Buy Stray Cat Crossing

I recommend this game if pretty visuals and beautiful soundtracks are major parts in your gaming experience.

I played the demo a few days before and was very excited to play the full version. The demo covers tthe first act of three in the game. I was interested by the Ghibli-styled horror, and the first act delivered some chilling moments. However, after the first act I felt the game tone the horror down. Nothing really comes after you and the sense of dread is replaced by wonder, which is alright by I really wanted a horror experience, especially after the first act. The third act is item fetching and LOTS of repetition, and the horror elements are completely sapped.

The story is interesting, but not without poor writing. Lots of unneccessary characters and too many unexplained details. It's not hard to figure out what exactly happened by the end, but there are questions that will nag at you.

This game has incredible visuals for a 2D game. The characters are well designed and the locations are incredible. This and the amazing soundtrack are the best parts about this game.

Gameplay is alright. You have a run button to go places faster and there is one instance where you have the option to jump. Puzzles are way too easy. There's only one or two instances where you might die, so the rest plays like an interactive novel.

A fascinating horror story that appears twisted in the beginning. There's a reason for the way it is presented, and it may or may not become apparent to the player as the story goes on. The concept of the story is pretty good. Although I already knew most of what was going to happen, the ending still shocked me and made me pretty emotional.

Strong points
- Story, graphics and music. The last two appears to be well thought out and designed to fit each other and the story itself. Among the three, the music garners my interest the most.

Weak point
- The Theater. From what I experienced, it has to be done in a rather specific sequence. Otherwise, if you messed one part up and saved over your only save file, you have to restart the game all over again since you can't gain that one item back.

Recommendation to potential players
- Keep one save file at the start of the Theater before interacting with anyone so that you don't have to restart the entire game if you mess up by accident.

It was really hard to decide if I can recommend this or not, at first. Ultimately, I can absolutely recommend it.

The music and art alone is worth more than 3$. The music is full of expression, and the art is incredibly surprising, considering it's an RPG maker title.

The gameplay itself is what made this so hard for me. The game played well enough, but when it came to your objective, it was needlessly difficult(Lack of detail.) The ending, though, is what bothered me. You play through the same scene(Same for the most part) five or so times, unless you mess up and need to do it more. It was VERY annoying.

But the story and it's expression made up for that, hands down. The characters are absolutely wonderful, and although it didn't scare me in the least, the creepy atmosphere never died down. If you are a fan of short stories(Especially creepy-pasta type stories), this game is perfect for you, as well as admirers of art and music. This game has a quality far surpassed 3$.

TLDR, 8/10. Great music, great art, okay gameplay, incredible characters and great story. Also comes with the games OST.

There's a surprising number of RPG Maker horror games, if you've never looked. Most ditch the RPG trappings entirely in favor of a minimalist retro-2D walking simulator style, and most of those tend to be boring or poorly designed. But every once in awhile you'll find a gem in the pile, and Stray Cat Crossing is one of those gems.

Your lovingly-rendered character happens across a small girl wandering the road at night. The girl, Cat, runs off with your treasured scarf and you follow her all the way home like the worst sort of creeper just to get it back. Don't feel bad, though, because her house is full of all kinds of nightmare beings. SCC is a surreal adventure game through symbolic realms of guilt and loss, expressed in a magnificently detailed and colorful art style. Characters are memorable, environments are vivid, and the atmosphere is excellent.

The sound design is on point as well, but the real stand-outs are the bizarre video clips the game hits you with periodically. Every once in awhile, you'll be interrupted by a short scene that looks cut from the VHS tape in The Ring. These sequences are incredibly jarring and effective. I am not a fan of jumpscares in the least, but these felt well thought-out and earned. They add immeasurably to the atmosphere and help hint at future story beats, as well.

The story itself is quite good, managing to dabble heavily in symbolism and moralizing without falling into the traps other games often do. There's nothing forced or heavy-handed about the plot developments, and you tend to catch up with things as your tight-lipped protagonist does. The one place the game stumbles is in the puzzles, which start off strong and clever but end on some sour notes. The final sequence is honestly quite clever as well, but in a way that's not actually very fun to get through. It comes at the very end, though, so at that point there's no reason not to power through for the satisfying finale.

You'll finish the game in two hours or so, which is perfectly fine considering the price. They're a tense and emotional two hours that would be worth experiencing just for the cast and atmosphere. Luckily, the whole game pulls together to form something I can whole-heartedly recommend.

In this game you can:
-Get a nice picture taken of you.
-Make new cool friends that will never leave your side!
-Get your nuts cracked!
-Play with dolls!(With automatic talk back function)
-Walk in a nice beautifull garden.(And get to see exciting new species!)
-Go to the cinema! and eat some delisious popcorn while watching an exciting play!(You realy want to see this over and over again!)

All in all a nice family game that i recommend for everyone

10/10

Stray Cat Crossing is a short, but intense tour into the rabbithole.
The story's start is pretty simple - you find the young girl called Cat wandering on the streets, and you offer her to take her back to his house - even giving your scarf to her not to catch a cold on your way. But you realize only after her entering the house that she still has your scarf, which is really dear to your heart, so you enter Cat's house to find her and ask her for your scarf.
While the short introduction also plays an important part in understanding the whole story, the real content of the game starts after entering the house. On your left you see a blind girl, eyes covered with bandages, holding a camera, meekly asking you if she could take a photo of you... and then you can pick your save slot :) The game developers really cleverly implemented, and inserted the savepoint system in the game that it's actually a person, who appears at numerous spots during the game, always reflecting to your current actions - it's wonderfully immersive

After speaking to her, you see footprints on the ground, which lead deeper into the house.
The game consists of three different parts of the house, three chapters - each really different from the other ones, they build on the previous ones but there's a common thing in them - they are all has their own creepy characters, themes and actions that can send shivers down one's spine. Each chapter gives you a clear goal, and you can reach it by completing smaller goals, sometimes puzzles. The characters of the house had a similar feeling to me like in Silent Hill - they do have a strong resemblance to asian, or rather japanese horror-creatures, but what sets the macabre tone the best is that they are all clever, thinking - and has no real intention of hurting you. But, if it's possible, they won't let you go.
The game only has one point when you can die while you're just walking around, but it's more like an event, like a QTE is for a game - and it has a save point just before it, so it's safe to say that while saving is advised, it's not easy to get yourself killed. Which is nice, because you'll be able to spend more time exploring the house, and to see VCR-like short video-cuts appear, that unravels a little more about the story, while conveniently raising the creepy-factor a LOT.
I don't want to spoi the story, especially as the game is short, can be completed in three hours and it's really worth to be experienced rather than just told about. But as it can be guessed from the lack of combat, the game's story revolves around pretty serious matters, and it's elements presented through the game's symbols, with the whole story explained at the end. While the third, last chapter got pretty tedious compared to the first two, the game really did a great job by not making the story overly simplistic, and at the same the explanation was presented in a way that does not make the player feel stupid for not getting it during the game.

While the art style seemed a little at first (the characters are pretty big compared to the environment) the game did a perfect job at introducing, then gradually unfold and solve a story while making me feel intrested, weirded out, or at some points just staring onto the screen. I've got the game from a bundle that cost maybe 1.5$ ; but I think if someone's looking for a more creepy-weird, than a scary horror and finds the art direction attractive, I can absolutely recommend the game even at full price. It's done with RPGMaker but uses own art, has a great soundtrack and has a really nice story with a proper ending that's quite memorable. It was a great experience for me.

Just finished this game, took me roughly 2.5 hours. What a wild ride! Stray Cat Crossing not only has amazing art and music, but also a story telling style that will get your heart racing and it will be on your mind even after you have finished the game.

Overview
At the first glance at this game, the store page screenshots show that the art style is very unique and eccentric. Having played the game I absolutely agree that the art style played a huge part in creating the atmosphere and immersion of the game. It's made with RPGMaker, however the loving care put into the art, as well as its detail and quality, make it hard to notice the engine at all.

Story thoughts
The story is about a girl Cat, that got lost. I really don't want to spoil anything by giving out details, as the story is a crucial part of this story, and emotionally impactful. I'll say that it's a story about memories and the past, kind of like To the Moon's themes. The way the story is implemented is quite outstanding, with different layers to getting to "what actually happened". In the end the story is revealed bit by bit, with symbolism and twists of reality. It indeed is very thought provoking and I'm still thinking about the events that happened and what the story is trying to say. I absolutely love games/ shows/ anime that do this! What came to mind after playing was Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli, and after this thought occurred to me I looked up the developer's site and it's listed as one of the influences. So kudos to them for conveying the atmosphere right!

Game play thoughts
The game play is generally very smooth, involving puzzles and some chase scenes. I had a lot of fun with the puzzles, and the difficulty is about just right for a game heavily focusing on story - made me use my brain but didn't make me overly frustrated. The first 2 acts are great, the 3rd drags out but felt worth it. However a gripe I had was the speed of talking which is on the slow side and unskippable. The game froze sometimes after saving (thankfully after saving not before!) But looking at an FAQ unfortunately this is due to some problem with the RPGMaker engine, and will not be game breaking on most machines.

Random tips
1. The chase scene seems hard at first but don't give up! It's actually quite short. You can only jump over the small holes.
2. The OST is free, included in the game files!

Conclusion
Stray Cat Crossing is a game with great storytelling, with a dark and creepy atmosphere. If you're looking for a thought provoking and emotionally impactful game, look no further! In addition the unique art style and soundtrack will draw you right in. I highly recommend this game - it's a steal at its asking price on Steam.

Stray Cat Crossing is an interesting game that is more about the story than any serious game play.

You enter a world that you leaves you guessing and your job is to try to figure out what's going on. The entire game is not your stock RPGMaker game. Custom Art goes a long way, as well as some FMV scenes. The characters you meet are interesting and very different from those you typically would expect to find. You can tell the creators put a lot of love into the creation of this game.

The puzzles are not too complex or hard to figure out and make sense.

My only complaints are the following:

• The lack of full controller support.
  
• The text speed is fixed and has built in pauses which drove me crazy. I read really fast and felt like I was waiting for the game often when I was done reading.
  
• Act III is more of a chore than it is fun and drags out the last part of the game easily to at least 1.5 times what you've already done in the first 2 acts.

Overall the game is a great little adventure for a Sunday morning/afternoon and the price isn't bad for what the game is.

This game deserves a 8/10 for what it is, based on story, price, and entertainment factor.

Just finished this game after about 3 hours so here's my review.

What initially drew me in to this title was the whole presentation of it and the name: Stray Cat Crossing sounds eerie, cats have been often associated with witchcraft or some sort of evil messegers or messagers of the dead, so I half expected what this game was going to be about. Of course, I was surprised who the actual "cat" was and how the real cat had such a trivial role. By saying that, I don't mean it in a bad way.
The soundtrack is definitely the best part of the game, it's very atmospheric and I would really be able to listen to it when I'm in need of some good instrumentals. I also very much loved the mini-animated clips when the screen would randomly turn to static; the first time it creeped the hell out of me lol; but they're very artistic.
This is a rpg mostly focused on gathering "pieces" that make off the overall story and so, most part of the game is going to be focused on puzzles. I personally am a very big fan of these types of rpgs and this one was not a disappointment in that particular area. I had fun trying to solve the puzzles and I didn't find them particularly brain wrecking, so don't worry. Just take a bit of time and you'll manage to solve them on your own.
I have to also praise the writing when it comes to the dialogues/monologues between the twins. They were, to say the least, fantastic! It really reminded me of TweedleDee and TweedleDum of Alice in Wonderland. Maybe there was a refference there, though I don't know. XD I would be able to relate this game with Alice in Wonderland for some elements, mostly because on some parts it's quite "unique" and "twisted". But don't expect a girl in a blue dress and a white rabbit. That you won't get. It's more of a "feeling".
The thing that I'm disappointed in though, is the ending and the revelation of what truly happened. I can't exactly say why; maybe on one side I found it a bit "trivial" and "too simple". There wasn't any big revelation in the ending, just didn't have enough impact to care about it properly. And it was kind of annoying to repeat the same scene at the end for like 5 times without able to at least skip on the already read text.
But overall I still recommend it. 3$ is not much, and it deserves them.

Other games like this one that I would like to recommend if anybody's interested are: Ib, Mad Father, Witch's House and the Crooked Man.

After meeting a lost girl named Cat you give her your scarf and make sure she reaches home safely: once you get there you realize you forgot to ask to have your scarf back though. You try and get inside to quickly look for her and get your belongings but the house is empty, weird footprints go towards a door and you start to experience strange visions.
Stray Cat Crossing is an RPG maker horror game featuring lots of surreal imagery, dialogues and characters, a cryptic story and some puzzles in between.

PROS:

-the pixel graphics look simple, but are quite detailed and manage to render the various areas and characters quite well

-great sound design, the various noises are appropriately creepy

-very good soundtrack

-great atmosphere, the various levels you move through and creatures you meet look as something straight out of a bad nightmare

-the story is never fully revealed, but what's there is pretty interesting and touching

-powerful ending

NEUTRAL:

-the whole plot might be a bit too murky and cryptic for its own good, while some'll appreciate the amount of conjecture this brings others might be disappointed at only having hints regarding what truly happened

CONS:

-puzzles are either easily solved or can feel a bit awkward, requiring some trial and error until you realize what you need to do, they're never truly challenging or satisfying to be honest

-a chase scene during ACT I is truly frustrating, requiring you to quickly run side-to-side while jumping over holes with little room for error: too bad the controls simply aren't good enough for what's required and this quickly becomes a tiring and frustrating section

-Act III requires repetition to solve the final puzzle and get everything you need, think of it as something out of Groundhog Day: while the premise is interesting there's too much repetition involved, and the same lines over and over, to mantain a decent momentum. If you make a mistake in the sequence then things will be even worse as you're forced to retry over and over

-a couple of exit points from areas can easily be overlooked, leaving you stuck until you find them

-pretty short,I was done in about 2 hours

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=531146187

Stray Cat Crossing is a somewhat difficult game to review to be honest, I feel it sports a great atmosphere and a quite engaging story backed by gameplay that's somewhat dull or uninteresting in comparison: while Act I was genuinely creepy and enjoyable Act II and III felt like a step backwards in terms of gameplay with puzzles that ended up more annoying than anything else.

If you can endure the somewhat lacking gameplay the story is truly good though, there's lots of surreal imagery, half-hidden truths, metaphors and disconcerting implications that easily pull the game into the realm of psychological horror: what truly happened is left unclear though and you can find lots of theories in the Discussion area.

The aforementioned story, ambience and imagery are why I'm giving it a thumbs up since they made the game a decent experience overall: do consider the various pros and cons mentioned above before deciding if this game can be good for you though.