Cat Bird’s fans are passionate. One blog post on the game is headlined: “If you’re not playing Cat Bird, what are you doing with your life?”
Can the uninitiated get in on the hype? Certainly. This is compelling, old-school platforming fun. You play as the titular Cat Bird, a hybrid between a cat and a bird, which can run, leap and glide with the agility of both animals.
There are 40 puzzle levels to scale, which, naturally, get more difficult as you progress. You’ll need to be nimble to avoid the obstacles; great balls of fire, rolling landmines and comets will try to squish you or send you plunging through the bottom of the screen.
Sometimes, your route will be blocked and you’ll need to use some of that cat-like cunning to find a way through. Moves must be executed with precision timing or it’s curtains.
You’ll fail often, but you’ll find yourself newly determined to play again: Cat Bird is the kind of game you can lose 45 minutes on without looking up. Playing on your commute is dancing with danger.