The Cat Lady

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 251 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 219 out of 251
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 251
  3. Negative: 15 out of 251

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  1. apeot2002
    Sep 13, 2022
    9
    The Cat Lady: Clunky catnip for horror fans

    The Cat Lady, almost a one-man-project, is not everybody’s cup of tea. There is an easy test. google a screenshot of the game: If the very distinctive style awakens at least a little bit of curiosity in you, you should give the game a try. Don’t be discouraged by the do-it-yourself clunk of the menus or the keyboard-only controls: If you’ve    The Cat Lady: Clunky catnip for horror fans

    The Cat Lady, almost a one-man-project, is not everybody’s cup of tea. There is an easy test. google a screenshot of the game: If the very distinctive style awakens at least a little bit of curiosity in you, you should give the game a try. Don’t be discouraged by the do-it-yourself clunk of the menus or the keyboard-only controls: If you’ve got a taste for weird, horrifying yet uplifting stories, The Cat Lady will be a gaming experience that will stick with you.

    Just don’t expect a smooth ride. The art can be almost confrontationally ugly at times, the soundscape is rudimentary and low quality, the plot has a few startling dips in quality and coherence, some of them completely unnecessary. All very forgivable sins, especially for a hardcore indie title.

    Enough grousing, let’s talk about the interesting things The Cat Lady does. For one, while the point-and-click-adventure seems to fit best for the game, there is no pointing or clicking here. The main character is controlled almost as if she were a 2D-platform mascot: She can go left or right, and when she happens to stand at an interaction point, the label of the thing or person she stands near to will be hovering above her head, giving her the opportunity to use it, talk to it, pick it up or rub something out of her inventory against it. That means there is no pixel hunt, no weird positioning hangups. There are also no moon logic puzzles here. To be fair, there are almost no headscratchers, either. The Cat Lady is not a difficult game.

    Now it’s time for praise: The plot, despite what I’ve written above, is excellent. It’s a lean, mean horror yarn that will have you on the edge of your seat for the entire run time of the game. It tackles some very difficult subjects with astounding grace and success, it will shock you, scare you, make your heart ache and in the end it will hand you a gem of hope that will lift you up like a glorious sunrise after a terrible nightmare. The next thing I need to gush about is the cast. These are clearly not professionals, but they voice their characters with such passion and conviction, that through some awkwardness in the dialogue, the low quality of the recording and some questionable choices the performances gain an authenticity and charm that left me invested in the characters almost immediately and to a profound degree and elevate the whole game to an incredible degree.

    These are the parts, but the whole is more than their sum. The whole game breathes this flair of grindhouse low budget production, that fits exceedingly well together. The stark and crass imagery, the scratchy, awkward, heartfelt sound and performance, the weird gameplay are maybe just right for a story about a glimmer of hope surviving in an all to real hellscape.

    TLDR: The Cat Lady is the equivalent of a mean, smart, hard-hitting low budget horror film. For some, it’s a tragedy to miss one of these. You know if you are one of us. Act accordingly.    … Expand
  2. Akintosz
    Aug 9, 2021
    10
    A journey to darkest parts of human mind. Heavy, uneasy but brilliant. I recommend it if you like gloomy stories.
  3. GVB
    Oct 30, 2020
    9
    DIsturbing and emotional tale about disturbing and emotional... things. Very well written. A great soundtrack. Best than most horror novels. Play it.
  4. toxic_buddha
    Aug 2, 2020
    9
    This game for me is not a game but a form of gaming art. The sign of this is that if you take on its own graphics, gameplay, story or any other part of this game - it is not that great, even shallow sometimes, but all parts as a whole for me is close to masterpiece.
    Game itself is an adventure with horror elements, some nontrivial (but not very hard) puzzles and very depressive    This game for me is not a game but a form of gaming art. The sign of this is that if you take on its own graphics, gameplay, story or any other part of this game - it is not that great, even shallow sometimes, but all parts as a whole for me is close to masterpiece.
    Game itself is an adventure with horror elements, some nontrivial (but not very hard) puzzles and very depressive atmosphere. Atmosphere , violence and weirdness of this game have strongly reminded me of old silent hills (before sh4 , anything after this is not silent hill in my humble opinion). Graphics itself is pretty poor, which is obvious since it is indi and very low budget project, but backgrounds are so in sync with atmosphere that it is hardly noticeable. Music is pretty rare but existing pieces are great and unexpected. Story itself is good - it is not with some phenomenal twist or something - it is pretty weird Lynch - like story with some psychological elements but what is really outstanding is not story itself but how it is told. Atmosphere and immersion of this game is top notch - since silent hill 2 i haven't seen such a game with such immersion. It is game when you are not scared from jumpscares but from uneasiness and creepines of surroundings, sounds , etc.
    All in all it is a great game that can be viewed not as a game but as really atmospheric horror movie with psychological subtext.    … Expand
  5. BambiRue
    Apr 20, 2020
    9
    This is what horror games should be.

    A dark, mature almost visual-novel-esqe game with a point-and-click format that has almost every type of horror prevalent from Lovecraft-ian imagery to full physiological horror to raw violence. The story is a genuinely mature one with taboo themes like marriages braking down and mindsets of suicidal people that is hard not to appreciate. The game    This is what horror games should be.

    A dark, mature almost visual-novel-esqe game with a point-and-click format that has almost every type of horror prevalent from Lovecraft-ian imagery to full physiological horror to raw violence. The story is a genuinely mature one with taboo themes like marriages braking down and mindsets of suicidal people that is hard not to appreciate.

    The game is truly unique. It is one of the few games to have a middle aged women as the protagonist and does not shy away from exploring that. The art style is rough and it really fits the harsh story. It also strays away from using 'horror' as a cheap label that just means 'has monsters' like many other horror games and is about things that are genuinely horrific (but it does include supernatural elements).

    But all games have their downsides. Some of the choices and puzzles are bordering on random and the best ending is more-or-less impossible without a walk through.

    But this really is a must play game for any horror fan.    … Expand
  6. Solaris123
    Dec 21, 2019
    10
    This game is very good story, depressing character and beautiful like Silent hill 2
  7. gold
    Sep 28, 2019
    9
    Сюжет, атмосфера классная, графика терпимая, игра линейна. Понравилось.
    Итог: 9.333/10
  8. HueloPeste
    Jul 28, 2018
    10
    Obra maestra, este juego no es para todo el mundo pero si llegaste hasta acá, es porque te intereso aunque sea un poco, si es así no te vas a arrepentir de jugarlo. Es la historia mas adulta que he tenido el placer de disfrutar y sentirme identificado con algunas cosas, habla de la depresión principalmente y es el primer juego que la proyecta realmente bien y crea una atmosfera tan gris yObra maestra, este juego no es para todo el mundo pero si llegaste hasta acá, es porque te intereso aunque sea un poco, si es así no te vas a arrepentir de jugarlo. Es la historia mas adulta que he tenido el placer de disfrutar y sentirme identificado con algunas cosas, habla de la depresión principalmente y es el primer juego que la proyecta realmente bien y crea una atmosfera tan gris y triste.
    Hablando de la parte jugable no tiene nada que envidiarle a ninguna aventura gráfica, sus puzzles están bien construidos y a la vez tienen una carga narrativa por la cual se puede conocer mucho mejor a los personajes ya que te das cuenta de muchos detalles. Tampoco tiene nada que envidiarle a un survival horror, la atmósfera es increíble y tiene un par de momentos que te hacen mirar atrás y comprobar que no hay ningún loco psicópata mirándote por la ventana.
    Este juego esta lleno de momentos, escenas, diálogos, personajes e imágenes que se te quedaran grabados en la cabeza, un arte increíble sobresaliente en las partes mas gore y una música (o silencio) que mantiene en tensión al jugador o da momentos memorables como las escenas de acción.
    En fin, a este juego le sobra personalidad, no puedo esperar mas para Lorelai.    … Expand
  9. RagingPoet
    Dec 26, 2017
    8
    The Cat Lady is bizarre adventure with dark atmosphere. Visuals are simple but good, although animation is a bit clunky. The story is great, it alone makes the game worth playing.
  10. curzon_dax
    Apr 25, 2017
    8
    It was good, easily an 8, though most people are scared of not giving it a 10 in case it would be considered uncool. The main problems were the graphics and gameplay/difficulty's simplicity; graphics were extremely basic, including the very simplistic animations, while the gameplay was too simple and easy; it was hard enough to be considered a game but it was relatively easy andIt was good, easily an 8, though most people are scared of not giving it a 10 in case it would be considered uncool. The main problems were the graphics and gameplay/difficulty's simplicity; graphics were extremely basic, including the very simplistic animations, while the gameplay was too simple and easy; it was hard enough to be considered a game but it was relatively easy and simplistic.

    However, the game in overall was fantastic, or at least much better than 95% of what's out there. The atmosphere of horror it tried to produce was fantastically done, the characters too real, and the story almost perfect (it did not make sense in some cases but that can be forgiven since it was the point that it was kinda psychotic to begin with).

    All in all, all adventure fans will love it, but be warned it's scary.    … Expand
  11. marska
    Feb 12, 2017
    10
    Best game if you want to know, how people with depress and anxiety disorder feel. Atmospheric, very good soundtrack, easy to play, touching story. I really enjoyed it. As well as the music.
  12. fedakar57
    Jan 18, 2017
    10
    Best horror adventure game. Story got me really in my heart. Nice and cold game-play, very fluent story-line and in full consistency puzzles. I can't see any mistakes about The Cat Lady.
  13. NP-complete
    Oct 25, 2016
    8
    I didn't feel very attracted at first, but in the long run the story proved to be compelling. As a puzzle game it is not very hard. I wish the main character graphics were more detailed.
  14. MeritCoba
    Apr 11, 2016
    9
    The Cat Lady is a game that probably requires a warning sign: don't play when severely depressed. This is a game with sad story but it ends on a positive note(at least it did with me). Just take the protagonist. When you start the game she has just failed to commit suicide and is in hospital. But perhaps failed is not the right word, perhaps she actually succeeded...

    The game has a dark    The Cat Lady is a game that probably requires a warning sign: don't play when severely depressed. This is a game with sad story but it ends on a positive note(at least it did with me). Just take the protagonist. When you start the game she has just failed to commit suicide and is in hospital. But perhaps failed is not the right word, perhaps she actually succeeded...

    The game has a dark theme. This is the tale of someone who believes her life to be a failure and decided to end it. The overall colors are black, grey or a sharply contrasting white. What other colors there are are subdued. Except for red.You know blood red. The story is told with colors and the music supports the overall mood. It's a dark theme certainly, but often very beautiful done. Not realistic mind you, but made to visualize the emotion that the protagonist undergoes and thus communicating this to you as the player.

    As a game it is probably not a very challenging for experienced players. I can't tell as a seldom play such games. My main reason to play it was because it was cheap on steam and the art intrigued me. That the story was actually captivating was a bonus.

    I think that you choose this game for the story and art more than for the challenge it offers as a game.. Perhaps it would be better to say that this is a guided story.Games that matter because of the story and not so much because of the gameplay.
    Some like that, others don't care for it.    … Expand
  15. BlossomingFlowe
    Apr 1, 2016
    10
    How would you make people think of what suicide is like? How would you make them worried for the real price of lives? How to show them what a desperate situation can happen to anyone of us? Indeed, by touching upon these topics in something that cam disturb one's mind, then, "mass mind". The Cat Lady is not a regular horror game. It doesn't make you frightened by only jumpscares. It makesHow would you make people think of what suicide is like? How would you make them worried for the real price of lives? How to show them what a desperate situation can happen to anyone of us? Indeed, by touching upon these topics in something that cam disturb one's mind, then, "mass mind". The Cat Lady is not a regular horror game. It doesn't make you frightened by only jumpscares. It makes you think of the things you prefer to avoid in real life. Gameplay mostly consists of collecting stuff, solving puzzles, nevertheless, it still gives you intense shivers. If you ask me what The Cat Lady is, I say it is a breathtaking and unique story of a person who has such a meaningless life.… Expand
  16. Alexmcnamee61
    Mar 8, 2016
    9
    I really, really love this game. I've played it twice now - the ending is slightly different each time, you see.

    To (briefly) cover the plot, the game focuses on Susan Ashworth, a depressed middle-aged woman who decides to take her own life one night. I won't spoil any more, you'll have to play yourself! Instead of singing the game constant praises, I'll list the pros and cons below.    I really, really love this game. I've played it twice now - the ending is slightly different each time, you see.

    To (briefly) cover the plot, the game focuses on Susan Ashworth, a depressed middle-aged woman who decides to take her own life one night. I won't spoil any more, you'll have to play yourself!

    Instead of singing the game constant praises, I'll list the pros and cons below.
    * Very unusual protagonist. You won't necessarily agree with everything she says, but hey - you can see what the world is like from someone with a mental health issue.
    * Memorable characters. I liked Mitzi in particular.
    * Great storyline.
    * Choice. Or, at leat, the illusion of it.
    * Puzzles.
    Cons (they're all really small)
    * The dialogue is sometimes very cringey, not helped by the voice actors really overdoing it at times.
    * The voices were poorly recorded in some cases. Mitzi in particular sounded rather distorted.
    * Visuals don't always match the sound exactly.
    * Animations are a little jagged around the edges.

    But hey. It's an indie game - and a fantastic one, at that.    … Expand
  17. llagrok
    Jan 5, 2016
    10
    Possibly the greatest adventure game I've ever played. The characterization, the writing, the atmosphere, the music, all work together to create a grueling experience. So depressing I'd wish it on my best friend and worst enemy alike. If you're in the marked for a game delving into raw, unforgiving humanity then get this game.
  18. Horseshoe2001
    Jan 5, 2016
    10
    WOW! What an amazing game. I instantly fell in love with it!
    The overall atmosphere, the look and the narrative structure of "The Cat Lady" reminded me strongly of "Frank Miller's Sin City" and the movies of Quentin Tarantino of whom I am a great fan. If you're into really dark, depressive, suicidal and ultra violent stuff then this game is most definitely one for you to enjoy.
  19. janosbiro
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    The Cat Lady is a bittersweet story. It starts with suicide, anger, horror, pain, violence and despair. But it is all worth. You begin with no empathy for this sad bitter woman with strange habits. She looks like a coward who tried to kill herself, a person with no value. But then, just like it happens with cat people, you began to understand her, to identify with her, and by the end, youThe Cat Lady is a bittersweet story. It starts with suicide, anger, horror, pain, violence and despair. But it is all worth. You begin with no empathy for this sad bitter woman with strange habits. She looks like a coward who tried to kill herself, a person with no value. But then, just like it happens with cat people, you began to understand her, to identify with her, and by the end, you even love her. This love is so pure that she becomes a beautiful person; even so she is still the same person. It is a game about loving strange people, which is the same as saying that it is a game about loving people, period.… Expand
  20. Kritikon
    Oct 3, 2015
    10
    Great game ! It takes you by surprise, at first things are confusing and you might wonder what the hell is happening. But as you progress, you find yourself deeply immersed in a powerful tale that deals with mature themes rarely seen in video games. It is moving, dark, adult it takes you places no other video game has ever tried to take you. It is a very very memorable game despite -orGreat game ! It takes you by surprise, at first things are confusing and you might wonder what the hell is happening. But as you progress, you find yourself deeply immersed in a powerful tale that deals with mature themes rarely seen in video games. It is moving, dark, adult it takes you places no other video game has ever tried to take you. It is a very very memorable game despite -or rather because of- the low budget graphics that end up giving it a strong visual identity. Definitely not for children, though. Do not ever put this game in a child's hands...… Expand
  21. Dinopid
    Mar 6, 2015
    9
    I've played a few or several point and click adventure games. Most of them were boring. This game is the best of that kind I've played so far. I enjoy it a lot. I am curious what would happen, so I kept playing for more. I also enjoy its story, puzzles, characters, and arts. I made many screenshots there and bought its foil trading cards. Lol.
  22. Ravenwoods
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    Not flawless but amazing.
    When I first started, I was really skeptical but the game turned my worries around so quickly. The atmosphere, the tone and the writing is very good. It is not flawless but I give it a 10 anyway because I enjoyed it thoroughly!
  23. Yirg
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    What a great game! One of the best I've played in recent years.

    Pros: - Fantastic story. Creepy, interesting, engaging. Dripping with atmosphere. - Wonderful voice acting. Every single character does an excellent and convincing job. - Despite the low resolution, visually striking. - Very original altogether. I haven't played anything really like it. Cons: - Controls are simple,    What a great game! One of the best I've played in recent years.

    Pros:
    - Fantastic story. Creepy, interesting, engaging. Dripping with atmosphere.
    - Wonderful voice acting. Every single character does an excellent and convincing job.
    - Despite the low resolution, visually striking.
    - Very original altogether. I haven't played anything really like it.

    Cons:
    - Controls are simple, yet still unintuitive and inconvenient. Would have been better to bind more keys for specific action (e.g. browse inventory using different keys than the ones used for walking).
    - Resolution is too low for this day and age
    - Some puzzles are too difficult or don't make much sense. I had to check a walkthrough several times.
    - Save game system is limited to 50 saves. There are workarounds to save more, but you only learn that you need to use those workarounds after discovering that many of your latest saves are not there.

    Overall: The pros far outweigh the cons. This game is a must!    … Expand
  24. runner
    Aug 29, 2014
    8
    The Cat Lady is one of the more twisted and extraordinary adventure games I got the chance to play.
    In short, it's great and worth playing, with only minor flaws, mainly for adventure lovers!
    The game deals with a very mature matters, and has mature content, sometimes even disturbing. Summary: +Bizzare, interesting, deep story about human feelings and depression, with great    The Cat Lady is one of the more twisted and extraordinary adventure games I got the chance to play.
    In short, it's great and worth playing, with only minor flaws, mainly for adventure lovers!

    The game deals with a very mature matters, and has mature content, sometimes even disturbing.

    Summary:
    +Bizzare, interesting, deep story about human feelings and depression, with great conclusion and a message
    +Simple yet great atmosphere, great psychological horror environment
    +Good graphics and soundtrack
    +Good gameplay mechanics, no need to pixel-hunt that missing object
    +Interesting characters
    +Nice puzzles
    +More than one ending

    -You may not get the entire story on the first time
    -Very linear although it seems like it isn't
    -Mediocre voice acting at times
    -Some minor graphical glitches (very few)
    -50 saves limitation, no option to delete saved game in-game    … Expand
  25. Seraphix
    Aug 4, 2014
    10
    Picked up this game in a bundle. I haven't played many games in this genre or style, but I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed this game from beginning to end. The dark feelings and dark art style fit together very well to put you in the characters state of mind.

    Not a bad game for achievement hunters either. Fairly simple to achieve 100% requires a few saves between choices or a few    Picked up this game in a bundle. I haven't played many games in this genre or style, but I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed this game from beginning to end. The dark feelings and dark art style fit together very well to put you in the characters state of mind.

    Not a bad game for achievement hunters either. Fairly simple to achieve 100% requires a few saves between choices or a few play throughs.    … Expand
  26. RazielIgor
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    If Lovecraft would able to make a game, it would be something like this I think. The art style, story, music, game play, everything about this game is weird. But after a very long time I found myself caring about a game. The story of the game and main character makes you want to know more and you just keep playing. This game made me want to play it until the end, and get me somewhat angryIf Lovecraft would able to make a game, it would be something like this I think. The art style, story, music, game play, everything about this game is weird. But after a very long time I found myself caring about a game. The story of the game and main character makes you want to know more and you just keep playing. This game made me want to play it until the end, and get me somewhat angry everything that get in the way and prevent me to continue the story. I can clearly say that this game is not for everyone. Especially if you're not a patient person, or you don't like adventure games at all. But you must play this game if you were searching for a good horror/thriller adventure game for a long time. I think this was the only good horror/thriller adventure game that I played after the White Chamber or the Mirror Lied.… Expand
  27. Merari
    Jun 9, 2014
    9
    This is a fun little game. I enjoyed the art style and the unconventional layout of the world. It reminds of a graphic novel. Black and white with just an occasional splash of colour for emphasis. The puzzles are not too hard but not too simple either, mostly just a way to get to the next bit of the story. The voice acting is good, though the lead actress sometimes has a slightly annoyingThis is a fun little game. I enjoyed the art style and the unconventional layout of the world. It reminds of a graphic novel. Black and white with just an occasional splash of colour for emphasis. The puzzles are not too hard but not too simple either, mostly just a way to get to the next bit of the story. The voice acting is good, though the lead actress sometimes has a slightly annoying way to phrase statements as a question. The storyline is original and entertaining with the occasional scare, it keeps you interested and wanting to see what happens next. The story is more important than the puzzles or the environment and the artwork and style evoke the mood of the game well. The music score is excellent.

    On finishing the game you get an overall feeling of closure and the final message is something that will stay with you.

    Not a game that has a lot of replay value I think but definitely not something you will regret playing.    … Expand
  28. tayfuntuna
    Jun 5, 2014
    9
    Brilliant atmosphere, not undermined but rather boosted by the strange graphical taste. I waited a long time for this, 10 dollars was a little too much and it was never on sale, instead I ended up getting it with a bundle.
  29. CaKeS
    Apr 15, 2014
    9
    Amazing game, and incredible story. This game runs about 8 hours on average, the puzzles and solutions to problems are MUCH easier to figure out than most point & click games, which makes for some smooth sailing so you can progress the story consistently. The story is one of the best I've seen in a game for a LONG time, and I play hundreds of games. If Harvester Games had a large budget,Amazing game, and incredible story. This game runs about 8 hours on average, the puzzles and solutions to problems are MUCH easier to figure out than most point & click games, which makes for some smooth sailing so you can progress the story consistently. The story is one of the best I've seen in a game for a LONG time, and I play hundreds of games. If Harvester Games had a large budget, this game would've definitely been GOTY material. But instead it's underestimated and overlooked by other popular games. If you want a good scare-not a cheap jumpscare-but a scare that messes with your mind for days on end, then get The Cat Lady. The atmosphere is also a very strong point, it reminds me of Scratches. It's perfect for setting the mood of a very dark, and depressing game. Your actions and choices matter a good amount, and the achievements on Steam are fun to get. Very awesome game, you need to get used to the graphics/animations and gameplay (there isn't much gameplay), but if you can do that, you'll experience one of the best horror stories out there.… Expand
  30. PokaSorM
    Apr 13, 2014
    10
    I cant say anything bad than just it was short and I wish there was more. I loved this game so much, totally recommend this for people who has been through suicide thoughts or anything like this, This game is perfect to me!
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Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best PC Game of 2012
84
#84 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
57
#57 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. GameSpot
    Jan 22, 2014
    80
    If you seek horror, The Cat Lady may sometimes freak you out, though probably not outright scare you. But that horror is in service of a touching character portrait--a portrait that's authentically, poignantly askew.
    Read full review
  2. Eurogamer Germany
    Jan 16, 2014
    90
    As long as you're not totally put off by the art design, there's no reason to not play The Cat Lady. It is not only one of the best games of the year, it's one of the best horror adventures out there.
    Read full review
  3. Gameblog.fr
    Jan 6, 2014
    70
    The strength of The Cat Lady stands in its originality... as long as you are ready for an insane trip. Graphics are not the best we've seen so far, but it's still enough to appreciate the atmosphere and the story of this morbid adventure game.
    Read full review
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