Game Summary
People:
- Detective Cat: A no-nonsense feline with a comically unnecessary handgun that she almost never uses, but always has on hand for intimidation. Detective Cat has been tasked with putting an end to the catnip cartel, a shady operation that has been distributing illegal catnip to the city. Detective Cat is the only one who can solve the case before the whole city is overrun with catnip-crazed cats.
- Villain Cat: A shadowy cat kingpin who has built an empire in the city’s criminal underworld. They run the catnip cartel, an underground operation that keeps the streets hooked on their illegal product, making them untouchable in the city’s dark streets.
Places:
- The game takes place in a city, specifically in one main street with a few alleyways.
- Time: Night.
- Weather: Slightly overcast.
Things:
- The player can collect clues hidden around the city that help them locate Villain Cat.
- Scratch marks observed at various locations in the city.
- A photo which shows Villain Cat up to no good.
- The player can also collect the contraband catnip they find while exploring the city.
Style:
- Stylized, low-poly character models
- Noir vibe
- Dark and muted color palette
- Urban setting
- Minimalistic textures
- Smoky
- Flickering and dim lights with dark shadows
- Third person point of view
- Quiet, echoey, and distant sounds
Gameplay:
- Adventure game with elements of mystery and detective gameplay.
- The player will walk around a small city map to find clues to locate and confront Villain Cat.
- They can interact with certain objects like trash bins and various clues scattered about.
- In the end, they will find and confront Villain Cat to put an end to their empire.
Concept Sketch:
Reference Images:
This sounds really really cute. Your description of Detective Cat has so much character in it, and I really hope you’ll be able to make that come across in game as well. Your visual style concept is rather dark while the game concept as a whole feels very light and fun, though– how do you think you’ll combine the two?
I definitely wanted to go for a playful and absurd seeming situation, so balancing the funny aspects of the gameplay, story, and characters with the game’s darker visual tones is going to be interesting to do. My plan is to have the main character approach their job with seriousness, interpreting clues as important hints and breakthroughs. However, players will find these moments moreso funny because it is hard for a real person to take the situation seriously. I’m excited to experiment with blending the darker atmosphere and the overall game concept as I continue working.
I really like the idea of a cat detective. Do you plan to stylise the lighting as well as the textures and models?
I’m not too sure yet! I think figuring out how I want to style the actual location will be something I experiment on when I start working. I kind of envision the character models being more stylized and sticking out from the actual level.
I love the idea! I wanna play this game haha. I love the contrast of the cute cat in a dark noir city, it kinda reminds me of Stray. My #1 question is how does the cat hold the gun? One or two paws? Sideways? Backwards?
Honestly I envision the gun just sticking to one of its paws magically with no actual grip around it haha
I love the idea of catnip acting as an illegal drug for cats, considering it’s basically a drug for cats in real life! Do you plan on having other cat npcs populating the street, or for this to be a lonely night when no one’s out? I’d imagine a detective noir setting to have some places bustling with (sometimes illegal) activity and other emptier streets, but of course scope will be a big factor.
I think if I had more time to work on this I would definitely have more npcs on the street, but I think I am just going to limit the game to the detective and villain. I love the idea of busier streets though!
I really like the combination or simplistic character design with the noir aesthetic. Do you have any plans to add other NPCs to the game if you have enough time?
Scopewise I will probably only have the main character and the villain, but I would love to add npcs to talk to if I had the time!
Having pops of color seems like it will make the game really visually interesting. Are you going to use pops of color for a specific purpose like drawing the player’s attention to clues?
KYITTYY! I love the little guys they are so adorable and fabulous. It feels like a noir detective movie. An idea you can ignore if you feel like it: have the detective be more monochrome when in the shadows.
First of all, your game’s concept is already super entertaining. Dark, gritty noir cities with goofy cute cats? Sounds like a killer idea. Will the game take place entirely in one night, with the sunrise creeping up as the player finally comes face-to-face with Villain Cat?
Yes I was envisioning it to take place over one night, I really like the idea of the sunrise creeping in as the final confrontation happens!