This review was originally written on 02/26/2019.

Technical Information

Developer: teamCOIL
Distributor: teamCOIL
Release Date: August 2, 2018

If you love cats and vaporwave, you’ll definitely adore this game.
PUSS! is a… ahnn… avoid ’em up? It’s hard to define its genre. It’s a game where you control a cat and must guide it out of the maze. To move it, just click with your mouse and drag.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

The vaporwave-style ambiance was incredible! Some levels don’t have animations, while others do. It’s quite random, and the animation factor is very high and linked to each phase’s gameplay. I really enjoyed that break from standard aesthetics and level design.

The overall interface is simple and easy to understand. On the game screen, the HUD displays the stage and the number of lives you have.
When you press “Esc”, various game configuration options are displayed, including a bug report option.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

Perfectly ambient vaporwave atmosphere!

Gameplay

With a totally vaporwave aesthetic, PUSS! won’t just test your mouse skills but also how long you can play without having an epileptic attack.
It’s simple but difficult. Very difficult, actually.
Simple because, apart from using only your mouse, you can adjust its sensitivity within the game.
Difficult because all it takes is to touch any obstacle in the game for more than 1 second… and it’s game over!
You use only your mouse to play. When I first played the game, I used my laptop’s touchpad, and it was pretty easy to control.

The stages emerge randomly, which makes the game’s difficulty even higher, because we never know what’s coming next. After completing a stage, you’re rewarded with points that can give you lives.
Lives are important for progressing through this game, since there is no save state.

Despite being a totally casual game, PUSS! keeps us hooked not only by the challenge but also by our curiosity about what the next level will be like. When we’re in the player’s shoes, we often overlook some details, such as level design. And in my opinion, that’s the game’s maximum point. Each stage is a more bizarre one than the last.

Replayability and Game Retention

I just don’t consider it a 10/10 because the game’s difficulty is quite demanding, and using the mouse for long periods can make your arm feel tired.
It’s visually stressful due to the color contrast, even though you like the style. Eventually, you’ll feel exhausted.