Neko Michi

This art is straight up stolen from Minami Lane. Don't support thieves!

[b]Neko Michi[/b] tries so hard to imitate [i][url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2678990/Minami_Lane/?curator_clanid=45365863]Minami Lane[/url][/i] that it borders on plagiarism, but fails to capture the original's charm or subtle complexity. The young devs at Eggtato were kind enough to provide a key in exchange for an honest review, and… well, please accept this as constructive feedback. [h3]Gameplay + Details[/h3] Literally [i]Minami Lane[/i]: there are five (5) chapters plus a sandbox unlocked after chapter three. Gameplay involves placing one building per day, balancing two populations with competing interests, refining menus, and picking up trash. The interface is almost identical right down to color and font. [b]Controls. [/b]Keyboard + Mouse. [b]Playtime. [/b]~2.5 hrs to finish 5 chapters (assuming no bugs). [b]Settings/Options. [/b]Window/fullscreen, sound sliders. [h3]What Works For Me[/h3] ✅ The cat fights were a fun touch. ✅ Cat-folk get high on catnip. ✅ Jaunty but inobtrusive music. ✅ The artwork is cute, but so derivative that I'm not convinced it's human-made. [h3]What Doesn't Work For Me[/h3] 🟥 Art style, color palette, menus, gameplay - it's copy-paste [i]Minami[/i]. 🟥 You can't resume a "completed" level. 🟥 Not challenging. I finished a "win in 21 days" level in 6. 🟥 All cats arrive at the train station even if they live in town. 🟥 "Imported Goods" will always be "suspiciously cheap." 🟥 Due to a bug, my save file was deleted. 🟥 Translation issues: Game often misnamed target populations. 🟥 Repeated "No translation found" errors, but accurate text. 🟥 So, [i]so[/i] many weird bugs. 🟥 No credits section to verify human artist/music/etc. [h3]Final Thoughts + Recommendation[/h3] The trouble with [b]Neko Michi[/b] is that it has nothing new to offer. As much as I love street management and breaking up cat fights, it's impossible not to see a watered-down [i]Minami Lane[/i] in everything from the art style to gameplay to the user interface. Like, we're dancing the line between "inspired by" and "hastily copied" here. I had mixed feelings after playing the first two days (~40 minutes), closed out using in-game menus, and came back the next morning to find my save file gone. Since I was already on the fence, replaying those levels was downright boring. Chapter three introduces the maddening "Imported Goods" stores, where nothing matters but guessing which random customer feedback is important. Chapter four was done in ten minutes. In chapter five, the shrine added westerners instead of easterners. It all felt sloppy. At the end of the day, I did not enjoy this, and have a hard time recommending it to anyone not suffering from severe [i]Minami Lane[/i] withdrawal. Go play the OG for the same price. To the devs: Your socials showcase some original ideas. Please, [i]please[/i] use your time and skills developing those concepts rather than copying something else. I hope you have long, successful careers. [quote][b]Follow [u][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45365863/]Eekz Today[/url][/u] for more crafting, life sim, management, strategy, and story-rich recommendations.[/b][/quote]