Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar had me scratching my head while constantly pressing the meow button. I’d say it achieved what it set out to do.
While Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is developer Abandoned Sheep’s first major release, the game leaves a lasting impression. Available on PC via Steam and Linux, it combines the universal love for cats with genuinely clever puzzles. While it isn’t exactly genre-defining, the game’s charm is undeniable.
Meowing For Success
Cat games aren’t exactly new. While Stray is easily the most popular game to leverage the love for playing as feline fellows, Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar does enough to separate itself from the 2022 adventure game. That, too, while adding some nice twists that cement the fact that it’s a puzzle game.
Gameplay
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is all about solving puzzles. Filling the shoes of Mitten the cat burglar, players climb the right boxes, knock down the right piggy banks, and voluntarily mash the button that makes their character go meow. There’s nothing too technical in terms of controlling Mittens, at least when the game starts.
The cat burglar quickly gets into an accident that lets her split herself into two versions of herself. On a controller, this is done by having the two analogue sticks move away from each other. This introduces the most unique aspect of this game.
Similar to a game such as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, players must utilize both versions of Mittens to solve clever puzzles. Whether it’s having both cats stand on the right switches to open a path forward, or only walking through holographic gates that represent a specific cat, most puzzles are simple but extremely charming.
One analog stick is dedicated to controlling a cat, which is further simplified because there’s no dedicated jump button. Instead, you just have to push the cat toward the area you want to jump to. This occasionally causes issues, especially when Mittens ends up hopping down to the floor instead of jumping to a higher area.
If you want to switch things up, you can utilize the game’s couch co-op feature. Both players control one cat, resulting in some hilarious moments. This mechanic does prioritize the player controlling the original mittens. But it’s a fun way to involve another player in solving puzzles together.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper cat game without customization options. Whether you want to turn your cat into a fuzzy tabby or give her a pair of headphones, Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar has a surprising amount of customization options. Most cosmetics are bought or unlocked, giving players an incentive to collect the game’s currency.
Still, the game has some faults. The biggest one has to be the static camera, which caused issues more than once. Obstacles would block my vision of a cat, or I wouldn’t be able to jump where I want, resulting in my controlled cat jumping to the ground during a puzzle and forcing me to restart.
Schrodinger’s Cat-um Mechanics
The ability to split the playable cat into two is already unique. But Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar takes things a step further by introducing a handful of other quantum mechanics-related concepts.
The game gets more complicated as you progress, unlocking mechanics such as sending one cat into a theoretical, intangible state when it isn’t in sight. You don’t necessarily have to put either cat into a box, but these relatively advanced concepts keep things more interesting, while adding a somewhat educational front to the already clever game.
After combining all of the game’s mechanics, Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar becomes a much tougher game than it seems. Puzzles that initially seem simple can make even the cleverest gamer stop in their tracks for a bit, deciding how to approach them by best utilising what the game offers them.
Graphics & Audio
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar’s art style is cute and charming. But what really sets the game apart is the overall setting. The quantum mechanics lab is filled with flashing lights, robots, shelves, and boxes. I had to go through narrow corridors multiple times, and I’d take the opportunity to spam some emotes as Mittens every time.
The game has a smart way of approaching colours. Shades of blue and orange are everywhere in the game, primarily because they’re the colours that represent the two cats. This could be in the form of holographic doors that only the associated cat can walk through, or flashing lights in an enclosed room.
I got a stable 60 FPS in most situations. But the game did get a little choppy during loading screens and save points. These moments didn’t take longer than a few seconds, but the drop in FPS was more than noticeable enough.
As for the audio, I have a confession to make. I spent a good chunk of the game just spamming the dedicated button that makes Mittens meow. It essentially became a stress ball, especially when I had to take a couple of seconds to analyse a puzzle.
Still, Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar’s overall sound design is nice. The music gives the same detective-esque feeling that you’d expect from a game where you control a literal cat burglar. There isn’t any voice acting in it. But at least you have Mitten’s constant meowing to keep you company, even during cutscenes.
Longevity
While Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar isn’t too long, likely taking about six hours to complete, it does have some replayability. Playing through the game again in co-op adds a nice twist. You can also return to a previous area to grab anything you missed
However, you likely won’t find the same difficulty after already knowing how to solve every puzzle in the game. Aside from some optional puzzles that are typically tougher than the main story, subsequent playthroughs will likely feel like a breeze.
Final Thoughts
Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is clearly a labour of love, which is obvious from the thought and effort that went into it. It may have certain shortcomings, but they pale in comparison to how much of a blast I had with the game, making me excited for what the studio may come up with next.
It’s for this reason that I give it the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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