There are two types of people in this world: those who love dogs, and those who love cats. Ngmoco already appealed to the former with last year’s Touch Pets Dogs, and now it’s trying to pry into the hearts of cat lovers everywhere with Touch Pets Cats. It’s essentially the same as its canine-themed counterpart, but with several twists to better suit its feline stars.
There are two types of people in this world: those who love dogs, and those who love cats. Ngmoco already appealed to the former with last year’s Touch Pets Dogs, and now it’s trying to pry into the hearts of cat lovers everywhere with Touch Pets Cats. It’s essentially the same as its canine-themed counterpart, but with several twists to better suit its feline stars.
Touch Pets Cats is a pet simulator. You start off by picking an adorable little kitty to adopt, before taking them home to love and squish them. There are five breeds to choose from and each individual cat has its own unique personality traits. Some are affectionate, some are timid, and some are adventurous. These traits will affect your pet’s behaviour, but the differences are actually pretty subtle. Once you get them home the game becomes all about attending to your cat’s various needs.
Like the previous game, your pet has an assortment of needs that need to be fulfilled, portrayed to you via a series of bars. You’ll have to make sure your cat has plenty of food and water, and that their litter box is always clean. You also have to give them plenty of attention and ensure that there’s always lots for them to do; you don’t want kitty getting bored. Doing this will cause the bars to fill up, which in turn will make your cat happier. And a happy cat produces experience points that let you level up.
Keeping your cat happy means not only spending time with them and cleaning up after them, but also buying lots of stuff. There are several different stores to visit, where you can buy furniture, toys, clothing, and everything else you need to keep your cat’s spirits up. The game has a strange way of having you actually earn money, though, as furniture will yield coins at certain intervals. So to earn more money you actually have to spend more, as having more furniture means more coins. Most of the things you’ll buy are either simply decoration or something your cat will play with on their own. But there are a few more interactive items, such as a remote controlled mouse toy you control by tilting your phone around, which are great fun.
Touch Pets Cats isn’t just about you and your cat, but also your friends as well. You can visit your friends and have them visit you, which essentially amounts to a play date. Socializing your cat is one of the things that will keep them happy, something the game isn’t very subtle about reminding you.
In addition to the coins, the game also features another form of currency: catnip. It can be used to make your cat a little crazy, causing them to unleash double the experience points. But you’ll also need it to buy certain items. Many of the best items you can purchase can only be bought with catnip. The rub lies in the fact that you don’t earn catnip over time like you do coins, instead you need to purchase it with real world money.
It may not be all that different than its predecessor, but Touch Pets Cats is still a great game. It has great social features, plenty of customization options, and the simple act of petting your cat with your finger is incredibly satisfying. It’s a shame that some of the best content is locked away unless you want to spend some money, but there’s still plenty to do even is you don’t drop a dime on the game.
