A Tower Full of Cats Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

There’s a lot more I can say about A Tower Full of Cats than I could with most hidden object games that frequent the feline space. Even though it is a fruitful subject matter that has more branches on the tree than any other genre on the market, I do find that there is a little more to this world. Unlike your average hidden object game that hangs its idea on a single twig or theme, location or time period, A Tower Full of Cats opts to take it one step further, with more layers, more themes, and of course, more cats. It doesn’t take much to put two and two together here, either. It takes one idea, and then it adds another, and another, and, well, you get the point. A Tower Full of Cats aims to find a little slice of everything, and it delivers.

I’ve grown a little weary of hidden object games as of late, not because of their simplistic design, but mainly due to the fact that they haven’t been able to stoke my enthusiasm for the genre. A Tower Full of Cats, on the other hand, hits a little differently. Rather than giving me the same generic color-washed biome and the one whiteboard to inspect, it hands me dozens of layers and thrice the cats to unearth, with multiple themes, locations, and time-appropriate audiovisual cues to tide me over. Like an all-in-one jigsaw, it brings a lot more to the table than your average ten-second puzzle game. And you know what? I’m over the moon about that.

Of course, the same rule applies here: if you spot a cat, then you must highlight it, check it off your list, and then move on to the next area. The thing is, A Tower Full of Cats has a little more going for it. Gameplay-wise, it strikes all of the usual notes, as does it stick to the same conventional practices. That said, it brings one thing that a lot of other hidden object games fail to grasp: variety. With multiple tiers that wax all sorts of eras and fantastical elements from a wide spectrum of locations, A Tower Full of Cats provides a surplus of bits and pieces for you to explore. 1,400 bits and pieces, actually.

Progressing through A Tower Full of Cats is a bit like taking a tour through time. In the beginning, you take your bags to a prehistoric biome, and then gradually move through the eras, all whilst working to reach the future of mankind (or cat-kind, sorry). As you locate and color each kitten, you unlock side quests—extra tasks that invite you to volley back and forth between eras—and handfuls of objects to find on the side. For example, a side quest may require you to venture back to a previous location to unlock a secret door. It’s a simple add-on that doesn’t leave too much to the imagination I’ll admit, but it also adds a lot of depth to an otherwise textbook hidden object gig.

Arguably its most impressive feature is its inclusion of a plot. Unlike your bog-standard hidden object game in which you would naturally find random objects and complete a checklist, A Tower Full of Cats opts to put a bit more effort into its world-building process. Well, to an extent. See, the game doesn’t go above and beyond to conceive a brilliantly crafted storyline. It does, however, season its themed stages with all sorts of characters, secrets, and underlying lore fragments. Of course, finding cats (along with dozens of nuts and bolts) is still the most important part of the job. That said, the game does offer you a bit more to work with.

It goes like this: as a time-hopping assistant in a cat-centric expedition, you find yourself on a quest to traverse the epochs of human history—a journey that takes you across the far reaches of Earth and beyond in search of the components needed to build a rocket. As the loyal assistant in this archipelago of historic canvases, it falls to you to explore each time period, gather cats, machine parts, and hidden items, and to construct a vessel that can aid your quest to flee from a polluted world. It’s a perfectly digestible plot that, while still light on substance, holds a deeper meaning than the average hidden object flick.

Equipped with a fluorescent art style and a well-orchestrated soundtrack that captures each scene and epoch with a perfectly balanced tone, A Tower Full of Cats does a lot more than what others have failed to achieve in past incarnations of a fresh-out-of-the-box hidden object chapter. Again, it’s still a simple game that utilizes almost all of the same basic elements—a magnifying glass, for example. That being said, it fits a good deal into its leaning tower of historical fantasies, with a little pocket of lore and some intriguing hidden details that frame each piece of the jigsaw rather nicely.

The bottom line here is that, despite A Tower Full of Cats being one of thousands of feline-centric hidden object games, it is a rather beautiful one that not only looks great, but feels like a complete work of art. Sure enough, it hits the nail on the head as far as digestible mechanics and puzzles go, and what’s more, it makes for a delightful experience that is both soothing and rewarding. When all’s said and done, there isn’t a lot else that you truly need when it comes to hidden object puzzlers.

Verdict

Thanks to its theme-appropriate elements and oh-so-charming aesthetic, A Tower Full of Cats makes for a delightful hidden object game that is, despite being one of thousands, a real pleasure to work through. From its lowest tier to its highest peak, each section of its world brings about its own unique twist for you to unravel, with a variety of challenges and intricate set pieces to keep you and your magnifying glass actively scouring the smallest details for hours.