Sometimes the simplest games are the most satisfying to play: this is clearly a rule The Cat Machine hopes to live by, offering a solitary gameplay mechanic for its 50 or so stages. According to its intro sequence, the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not powered by gravity, but in fact by cats being flung into space. The player is in charge of repairing the flinging machine and ensuring the kitty-launching process continues.
Each stage consists of a number of conveyor belts, and the player can place more belts at certain points. ‘Trains’ made of cats slide along these rails, with the front cat able to travel along rails of the same colour before zooming off into the air. The aim is to arrange the conveyors in a way that each cat-train can be sent into space in its entirety.
Given that this single concept makes up the game it’s unsurprising that you’re expected to master it fairly quickly. Before too long levels start getting complex, with some real head-scratchers turning up long before you get to halfway. This is all supported by funny dialogue in each stage, with countless daft cat-related jokes.
Ultimately though, with the player expected to face similar problems in every stage, repetition sets in and each level begins to feel like an exercise in resolve. Soon the real test becomes not whether you can figure it out, but whether your interest will wane before you do. It will certainly give your grey matter a workout, but it’s clear that this would be better suited to mobile.
CHARMING AND TRICKY BUT FAR TOO REPETITIVE