Cattails | Become a Cat! is an animal simulation RPG that lets you step into the life of a feral cat navigating a vast wilderness. Released as an indie title blending RPG, casual, and simulation elements, it focuses on survival, exploration, and social interactions in a world full of feline adventures. You start by customizing your cat and choosing a colony, then set out to hunt, build relationships, and uncover hidden spots across changing seasons.
Gameplay
The core of Cattails revolves around managing your cat's needs while exploring an open world. You hunt prey like mice, squirrels, and rabbits to keep hunger at bay, with light survival mechanics requiring you to maintain energy and health. Combat comes into play during territorial fights with cats from rival colonies, using simple battle systems to defend or expand your group's land. Social elements allow you to form friendships or rivalries with other cats, leading to romance options with sixteen potential partners. Once married, you can raise kittens and train them by including them in hunts and explorations. The world shifts with four seasons, altering available resources and events, such as festivals where you compete for prizes. Customization plays a big role too, with hundreds of ways to adjust your cat's coat, eye colors, and accessories, plus options to upgrade your den for better living.
Exploration extends to dangerous caves where you dig for treasures, adding a layer of risk and reward. The game encourages a balanced approach, mixing daily routines with adventurous outings, all while building your place in the cat community.
Game Modes
Cattails offers a single-player experience centered on open-world simulation without separate multiplayer components. You begin by joining one of three distinct cat colonies: Forest Colony, Mountain Domain, or Mystic Colony, each with unique residents and dynamics that influence your interactions and story. As you progress, you gain the ability to create and customize your own colony, recruiting members and shaping its layout. This colony management aspect integrates with the main gameplay, allowing you to lead hunts, resolve conflicts, and expand territory through battles.
The seasonal festivals serve as event-based activities within the single-player framework, providing structured challenges like competitions that tie into the broader simulation.
Features and Updates
Key mechanics include a dynamic weather system tied to seasons, which affects hunting success and resource availability. For instance, winter brings snow that hides prey, while spring offers more herbs and flowers. The game has received updates over the years to fix bugs and improve performance, with the latest patches ensuring compatibility on PC. A sequel expanded on these ideas, but the original remains focused on its core loop of cat life simulation.
Players can delve into side activities like collecting magical items or participating in colony tasks, which build reputation and unlock new areas.
Is It Worth Playing?
Cattails holds a 95.89% positive rating on Steam from 2,653 reviews, reflecting strong approval for its relaxing and charming take on simulation gaming. It appeals to those who enjoy cozy life sims with a touch of adventure, similar to managing a virtual pet world but with RPG depth. The game suits solo players looking for a low-pressure experience, though its simpler mechanics might not satisfy those seeking complex strategies. With ongoing availability and no major issues reported in recent years, it remains a solid choice for cat lovers or fans of indie RPGs. If you prefer light survival and social elements in a whimsical setting, this title delivers lasting value through replayability in customization and colony building.
