Scaredy Cat

Scaredy Cat is a really cute little adventure game that I found surprisingly touching. I play as a young kitty who wants to prove that she is brave enough to travel through the darkest part of the forest alone and find a rare flower for her friends. It starts off feeling like a simple little adventure, but the story gradually becomes more meaningful as I meet the strange inhabitants of the forest and learn more about what is really going on. The exploration is very straightforward, which I think suits the game well. I move through the stylized forest, look around the different areas and interact with the characters I meet along the way. There are no complicated controls to learn, so I can concentrate on the story and the little details in the environments. I liked the way the game encourages me to actually pay attention to the places I am walking through rather than turning everything into a big mechanical challenge. The dialogue was probably my favourite part. There are some genuinely funny conversations and a few story twists that I was not expecting. The game has a nice balance between being cute and being a little more emotional than the colourful art style initially suggests. I liked seeing the main character gradually deal with her fear instead of simply becoming brave because the game says she is. It makes the journey feel more personal. I also really liked the presentation. The hand drawn look gives the forest and its characters a lot of personality, while the colourful cartoon style makes everything feel welcoming. There is something quite charming about playing as a tiny cat wandering around a big forest, especially when the game starts mixing its cute moments with more serious parts of the story. It feels like a small animated adventure rather than a traditional action game. The biggest weakness is definitely the length. Scaredy Cat is extremely short, taking around ten to twenty minutes to finish, so I was reaching the end just as I was starting to get properly attached to the characters. I understand that it was created as a small student project, and I think that explains the limited scope, but I still found myself wishing there was more to explore. A few additional areas and more time with the characters could have made the experience even better. At the same time, I think the short length works in its favour to some extent. There is very little filler, and the game gets straight to what it wants to say. I can finish it in one sitting without feeling like the story is being stretched out just to make the game longer. The simple controls also make it very accessible, so I think it works well as a quick experience when I want something lighthearted but still capable of having an emotional side. Overall, Scaredy Cat is a charming little narrative adventure that I enjoyed more than I expected. The cute artwork, funny dialogue and surprisingly heartfelt story work well together, even if the short length means there is not much time to explore the world. I would have liked a longer adventure with more characters and places to discover, but what is here feels focused and genuine. For a free game, I think it is definitely worth playing if I want something short, cute and a little more emotional than it first appears. Rating: 6.7/10