Neko Odyssey marries cute cat photography with satisfying sleuthing
The Internet has been devoted to cats since its very beginning. We’ve had cat focused forums, cat-themed flash games, art and even a website dedicated to pictures of cats in sinks, aptly named Cats in Sinks. Not to forget about I Can Haz Cheezburger and Nyan Cat. (Look I can’t list them all, we’d never get to the video game part.) The rise of social media has brought us accounts, some with millions of followers, solely focused around someone’s cat. If you’re online, there’s truly no escape from our fluffy friends; ‘cats’ is one of the most searched for terms on Google after all. Thanks to this feline fever, you really shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you about Neko Odyssey - an upcoming game all about photographing cats for social media.Neko Odyssey is set in a town overflowing with cats - they’re on the rooftops, in shops, wandering about the streets - and it’s your job to photograph them all. Each photo you take is automatically uploaded to an Instagram-esque social media site where you’ll gradually gain likes and followers on your journey to obtain online cat clout. The Steam Next Fest demo tasks you with getting your first 200 followers, and the photography mechanics on display here are quite simple. ‘Walk up to cat, take photo, stroke cat if you feel like it’ kind of simple. There’s no need to worry about lining up a shot or worrying about picture resolution like in other photography-based games such as Toem or Pupperazzi. Despite this, though, I had a great time with Neko Odyssey, because while the art of photo-taking might be easy, finding your subject isn’t nearly as straightforward.The cats of Neko Odyssey are not static creatures. They all attend to their own schedules as the day passes - moving around the shops they inhabit, entering or exiting buildings and, in typical cat fashion, sitting in locations your camera has no hope of reaching. If you want to photograph the well-fed grey cat who frequents the tearoom, for example, then you need to visit during the morning, as it will depart when the afternoon rolls around. There’s also a cat lurking behind a hole in a wall on one street who offers three different photo opportunities throughout the day, including the chance to take a scandalous butt picture when it gets stuck! Read more
The Internet has been devoted to cats since its very beginning. We’ve had cat focused forums, cat-themed flash games, art and even a website dedicated to pictures of cats in sinks, aptly named Cats in Sinks. Not to forget about I Can Haz Cheezburger and Nyan Cat. (Look I can’t list them all, we’d never get to the video game part.) The rise of social media has brought us accounts, some with millions of followers, solely focused around someone’s cat. If you’re online, there’s truly no escape from our fluffy friends; ‘cats’ is one of the most searched for terms on Google after all. Thanks to this feline fever, you really shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you about Neko Odyssey - an upcoming game all about photographing cats for social media.
Neko Odyssey is set in a town overflowing with cats - they’re on the rooftops, in shops, wandering about the streets - and it’s your job to photograph them all. Each photo you take is automatically uploaded to an Instagram-esque social media site where you’ll gradually gain likes and followers on your journey to obtain online cat clout. The Steam Next Fest demo tasks you with getting your first 200 followers, and the photography mechanics on display here are quite simple. ‘Walk up to cat, take photo, stroke cat if you feel like it’ kind of simple. There’s no need to worry about lining up a shot or worrying about picture resolution like in other photography-based games such as Toem or Pupperazzi. Despite this, though, I had a great time with Neko Odyssey, because while the art of photo-taking might be easy, finding your subject isn’t nearly as straightforward.
The cats of Neko Odyssey are not static creatures. They all attend to their own schedules as the day passes - moving around the shops they inhabit, entering or exiting buildings and, in typical cat fashion, sitting in locations your camera has no hope of reaching. If you want to photograph the well-fed grey cat who frequents the tearoom, for example, then you need to visit during the morning, as it will depart when the afternoon rolls around. There’s also a cat lurking behind a hole in a wall on one street who offers three different photo opportunities throughout the day, including the chance to take a scandalous butt picture when it gets stuck!
