake.

As you work to find your way back home, you’ll meet a cast of uniquely funny city critters with their own problems to solve, too. From the business-minded Crow to Gecku’s biggest fan Tanuki — who is absolutely not a raccoon — and a dog who’s (ahem) lost his balls, each has insight to offer in exchange for your help and catlike skills. It takes a village, as they say, and following through on these tasks will set you on the right path.

A Big Stretch for Negatives?

If we’re talking negatives, I’ll be honest; there aren’t many. From the jump, I was so invested in leading Kitty home that, narratively speaking, nothing held me back. As far as gameplay mechanics go, though, jumping can be a smidge buggy at times. Since this is a major aspect of travel in Little Kitty, it makes reaching some areas kind of tricky.

In a couple of places throughout the map, jumping to the next available platform doesn’t seem possible as the trajectory falls just short of where you want to land. Luckily, this cat is an ace climber, so you’re able to make it from Point A to Point B by the skin of your claws in most cases.

At one point, though, I couldn’t quite reach a stack of crates, and I wound up phasing through a wall. I got stuck there for a second with no way out, but I was able to reload from my last autosave and backtrack to the moment just before the failed attempt.

Minor bugs aside, my only gripe is I couldn’t play longer. Having taken my trip through the city at a leisurely pace, following through on quests and getting my paws on all the hats and shinies I could, I managed to finish the main story in just under seven hours. It was a short playthrough, for sure, but there’s a silver lining in the post-game, which offers up even more quests and achievements in the city.

Little Kitty, Big City Review — The Bottom Line

Pros

• Genuinely funny and endearing narrative
• Engaging quests and gameplay
• Simple but versatile mechanics

Cons

• Short-lived main story
• Jumping mechanic has some minor bugs

Little Kitty, Big City is a casual adventure and exploration game done right. Double Dagger’s love for its four-legged protagonist is evident throughout, blending classic platforming elements with an engrossing open world filled to the brim with colorful characters, quests to solve, and items to collect. To that end, the studio’s multi-platform project is bound to keep players charmed and entertained, if only for an afternoon gaming session.