Catie in MeowmeowLand (2022)

Catie in MeowmeowLand takes players on a surreal journey full of humor and absurd characters, set in a grotesque Kitty-Wonderland that would make Lewis Caroll raise his eyebrows. A true gem for cat-lovers and kids alike.

As a lover of games that take their own path that leads in the direction of Weirdville the name of this title alone had my attention...

Catie in Meowmeowland has many merits: beautiful art and animation, cute characters, and cool bizarre-ness. It’s lighthearted and slapstick funny, even if occasionally crude or downright mean. (I felt sorry for the giraffe candlestick I had to set on fire.) There’s not much of a story, though the overall plot is clear and it wraps up very well. I completed the game in 3.5 hours. Most levels didn’t take long to solve. But too many solutions felt obscure, and I didn’t enjoy resorting to a trial-and-error approach so often. I kept looking for reasons to give the game a positive rating, yet I hesitate to recommend it unless you are (1) patient and persistent in solving puzzles, (2) open to a cute, colorful art style and (3) not expecting a story or puzzle design on par with well-known point-and-clicks.

Catie in MeowmeowLand is extremely niche: unless you are a child, a parent playing with a child, or you simply like really weird and bizarre things.  I think this is a game best played with family and/or friends so everyone can help you figure out the puzzles.  As I was playing (and getting frustrated), my partner and my daughter joined in to help and we flew through quite a few scenes together.  It's also more fun to experience all the bizarre scenes with other people around to laugh with you.