Game Review: Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

We're going three for three at this point, as today we're going to be looking at yet another puzzle game from indie publisher Afil Games. This time around the game is Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher, a game that I believe is part of a series of cat-themed puzzle games. It's out now on just about every major platform, and we're going to be taking a look at it on the Nintendo Switch today. I think we all know what we're getting into here, so let's just get to the review already.

I don't want to start the review on a negative not, but I have to say that I was quite disappointed when I started the game for the first time. The eShop, and the top image of this review, shows a cute cartoon-y, almost anime-inspired, cat, but that's not what we get in-game. Instead we get a 3D model that looks like it's a pre-made asset. You don't see any of the colorful imagery from that key image, not even in the title screen. This is just the first part of the game that feels rather lazy, but you'll soon see that it's a running theme here. It probably goes without saying that there's no story to be found here, and we only know that the cat's name is Mimi because the game told us so. Everything is pretty bare bones all things considered, but I guess that's par the course by this point. As far as gameplay goes, this game operates like a puzzle platformer take on the gameplay formula found in the classic puzzle game Sokoban. That may sound a bit confusing, but it will make sense once I go into detail regarding the gameplay. Since there isn't much need to go on about story and the like, I guess we'll just move on to that very topic now.

Your goal in Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher is to get Mimi to the titular scratcher found at the end of each level. Each puzzle area is made up of several spaces, and you can freely move to just about any unoccupied space. I mentioned Sokoban earlier, and that means that there are also boxes to be pushed. Unlike Sokoban though, you're not pushing the boxes to complete the puzzle, these boxes are instead used as additional platforms to get you to the scratcher. Some levels keep the scratcher at the ground level, but later ones place it higher up. This means you'll need a box or two to get to it most of the time. Also, boxes can only be pushed and not pulled, but you're able to jump on them when they're backed up against a wall. Jumping on them can be used to maneuver around boxes that might otherwise be stuck, and mastering when and where you need to jump onto a box is a skill that needs to be mastered if you want to clear the game. Later levels introduce stacking boxes and jumping over gaps, but the core gameplay never really changes. You can get yourself stuck if you're not careful, but a button press will reset everything. There are 55 puzzles in the game, but several of them will only take you less than a minute to clear. It makes for an experience that honestly could be worse, but isn't all that worth discussing at length.

That's honestly my biggest problem with Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher, there isn't much to say about it. It's one of the better puzzle games I've played by Afil Games, but at least the bad ones made me feel something. Here I mostly felt bored, and couldn't be bothered to think of anything particularly noteworthy to say about it. This isn't really helped by the fact that the game itself is quite easy. Dozens of puzzles or not, I managed to clear the entire game in about an hour. There really isn't any reason to play beyond that point either, so I was done with the game far earlier than I thought I would be. It also just made me want to play better Sokoban-inspired games. Funny thing is that Afil Games themselves put out many of them. I found myself wondering what it would've been like reviewing one of those most of the time I was playing, and it made me wonder what Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher really had to offer anyone.

Things don't get any better when it comes to presentation. I already mentioned the bait-and-switch that comes with Mimi themselves, but the entire game just screams "bland". The 3D graphics look like they were slapped together in a day or two, and the uneven puzzle difficulty made me wonder if they were just put together at random. Then there's the fact that the stages are all just blocks floating in nothingness. You can change the color of the background at any time, but that's not exactly comparable to make a game that looked like any sort of effort was put into its creation. The music also isn't bad, but simply exists. Once again, I'd have liked it more if it was bad. I tried really hard to feel something while playing this game, but I couldn't even bring myself to like or dislike it. I guess the cat scratching animation you get when you complete a stage is kind of cute, but that's really stretching it as far as giving praise goes.

Seeing as we come to the end of another review, I'm left at a loss as to whether or not I should give Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher a recommendation. It's not a bad game by any stretch, and its $4.99 price tag feels more than reasonable, but I think most people would be better off picking up just about anything else. I guess this could appeal to cat lovers, but I'm sure they'd also find it annoying that the promised cute cat from the eShop isn't actually in the game. Maybe we'd all just be better off playing something else. Even though I think there are other Mimi The Cat games out there, I can't see myself playing them. Here's hoping that the next puzzle game I play is better than the ones that have come before. The bar is set pretty low at this point.

Check Out Mimi The Cat: Mimi's Scratcher on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mimi-the-cat-mimis-scratcher-switch/

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: C
Music/Sound: C
Value: B

Overall: B-

Pros:
+ An interesting take on the Sokoban formula.
+ Can be a fun game for cat lovers. I for one think the animation when you reach the titular scratcher is rather cute.
+ 55 levels is a decent amount, and the difficulty and complexity of the levels does ramp up over time.
+ Not a bad game, and its $4.99 price tag makes picking it up quite painless for those interested.

Cons:
- The entire game feels bland. I struggled to like or dislike it.
- There's sort of a bait-and-switch when it comes to art design. The main image on the eShop looks nothing at all like what the game's graphics actually are.
- Most of the puzzles are very easy. Even with 55 of them, I managed to beat the game in about an hour.
- Once cleared, there really is no reason to ever pick up the game again. It's quite forgettable at the end of the day.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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