Cat Bird (2017)

I really like Cat Bird. I don't know why this didn't hit my radar last year, but I really appreciate the overall design of this game. It's super cute, fun to play and in the spirit of something like Super Meat Boy, albeit far less punishing. It is short and sweet and great to fill the time during things like a subway ride. But it is also enjoyable enough to hold your attention outside those stretches of downtime. I managed to hit 100% completion in under a day (or roughly two and a half hours cumulative). While I do appreciate short games, Cat Bird could do with a few more levels, and I am totally on board for expansions or a sequel.

There is an option to speed run the game. And this is where my only real criticism of the game comes to play. I like Cat Bird enough to consider speed running, or trying to hit some of the time trial goals. But the touch controls just aren't adequate enough for this. Cat Bird is a good performer. It might even be a great one if paired with a physical controller and precise control. It's far too easy to hit the wrong button on the screen when playing this game. Sadly, I cannot count the number of times that I died because Cat Bird moved right instead of left, or left instead of right, all because my thumb was slightly off when hitting the screen. This wasn't particularly frustrating during the low stakes part of the game. But the lack of precision would render speed running a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge. I sincerely wish I could pair a controller with my phone to play this game, or that Cat Bird was available on PC or console. Come on Raiyumi, bring your game to Vita and I will love you forever ;-)