For weeks now I’ve heard my sister rave about Neko Atsume. At the time I didn’t care too much, as I didn’t really know how to even spell the game. Then I realized I could review the game for the entertainment of my many fans. I know you’re out there somewhere, fans. For the uninitiated, Neko Atsume is a game where you lure cats into your yard and care for them. Shouldn’t this game just be called Crazy Cat Lady? (P.S. Crazy Cat Lady is apparently a game on the iOS. I’m totally reviewing that next.)

The Gameplay

You start out by placing some food and a red rubber ball to lure cats into your backyard. Either there’s no pet stores in this game’s universe or I’m supposed to be incredibly lazy. Which I am. The game then urges you to wait a bit until some cats show up. In other words, the game urges you to stop playing at that point. Bold move, Neko Atsume.

My first day of playing I had gotten all my toys to lure the cats, refilled the bowls, and was ready to start collecting cats. I waited, on the edge of my seat for cats to start collecting in my tiny virtual backyard. But, after countless minutes of waiting, I came to the dark realization that I was doing something wrong. My backyard remained catless. What was I doing wrong? I shouted from the rooftops. I asked a council of sages what I was doing wrong. But then I asked my sister and it turns out my backyard was catless because I cheaped out on toys. Oops.

How Charming Is This Game?

Very. Very. Very. Let me get something straight: I’m a dog person through and through. But I can see why people dig cats after a few minutes of playing this. It even says “Meow Loading” instead of “Now Loading”. What more do you want?

Bottom Line

Neko Atsume is a cute, entertaining little game. It’s the type of game where you don’t exactly spend a lot of time “hands on”. In other words, it isn’t exactly action packed. But I think that works for a relaxing little experience like this. It’s best if you have the opportunity to check in on your backyard every once in awhile to see how many cats you’ve attracted. And don’t be stingy with your in-game coins like I was. Your backyard will be sad and catless.