In true DezDoes fashion, I couldn’t contain my excitement when I first laid eyes on Copycat during the announcement of the winners of the PAX Aus 2023 Indie Showcase.

Last year, I had a blast playing a cat-themed game at PAX, but this time, I hit the jackpot by getting the opportunity to play the 45-minute demo of “Copycat” not once, not twice, but three times. And guess what? I’m eager to dive back in for another run next week because this game is an absolute blast. While “Stray” was cool, let me assure you, “Copycat” is the game you don’t want to miss.

Not to mention, I still have three more cats to adopt & how can I not give those little cuties a home?

We’ve never posted a game preview on DezDoes before, so it’s truly a surreal moment for me to do it for such an outstanding game and even had the amazing opportunity to to interview the talented minds behind it. This is definitely a bucket list moment!

But First, The Demo

The engaging story starts with a nurturing & almost loving leisurely walk and conversation with the adult cats. it give the player this heartfelt feeling of being cared for, that just makes you connect insanely with the game, wanting to explore more.

“Copycat” offers a choice of six cats for adoption, so you’ll want to play it at least six times. And I’ve had the pleasure of playing through the stories of three of them so far, with more to come.

Remarkably, each playthrough feels fresh despite repeating parts of the story, with different looking cat that all happen to share the same name. It would have been a nice touch to help you connect further with your chosen cat. Yet, I understand the significant effort that would be require at add that, and this is still just a demo.

The controls in the game are smooth; and subtitles used in the game are large, bold, and clear, providing helpful guidance when learning the different controls.

While there were some entertaining bugs during the early access phase, they’re par for the course when playing early access and never took away from my playing experience like another game I played on release *Cough Cyberpunk 2077 cough*. One of my favourite glitches involved my character running in mid air instead of on the couch – quite the unexpected skill set for a cat.

My only real gripe was with the camera view, which occasionally teased us with an amazing cat’s-eye perspective but then reverted back to an overhead view. It made navigation a tad tricky, as it sometimes conflicted with the intended direction when it first changed.

Without giving anymore away, I must say that “Copycat” has moments that borderline on a like a creepy horror experience, especially with the eerie darkness and the appearances of a certain character we affectionately call “granny.”

Whether you’re a cat lover or just curious about feline adventures, this game is a must-play. And here’s the exciting part – if you’re attending PAX, you can try it out too! They have a 10-15 minute demo, so be sure to allocate enough time to immerse yourself in it. I’m hoping they have a waiting line because I’ll definitely be popping over a few times. If you spot me or Dez, come say hi, and if not, please seek me out at PAX and tell me how right I was!

Get ready for an electrifying sneak peek at my exclusive interview – a brief but engaging meeting with none other than Sam and Kostia, the brilliant minds behind the incredible game! Sam’s infectious enthusiasm made our conversation an absolute delight, and I can’t wait to share this exciting exchange with you all Buckle up for a joyride!

Why cats?

Copycat uses the medium of a narrative-led video game to explore the varying shades of love we have for our pets. This special bond we share with our cats (and dogs) is unlike any other relationship. Pets love us on good days and bad. Through the fun times and the tough times. Cats, in particular, have played a big part in our lives. But the systemic issue of pet abandonment weighs heavy on our hearts. As the cost of living rises, and more people surrender their pets, animal shelters are at capacity. Therefore, we were inspired to write a script that demonstrates the complex and nuanced world of cat ownership. Copycat is about a pet who learns to deal with abandonment, and a human forced to surrender. Together, two souls go on a journey to discover the meaning of family and home. Cats were the perfect vessel to tell this story.

Soooo how many cats do you own?

We have an enduring love for cats. Although we desperately want one, we are not in a position to own a cat at the moment because we are working remotely while developing Copycat. Instead, we get our cat-fix by visiting cat cafes, and feeding the strays on the street. But there were many cats involved in the creation of the video game. A needy 13-year-old black domestic shorthaired named Flame is the voiceover for the character of Dawn for about 80% of the game. Flame is the pet of Sam’s family. Valeria is our composer Dan’s beloved cat. She will be turning two in a few weeks. Valeria has been the first point of critique for all music. If she doesn’t approve, it doesn’t make the cut.

What got you into gaming?

Kostia and Sam both loved gaming from an early age. Kostia, our Game Director and Head of Art, grew up spending countless nights in the internet cafe, clicking heads in Counter-Strike and chasing orcs in Warcraft 3. The very first game he bought with his own money was GTA 3. Whereas Sam, our Head of Narrative, preferred breathing fire as Spyro on Playstation, or snuggling into her Nintendo DS to play Pokemon and Nintendogs. In our early 20s, we both steered away from games because it wasn’t a professional job to have. However, in our late 20s we realised the power of video games as a creative medium. Games are emotional, interactive, heart-warming and far more immersive than any other project  we have created before.

What is your inspiration?

Kostia’s art inspiration comes from an intersection of Pixar’s colourful-style and the atmosphere of Makoto Shinkai’s movies. Add a pinch of gaming darlings like Firewatch (2016) and Life is Strange (2015) and you get the recipe right. Sam’s writing influences come from a long love of animal films starting with The Aristocats (1970) and The Fox and The Hound (1981). Her child-like wonder stems from the literary works of Roald Dahl and Morris Gleitzman. As for tone of voice, Sam’s takes inspiration from Australian playwright Andrew Bovell, with some themes of friendship in video games like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (2004) and Never Alone (2014).

Will copy cat be available on just pc or other platforms down the track?

Copycat will be available on consoles too. We’re hoping to bring it to Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo. But as a team of two, we’re prioritising the PC version first.

Reason for platforms choice?

We always wanted to make a game where the narrative shines, but we also want to make it available for more casual players to enjoy. They don’t necessarily have 4080 GPUs and multi-thousand dollar gaming rigs. That’s why Copycat is actually a hardware-friendly game, and we’re trying to optimise it to run well. We are doing our best to bring Copycat to most major platforms, including handhelds.

Have you attended pax before?

No, this is our very first time at PAX. Both as a developer and a video game fan! We are so excited to share our little game at the southern hemisphere’s biggest gaming convention.

What are you hoping people take away from pax and playing Copycat?

We want players to turn to their partner, their friend, or their pet, and just give them a big hug! This is a heart-warming, compelling and hopeful game that breaks your heart then carefully puts back the pieces one-by-one.

How did you come up with the name for the game?

Copycat was one of our shortlisted names we settled on right at the beginning of the development process. It captures the sub-plot of the look-alike stray who tries to steal Dawn’s place in the home. We also liked the name because it was easy to remember! We had loosely shared the concept with a friend, and to our surprise, he was able to recall the project’s name three months later. Copycat felt like a natural fit.