Cloud Cats’ Land Review (PC)

“Who says a shoggoth doesn’t love ice cream?” For the record, I cannot for the life of me tell you what a shoggoth is, or even where the lighthouse keeper is, for that matter. Heck, I’m not even sure whether or not the feline friends of Cloud Cats have anything to do with the keeper’s disappearance. But I can tell this: the uncharted colony of kittens has a secret, and not just an ordinary secret, but a revolving schematic of unsolved mysteries and questions that yearn for answers.

The cute and cuddly critters of Cloud Cats are quite clearly a wholesome bunch, as are the majority of eccentric woodland folk who flesh out the Studio Ghibli-esque universe and all its whimsical boroughs. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. I think, in between all of the camaraderie and warming touches, another chain of events is unfolding from beneath the surface. I’m not concerned about any of it; Cloud Cats isn’t the least bit threatening, nor is it with the intent of provoking you into thinking that there’s a glimmer of horror tucked behind an accommodating exterior. No, Cloud Cats’ Land isn’t that sort of adventure; it’s a two-dimensional love letter to gentle creatures and warmly lit aesthetics, simple mechanical puzzles and homely comforts. It is, above all else, a game that just feels good to play.

Cloud Cats’ Land is a variety of things, but the thing that it is above all else is a spirited point-and-click adventure that whisks you away to a magical world where enigmatic panoramas and fascinating stories collide with an underlying secret. That, in short, is where you begin your journey: bound for the lockbox that holds the answers. Who are the Cloud Cats, and what happened to the lighthouse keeper?

Head Above the Clouds

Cloud Cats’ Land unravels its tapestry of tall tales in a format that we’ve seen countless times before. The island in question, much like your usual fantasy aisle of magical creatures and unwritten lore, invites you to wash ashore and put pencil to paper in an attempt to uncover the truth behind a rather unusual lighthouse. With the keeper no longer in the frame, and a secret pertaining to the lighthouse’s powerful enigma, you begin your quest to unlock the world and thread the needle in a way that contributes to the fulfillment of the portrait.

Over the course of a relatively sizable campaign that spans multiple scenarios and puzzles, you essentially have the goal of befriending the local cats—characters who come loaded with their unique traits and peculiar personalities—and having them join you on your daring expedition to unlock the world’s secrets. By bulking out your squadron and adding a glimmer of magical essence to your arsenal, you can ultimately utilize certain tools of the trade to conquer otherwise insurmountable challenges and puzzles. The more kittens you persuade to join your alliance, the stronger the bond becomes, and the closer you get to unraveling the binding secrets of Cloud Cats’ island.

Scratching the Surface

Cloud Cats’ Land is absolutely bursting with eccentric ideas and whimsical flair, with its biomes containing handfuls of energetic creatures, unique kingpins, and a treasure trove of interactive puzzles, several of which require an outside-the-box approach to tackle. In addition to all of that, the game also comes with a nifty in-game tool belt, and an option for players to get creative with the environment by offering an extensive collection of items to manipulate in the wild. That’s a relatively small feature, but it certainly plays a huge part in the grand scheme of things, for sure.

The art style is something that I’ve only briefly touched base on. Truly, Cloud Cats’ Land is a force to be reckoned with, given that it adopts a photogenic utopia that’s immensely pleasing to the naked eye. The characters add depth, of course, but the locations, as well as the tiny details, lay the foundation for an ambitious and effortlessly creative world. And that’s a huge bonus in my books.

Of course, Cloud Cats’ Land is still a point-and-click game that leaves a fair amount to be desired. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the opportunity to descend a little deeper into several of the locations, or have more options to alter the course of the plot through varying passages of dialogue. But that’s just a minor issue, and I’m certainly not about to dock point for such a minor complaint, either. Sure enough, the game plays as it should, and more importantly, it brings everything that it promised it would to the table. That, to me, is enough of an incentive to keep me immersed for the long haul.

Verdict

Cloud Cats’ Land idyllic setting minced with a calm and collected spirit of palpable optimism and feline enthusiasm makes for a stupendously adorable and entertaining adventure that will keep fellow fur balls and critter curators engaged for hours. With thanks to its generous selection of puzzles, personalities, and vividly illustrated backdrops (and not to mention a polished UI that makes the process of unraveling its mysteries all the more accessible), Cloud Cats’ Land quickly claws its way into a sphere that you will most definitely find amusing for all of the right reasons.

If you’re a lover of all things point-and-click-based and effortlessly kindhearted, then you’re probably going to find more than your money’s worth in the bubbling bastion of Cloud Cats’ cascading comforts and bottomless pockets of whimsical charm and homely grace. And even if you’re not as keen to delve into the enchanting world of a feline-addled storybook setting as the fledgling curator of kittens, then you can still find something that’s worth pouring your heart and soul into here. With a plethora of memorable moments and hand-drawn delicacies to bathe in, I can safely say that, fan of the genre or not, Cloud Cats’ Land is bound to have something to help scratch and itch or nine. And yes, that is a reference to the nine lives. Sorry.