Unraveling family secrets in Cats and The Other Lives

Cats and their inscrutable, chaotic thoughts are the subject of many games–from you as an anarchic spirit swinging a paw out towards a vase that’s perched precariously atop a bookshelf in Catlateral Damage, to being a cat hoarder and attracting as much of these cute critters as possible in the mobile hit game, Neko Atsume. They’re a force of nature; they do whatever pleases them, and may only be somewhat appeased–or distracted–by the allure of food, cat treats, and empty cardboard boxes. 

Then there’s Cats and the Other Lives, a narrative point-and-click game about a cat living in a massive mansion, a quiet observer to the cacophony of family politics and pernicious plotting unravelling around its family. As the family cat Aspen, you live with an aging patriarch who has abruptly passed away in his sleep, while his less-than-concerned children, relatives and even a lawyer fuss about his messy affairs–and, of course, all his hefty inheritance. Prowl silently and eavesdrop on the sordid conversations of this dysfunctional family, and discover secrets and memories that were thought long buried in the history of this giant spooky mansion.

And with some minor puzzle elements, you’ll also get to engage in some stereotypical cat shenanigans–like knocking expensive tea sets and other antiques off the table, so as to gain access to previously cordoned-off areas of the mansion. There are also hints to Aspen being able to shape and influence the future of this broken family, too.

Cats and the Other Lives will be released sometime this year.