[Preview] Copycat

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A small indie studio from Australia, composed of just three developers: Samantha, Kostia, and Kiwi, recently released a demo version of their upcoming narrative game Copycat. While it might look like any other cat game at first glance, Copycat offers more than expected. In the hour we spent playing this demo, we were impressed by the game’s look, aesthetic, and story, even though the actual gameplay elements were disappointing.

Speaking of the story, Copycat explores the special bond between people and their pets in its first chapter, guiding us through the complex emotions of humans. We follow Dawn, a shelter cat who would rather be in the wild (hence the various images of Africa) than be adopted again. However, when she meets Olive, a lonely elderly woman grieving the loss of her own pet, Dawn changes her mind.

Through their togetherness, Dawn and Olive become close friends, helping each other heal and find a new beginning. However, when Olive falls ill, an unknown cat takes Dawn’s place, forcing her to leave home. Thus, as players, we will try to help Dawn as she wanders the city to find her way home. It is precisely the first chapter that clues us in as to why this other cat “returned.”

Story Depth and First Impressions

The game made me wonder how fragile we humans are, because it perfectly portrays an elderly woman close to death. You’ll be further shocked by how lonely she is, as her family is no longer by her side, and she has to take care of herself. This also opens up the question of care homes. Furthermore, Copycat best conveys emotions through voice acting, rather than through the characters’ appearance and movements. I won’t lie, but I really don’t like how Olive looks graphically. It just lacks some spark, some detail that would draw me closer to her. Of course, this is a matter of personal impression.

What particularly impressed me is the option to choose our cat’s appearance. While it’s not possible to customize it in detail, we choose from pre-designed models. This choice carries a special significance because it not only affects the appearance of our cat, which remains unchanged throughout the act, but also provides insight into the unique nature and behavior of each cat.

Upon arriving at Olive’s house, the initial scenario remains the same; Dawn refuses to open up to the old woman, despite Olive’s good intentions to make her feel welcome. Many choices, especially at the beginning, are limited by Dawn’s grumpy character, so don’t expect opposite options, but similar ones, with slightly different actions and consequences.

I enjoyed the gameplay from the first-person perspective more than the third-person perspective, mainly because in first-person, we can better immerse ourselves in the whole story. But it is the third-person perspective that allows us to truly experience a cat’s life: we’ll explore the house, steal food from Olive, break household items, hide from her, etc. The gameplay has its difficulties, surrounding the camera movement, the cat’s strange way of moving, and its interesting jumping, sometimes the game won’t even register that you want to jump onto a ledge, or it will jump straight into a wall.

The Narrative and Core Theme

Dawn’s true goal is clear: to escape, abandon her current life, and return to the free existence of a stray cat. Every day, Dawn carefully plans and executes her escape. She is resolutely unwilling to stay with this old woman, which is why she is initially hostile. Dawn yearns for independent progression, like a wild cat in Africa, contrasting with humans who need company.

However, this relationship dynamic changes gradually, not instantly, where a certain awareness is instilled in Dawn, turning distrust into trust. Dawn begins to notice and understand her owner’s needs, sympathizing with Olive and recognizing what she has been through.

A key theme of this game is the exploration of the dualism between dream and reality. Dawn often imagines herself as a predator, and as players, we experience her feline desires and fantasies. This further enriches the narrative and creates a connection between wild and domestic cats. Spoonful of Wonder has shown excellent work on the artistic and technical aspects of the title, revealing numerous strengths of this game. But that is mostly all you get; besides the impressive narrative, the gameplay simply does not stand out.

Of course, we won’t rush to judgment, as this is just the first chapter introducing us to the basic game mechanics. I look forward to the idea of what this game can offer us in the future. It’s clear that the developers are facing limited resources, but that doesn’t prevent them from creating an impressive narrative adventure where the soundtrack, aesthetics, graphics, and atmosphere blend perfectly with one another. As I mentioned earlier, the voice acting holds the reins of the game, and the shift between an ordinary cat and its wild, predatory instinct is particularly intriguing.

Copycat will be available sometime this year for PC via Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and Nintendo Switch.