Healed by realistic purring sounds…3 "recommended cat games" that cat lovers are hooked on

For many, this time of year—when you can almost feel the Obon holiday approaching if you just work a little bit harder—brings with it a growing sense of excitement for summer vacation. With the sweltering heat being described as "extreme," I’m sure many are planning to just lounge around at home.

When you're doing that, one thing you can enjoy is a soothing cat game. As it happens, I’m such a gaming enthusiast that I even bought a "Steam Deck," a handheld device capable of playing PC-exclusive games. This time, I’d like to introduce a few games featuring feline elements that are sure to touch the hearts of cat lovers. Please consider them as companions for your time off.

The Classic Cat Game: "Stray"

This game was a huge topic of conversation for a while. It might not need any introduction now, but I’ll provide a brief summary of the game anyway.

The setting is a cyber-city where neon lights glow mysteriously. As the protagonist, a ginger tabby cat, you explore this desolate urban landscape.

Since this is a third-person game, it's easy for those who aren't great at FPS (first-person shooter) games to pick up. Also, even though it's third-person, the world seen from a cat's perspective is incredibly realistic, and it makes you think, "Is this what cats are looking at every day?!" with surprise.

(Source: Nintendo Store)

I live with a ginger tabby myself, so I felt an extra layer of reality because the main character looked just like my cat. If you, like me, live with a ginger cat, I think you'll be even more deeply immersed in the story.

This game includes combat elements and is an interesting title that offers thrills and excitement. However, my personal favorite part was being able to do things from a cat's perspective that we usually see from a human viewpoint, like knocking things over or climbing into paper bags.

Whenever I saw my own cat do such things in daily life, I wondered, "Why do they act like that?" But when I tried it myself, I have to say, it’s incredibly fun. After playing, I empathized with the feline heart, thinking, "Of course you want to knock things off the desk and get inside bags." I’ve reduced the number of times I have to say "No!" to my cat’s mischief.

Fulfilling the cat-lover's dream of "wanting to become a cat" while also learning a bit about the hardships of living as one, I highly recommend giving this game a try.

Soothed by Realistic Purring: "Moonlight Peaks"

If you feel that "games with combat elements aren't really for me," I’d like to recommend the life simulation game "Moonlight Peaks," which just launched this summer.

The protagonist of this game is, surprisingly, a vampire. Usually, in life simulation games, the system involves being active during the day and sleeping in a bed at night... but since the protagonist is a vampire, the active hours are at night. Furthermore, the residents you deepen your connections with are not humans—they are werewolves, witches, mermaids, and the like.

(Source: Nintendo Store)

Life simulation games often feature cozy relationships, but this title has a slightly darker backstory—including residents struggling with alcoholism and children worried about such parents—which makes it feel surprisingly realistic.

Living with the protagonist in this game is a black cat. When you pet this black cat, it makes a realistic purring sound that is incredibly soothing! While your "friendship" level doesn't particularly increase, it was so comforting to hear this purr that I ended up petting the cat every morning right after getting up from my coffin (the bed). It’s just like real life...

And this cat has quite a variety of conversation patterns. Every morning, it says something different when I talk to it. Furthermore, the dialogue is exactly what you'd expect from a "Cat Master," treating the protagonist-owner as a mere servant. As a cat lover, I can’t help but chuckle.

This is a bit of a spoiler, but as the story progresses, there's a feature that allows the protagonist to move around as a cat—something cat lovers will absolutely rejoice over! I felt that this title is another one that fulfills the cat-lover's dream of "wanting to become a cat."

Brain Training with Cats: "Meowdoku"

Lastly, there is the mobile game "Meowdoku." This is a new puzzle game that blends Sudoku with Minesweeper. It’s a brain-teaser where you use deduction to find the cat hiding somewhere on a color-coded board.

(Source: Google Play store)

As is common with mobile games, the early stages go quite smoothly and feel refreshing. As the level increases, the stages become so difficult that you might think, "I have no idea where the cat is...", but you can get hints by watching ads, so there’s no need to worry about getting "stuck and unable to clear it."

My husband found this game, but I’ve become completely hooked on it too. We enjoy it as a couple, competing by asking "What level are you on now?" or shouting SOS calls like, "I don't know, help me~!" (mostly me).

I’m bad at math, so when I play games with numbers like Sudoku, I usually tense up, but perhaps because of the cuteness of the cats, I can enjoy this game without any resistance.

The cute part is that when you find a cat, it makes a "Meow!" sound. There’s a rich variety, with high-pitched and low-pitched meows. Sometimes I laugh and say, "That cat had a deep voice (lol)."

If I had one wish, I’d love to see cats with fur colors and patterns other than the tuxedo cat. I think the game would be even more fun if we could find a wider variety of cats.

There are surprisingly many games that feature cats, and it lifts my spirits whenever I come across one. If you have any other recommended games featuring cats, please let me know.

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