Among the most memorable indie games I’ve played over the Switch’s lifespan, I’d say that Untitled Goose Game ranks pretty high on the list. I’ll gladly argue that it’s really a jerk simulator, but regardless there’s something about taking control of an animal and then letting hijinks ensue that can be a lot of fun. While the nature of what you do in Little Kitty, Big City is absolutely more adventure-oriented, I love that in many ways it has that same sort of energy, with you working to meet your objectives but doing a ton of cat things along the way.

As stories go it’s quite simple, while lounging on the balcony of your apartment you accidentally fall off the edge, with some crazy things happening on the way down. Now stuck on the street, you’ll need to work out a way to get back to your cushy home. To do that you’ll need to talk to a variety of animals, often working on small quests to help them be more cooperative, find a bunch of hats to wear, and generally engage in a variety of quirky cat behaviors as well. Whether that means knocking things off of edges, jumping into cardboard boxes, or just generally getting into trouble with some humans, there are plenty of moments in the game that are sure to make cat fans smile.

To be clear, one issue is that depending on how you play the game it can be quite short. If you focus simply on finding fish and building up your climbing ability, you can likely “beat the game” in just a few hours. The thing is, this isn’t really a title geared in that direction, it’s much more about taking your time and enjoying yourself. Sure, those extra elements end up boiling down to sort of a collect-a-thon mentality in general, with you trying to unlock all of the hats or find every spot that will earn you certain achievements, but this is the sort of game where those are just great excuses to explore and have a bit more fun. In particular, I found exploring the city above the ground to be enjoyable, just taking in the area from another point of view and being in the moment.

Even as a life-long dog fan I’ll admit that I had a great time with this title once it got its claws into me. In many regards, it was the simpler things that made me laugh, especially when I could explore my inner jerk, getting into a store and making a mess of the place… efforts that were usually rewarded with an achievement to boot. Between the actions you’re able to take, and the dialogue you’ll have with other animals, there’s just a great underlying sense of humor that comes through that really made it easy to keep going and trying to find every secret and spot I could. If your goal would just be to finish the game, there’s not likely enough here to make it satisfying, but if you don’t mind lingering and enjoying the ride it’s absolutely a good time.