Cat Cafe Manager is an utterly magical experience. Having followed it from way back when Roost Games announced it in 2020 and reading the dev blogs diligently ever since, I was utterly smitten with this kitten-themed sim from the very beginning, and I’m glad to say, I certainly haven’t been disappointed.
Similar to Stardew Valley, you start out as a city slicker heading out to the countryside to start a new life, but, instead of a farm, you’re refurbishing your Grandma Nain’s old cat cafe. However, when you first arrive at Cataurwal, there’s nothing but an empty field – no building in sight. That’s when you first meet a clumsy old fisherman named Bonner, all ‘chafed knuckles and smiling eyes’, and your journey begins.
The game is utterly charming from the moment you open the menu. You’re greeted by a serene scene depicting a tabby cat sat in a window, its tail swinging as a hot cup of coffee steams away in the foreground. This could easily be mistaken for any lo-fi chill beats YouTube stream, perfectly translating exactly what kind of relaxing experience you’re in for. Even the loading bar flashes charming text like ‘spinning yarn’ and ‘gathering magic toads’ as you wait, adding even more personality in the simplest ways.
