Set on the seemingly idyllic Cat Island, you, a stranger to these shores, must date a string of fetching felines, in an attempt to unravel the island’s mysterious secrets. What happened to all the humans? Why can these cats talk...?

When I started playing this interactive story (it's not really a game) I was given the option of several characters to pick from to represent me. So I chose the one that looked the most like me and gave it my name. I foolishly thought I'd be using that character for the duration... but that wasn't the case at all.

Everything started well, with the story unravelling and a mystery was brewing just out of reach that merited further investigation. Then it started to get a bit creepy. I started to fall in love with a cat. Granted, I had contracted an illness and was slowly transforming into a cat, but (shock horror!) I was falling head over heels in love with a male cat. That part of the adventure ended and I had to chose another character to continue the story as.

The plot basically follows your characters who are each junior scientists on an island full of cats. Under the watchful eye of an eccentric professor you have to go about your duties helping your employer with his research. However almost immediately, each student manages to become infected with an illness that not only sees them slowly turning into a cat, but also gives them the power to be able to talk to the felines on the island. It turns out that the cats need your help unravelling the mystery of the island, and you need their help to find an antidote to your deteriorating condition.

If you fail with one character (and you will) you'll leave your body of work unearthed so far in a journal for the next student to find and continue your progress. Each character has a number of choices during their time on the island. They can engage in dating a specific cat; carry out their laboratory jobs; or snoop around trying to unearth some clues as to what mystery the island hides.

From a storytelling point of view, the app does a good job of dragging you in, engaging you enough that you invest in the characters. The creepy cat dating side, aside, this is quite a fun little app. And, once you've completed the story you can replay it and try to discover all the endings.

8

Darren Rea