We’re done! To an arbitrary point!
Windows, Mac, and Android versions of the first Catlandia demo since 2017 are now available.
“Where’s iOS?”
We won’t have an iOS version probably for a while, sorry.
Here’s some things to note about the demo:
- It’s entirely click/tap-based controls. This should feel pretty good on touchscreens.
- There is currently no in-game explanation of combat. Read below for an overview
- For this version, player stats have been boosted and you have extra abilities. It should be fairly easy to bumble through
- There is stuff missing. If a sound doesn’t play, if there’s a blank space instead of an image, if it just feels a bit awkward, it’s because, well, it’s a demo!
- The quest menu is probably the biggest functionally unfinished aspect. It doesn’t scroll right now
- The customize menu currently does not show when a pattern or part type change is not available. Sorry! We plan to have at least two choices for each
- I haven’t really tested this much on Mac or Windows. Sooo… Sorry if it randomly breaks?
- The battles don’t always place you/enemies correctly in front of scenery, whoops!
So what can you do??
- Most important, you can be a cat 🐈
- You can customize your cat’s colours, patterns, and shapes
- Your cat can wear hats
- You can fight three different enemies, plus a boss battle
- You can talk to a collection of cat friends
- Besides the first task of finding Sergeant Fluffles, there is one full quest to conquer
- The game now features a lot more final artwork (and it’s beautiful!)
- Music and sound are better than before, and specific battle sounds have begun implementation
For a more in-depth look at what’s changed since the last release, check out the demo announcement post.
Combat: How Does It Work?
Catlandia features a combat system we developed ourselves. As the game doesn’t yet explain it, this is a brief overview.
Cats have three basic attacks: Bite, Scratch, Pounce. Each enemy takes different damage from each, and has a different chance for the attack to miss. For each enemy, the three basic attacks have a different level of effectiveness weighted by these factors.
How do you know what’s most effective? A successful hit does two things, besides damage: restores some Effort Points, and increases the enemy’s Exposure. Using the most effective attack scores you a significant different result with these two things.
EP increase appears as a blue text notification over the cat, but the Exposure increase is hidden. Once you reach a certain Exposure limit, the enemy’s defences have broken. They are Exposed, and every hit is an automatic critical. With the boosted stats in this demo, you’re unlikely to produce this is regular fights, but it’s there!
You also have access to Mewgic. These are special techniques that do more damage, attack multiple enemies, or apply status ailments. Try them out! But beware, they cost Effort Points, and when your Effort reaches 0, your cats get lazy and may fall asleep! For the demo, I’ve loaded you up with a selection, but typically these will depend on your equipment. The Catmando Beret and Unicorn Horn each give you extra Mewgic as an example.
Finally, you’ll notice the Defense menu pop up. Each enemy prefers to be in one of three stances: Cautious, Balanced, and Reckless. Each stance is best defended differently: Dodge, Guard, and Parry respectively. It’s not 100% success, but if you’re fast, it should help!
That about wraps up the basics of combat. More info will be available in-game soon.
What’s next?
Well, I’m sure that bugs will be found, by players and ourselves. I anticipate putting out an update in a couple of weeks that corrects these issues. Other than that? I think Catlandia’s finally ready to push forward on content. More cats, more conversations, more quests!
Ready to be a cat? Download the demo!