Copycat

Copycat is a touching experience that invites us to see the world through the eyes of Dawn, a kitten scarred by trauma who seeks to understand her place and purpose in the world. With simple yet varied gameplay, the focus here is not on complex mechanics, but rather on offering a narrative that moves, comforts, and makes us reflect on the true meaning of home.

Copycat is only about three hours in length and jumps between set pieces at a good pace, constantly switching up your tasks to prevent the game from becoming stale. You’ll wreak havoc in a house, roam neighborhoods and parks, sneak past guard dogs, hunt for food, fight off alley cats, and even chase animals as a panther in Dawn’s dreams, with no one set piece lingering too long. Despite its story which is purposefully uncomfortable to experience, it is an adventure well worth embarking on and will hopefully force other animal owners to take a long look at their own actions and make adjustments as necessary to ensure we provide our animals with the respect and love they deserve.

Copycat is a short, emotionally powerful game that leaves a strong impression despite its brief playtime. The storytelling is impactful, but the limited choices can feel restrictive. While the experience is memorable, some themes and emotional intensity may leave players with mixed feelings.

Copycat is a short and focused emotional story that is well worth playing through for any fan of narrative games and/or cat owners. While the game itself is solid, it is really the writing and emotional impact of the story that elevates Copycat from being just another animal-based 3D platformer. I defy anybody not to be moved by Dawn’s turbulent experiences and the game as a whole forced me to pause and give my own cats a cuddle more than once.

Copycat is a game that tackles some serious issues, but its characters are hard to warm to and will make you angry at times. Still, being a cat and doing cat things can be fun, despite clunky controls and unspired gameplay.