Unpacking Copycat: The Meaning Behind a Narrative-Driven Cat Adventure

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Samantha and Kostia, a developer duo from an Australian studio, recently released their narrative-driven adventure game focused on cats, titled Copycat. We had the chance to play the game multiple times, from the early demo earlier this year to the full review now, and it’s clear that Copycat is a true indie success born out of dedication and creativity.

They met eight years ago in Germany while working their first jobs in the industry. As a creative team, they worked on various projects, including short films and a children’s book. However, their shared love of video games eventually inspired them to venture into game development with their project under the name Spoonful of Wonder.

The transition from advertising to game development wasn’t easy. While they naturally picked up new skills like programming and game writing, business tasks such as accounting and securing funding were more challenging. They started working on Copycat as a hobby, but to take it seriously, they needed financial support. Luckily, Screen Australia granted them development funding, allowing them to focus on realizing their vision.

Samantha, the creator of Copycat, spoke with us about her inspirations and motivations, giving insight into the preparation, development, and release of this cat-focused experience.

First, I have to ask: Who is responsible for the humorous dialogue in this game? What’s your secret to keeping it funny and entertaining, but also deeply emotional?

Copycat was a team effort, but the writing was primarily my domain. Dawn is witty, funny, and passionate. She’s hurt and genuinely believes that a permanent home doesn’t exist. For Dawn, it’s easier to run from a home than to be adopted and rejected. She concludes that she was never meant to be a pet but belongs in the wild, and that’s where she finds her true family.

How did you come up with the idea to use wildlife documentaries as a tool for story progression?

Telling a three-part transformative narrative through the eyes of a silent protagonist required solutions that allowed the story to flow while remaining accessible and engaging. That’s when we decided to develop the nature documentary character as Dawn’s internal monologue. At the start of the story, he was knowledgeable and reliable. By the end, he had become more like The Stanley Parable, guiding players when needed and then immediately becoming their harshest critic. Writing his character was a lot of fun. Our voice actor, David Molloy, did a fantastic job bringing him to life.

Did you research scientific or cultural works related to cats before making the game?

Yes, we explored many cat-related works in preparation for Copycat. At the beginning of the game, Dawn explores her new home and gets into various misadventures. Inspirations included The Aristocats (Disney, 1970), The Secret Life of Pets (Universal Pictures, 2016), and the children’s book Slinky Malinki (Dodd, 1990). Later, when Dawn explores the outside world, we drew inspiration from the charm of the game Little Kitty Big City (Double Dagger Studio, 2024) and the humor of the children’s book Scallywag (Rowe, 1990). We also read A Street Cat Named Bob (Bowen, 2012) to research the bond between owner and pet, which ties into the next question.

You referenced A Street Cat Named Bob in the game, was it an inspiration?

We loved reading A Street Cat Named Bob (Bowen, 2012) and The World According to Bob (Bowen, 2015)! They truly touched our hearts. Seeing the role the pet played in saving the author’s life was incredible. The book taught me not to underestimate a cat’s intelligence and gave insight into their intimate friendship. That friendship inspired us to make Dawn and Olive as special and nuanced as Bob and James.

How did you manage to recreate cat behavior and movement?

We had help from our talented animator, Radik Bilalov, who had a deep understanding of cat behavior. We’re lucky to have him on the team.

What allowed you to imagine what cats are thinking? Do you believe cats can understand what we say?

Growing up, my sister and I had the chance to love seven cats—all adopted from shelters. Very early on, we gave each cat a personality and a “voice”, it was fun imagining what they were thinking. We applied the same process to Dawn! She was definitely the most cynical, having had difficult experiences in previous homes. When she meets Olive, she’s a little bitter and cynical, but Olive gradually opens her heart to love. As for the second part of your question: yes, I like to think cats understand what we say, it depends on whether they’re listening.

Are the events in Copycat based on or connected to your personal experiences with pet ownership?

The joy of bringing a pet home for the first time was a huge part of my childhood! All my cats came from shelters. We wanted players to walk in the paws of a newly adopted cat and experience the fear of adjusting to a new home. During development, we spoke with many pet owners to ensure gameplay was accurate and reflected diverse experiences. One of the most important scenes we worked on was the Adoption Form. We wanted to convey the responsibility of a pet owner when adopting a new animal. Feedback from our community helped shape the writing and development of the scene.

The game shows both the cat’s and the owner’s perspective. Why did you decide to include human struggles alongside the animal’s story?

90% of the game is played from Dawn’s perspective. Occasionally, we switch to other characters to gain deeper insight into a scene. It was important for the story to show Olive’s struggles and interpersonal drama. These shifts acted as story refreshers, helping the audience understand that not all actions against Dawn were malicious, sometimes decisions, though well-intentioned, negatively affected her story. This added dramatic and tragic depth to certain plot points.

Players face many choices during the game, is this just to keep their attention, or does it also relate to responsibility (a key theme)?

Although Copycat is a linear experience with a fixed ending, choices allow players to reflect their moral compass. It was also important that our character had agency. Dawn is in a world where she cannot control her options, but the player can guide her. This gives a sense of control while helping players empathize with the protagonist. In the end, Copycat is a powerful metaphor for the emotions we feel when we are left behind.

The game explores serious and even dark themes, such as rejection and loneliness. What is the most important message you want players to take away?

We want players to turn to their partner, friend, or pet and simply give them a big hug! This is an emotional game that breaks your heart and then carefully pieces it back together. We hope players finish with a sense of gratitude toward their pets. Pets are special, they keep loneliness at bay. Copycat emotionally honors the ups and downs of finding a place where you belong and what home truly means.

Can we expect similar games from you in the future?

Copycat is currently our little wonder, and we’re putting all our effort into making it strong and healthy. But yes, we have ideas for our next project. Our dream is to continue creating narrative-driven, animal-focused games with beautiful graphics and big hearts. The next one will be underwater!

How long has Copycat been in development, and how much did Screen Australia funding help bring it to life?

Our debut game, Copycat, has been in development for about three years. What turned this passion project into reality was the support from Screen Australia. We are incredibly grateful to the team: Amelia Laughlan, Chad Toprak, and Lee Naim. The funding was crucial, improving the quality of our game, providing financial security, and giving us a strong foothold in the industry.

Most importantly, it allowed us to pay our collaborators for their time and creative energy, including our wonderful composer, voice actors, translators, contract programmers, and audio engineer. We’re fortunate that Australia is so progressive and innovative in supporting games. We encourage all creatives to apply to Screen Australia to help shape future stories.