Little Kitty, Big City review: A purrtastic day full of curiosity and wonder

Did the 2022 indie hit Stray leave a gaping hole in your heart? Then Little Kitty, Big City is here to patch it up. While very different from the cinematic cyberpunk game, this brand-new urban-scaling feline adventure from Double Dagger Studios offers the same fundamental core: playing as a cute cat in a concrete jungle. Cat lovers and fans of all things adorable will no doubt want to jump on this train.

It is a short but neat adventure that should make gamers who love these kinds of titles happy. Here's our full review.

Little Kitty, Big City explores the everyday life of a young cat

And the journey begins... (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

The star of the show is, of course, a beautiful black kitty with emerald-green eyes. While napping on the windowsill of its human's apartment, it accidentally tumbles downwards - into the intimidating and vast sandbox world of the city. Players must help the cat navigate unfamiliar terrain and get back home safely - a simple premise for a simple game.

Little Kitty, Big City is played in third person as players will walk, run, leap, and clamber on all fours across the city alleys, walls, and rooftops. While the main goal is to get back home, there is a decent variety of things to do and see in the city. After being dropped into an alley and having the basic controls explained to them, players are left to their own devices to experiment.

Players are rewarded for satiating their own curiosity (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

From knocking over flower pots and meowing at passersby, the game is ripe with cute interactions that make it a joy to sit through every passing second. While exploring, players will be nudged to experiment with set pieces and scenarios to see, for example, how they can parkour to a roof nearby. Many of these locales hide collectibles, including orbs that unlock new lovely hats for the kitty.

From an apple to a shark and everything in between, there are 42 costumes to find and adorn the kitty in. My favorite was the construction helmet; so at least one of them is bound to appeal to players. The cat can also interact with its surroundings, from swatting and pouncing to picking up or pulling objects. That brings us to the core of Little Kitty, Big City: Exploration.

The world beyond the glass pane

Many humorous interactions await discovery (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

Players are left to their own devices in Little Kitty, Big City, as they explore the various roads and shops. The game features light Metroidvania elements as they can unlock shortcuts to access older areas. They must also collect a climbing ability as well as increase stamina to get back home - the latter is done by collecting a total of four red fish scattered around the sandbox.

The world is also inspired by Japanese suburbs, made obvious from signage atop shops to an aesthetic shrine. It is also inhabited by human NPCs who walk around minding their business. Each has random interactions with the kitty when approached, like taking a photograph. There are more funny interactions that players should discover for themselves - after all, curiosity won't kill the cat here.

Keep a lookout for such activities (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

Little Kitty, Big City is a laid-back family-friendly experience so there are no deaths, HP bars to manage, or game-overs. With that said, it is more than just window dressing as there is no shortage of things to do. For one, there is an in-game achievements list that will help players tick off any activities that need to be engaged in around the city.

These include napping around spots, sitting in boxes, or jumping onto humans. Furthermore, various animal NPCs will also have quests for the kitty to undertake. These range from pushing around boxes to saving a trapped duckling or tracking down a chameleon. One of the first encounters will be a crow who explains the concept of Shinies, the main currency of Little Kitty, Big City.

Yes indeed (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

It is primarily used to unlock random hats at different vendor locales around the map. Speaking of which, yes, there is a map for a small yet adequately sized open world. Players will also unlock fast travel in the form of a magical pipe system managed by a tanuki, which is handy for getting around fast. All in all, the game is short, clocking in at about two to three hours max. Meanwhile, trying to platinum it can take about five to six hours.

Graphics, performance, and sound

Little Kitty, Big City is visually pleasant to the eye (Image via Double Dagger)

While Little Kitty, Big City is a largely polished game, minor caveats exist. Many interactions with objects are physics-driven, which can be annoying at times, like pushing the football into the goalposts. However, there are technical problems as well. I had the kitty unable to move after getting out of a box, for example. I also noticed the game's frame rates got halved after alt-tabbing, and I could not find a solution besides restarting.

Little Kitty, Big City was reviewed on PC, and besides the aforementioned issue, I had no problems running the game at over 120 FPS with Very High settings at a 1440p resolution. This is a simple game graphically speaking, and as such, the Graphics menu also lacks options to tinker with - though this is not a knack against the game by any means.

The audio side of things features a jazzy background soundtrack, but really what players will be occupied with are the other sounds. From the chirping birds flying around and landing on the ground to honking cars in the distance, it is the perfect city ambiance paired with the musical OST.

In conclusion

Little Kitty, Big City is a little snack of a game that is the definition of adorable. The cute feline protagonist captures the essence of what it is to be man's lazy, furry friend. Lovely humor, varied locales, and wholesome activities amount to a package that, while short, is delightful while it lasts.

Little Kitty, Big City

Reviewed on: PC

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch

Developer(s): Double Dagger Studio

Publisher(s): Double Dagger Studio

Release Date: May 9, 2024