Cat Run Review

Cat Run is a Flight Control-like line-drawing game, but with a ton of obstacles and a simultaneous simplification of paths. The resultant game looks great on the surface and has a lot going for it. It's not quite as addictive as some other line-drawing games I've played, but it's still fun.

In Cat Run, you shepherd cats across the road by drawing paths. There are four roads available: Cat District and Gardens are open initially, while Space and Aquarium must be unlocked. Either way, it's pretty straightforward. Arrows warn you when cars are about to zoom on screen. You draw paths with your finger; tapping a cat pauses it. If you get hit once, it's game over, unless you've collected an extra life.

Skunks appear at irregular intervals, and their stench can send cats flying into the street. The solution? Send the skunks to be run over instead! Obstacles in the street range from benign objects to octopi lurking in the sewers. Interestingly, you can still interact with obstacles: tapping octopi to send them packing and directing skunks. As if those threats weren't enough, the cats start attacking each other if left alone for too long.

There are four different types of cats, too, so you'll need to take into account their different speeds, sizes, and temperaments.

However, while it's fun to watch your cats run, screeching, between flashy sports cars and roaring motorcycles, the gameplay eventually becomes monotonous. Because you're going from Side A to Side B for each and every cat, versus separate or even small destinations for different cats, very little juggling is involved. As a result, the game is less challenging than I'd like.

There are achievements, but most are monotonous (shepherd X cats across) rather than quirky. High scores are integrated through OpenFeint as well as in-app.

Cat Run looks gorgeous, and the soundtrack isn't bad, either. The basic mechanics are good; it's a fairly fun game. Still, the simplicity of the path-drawing prevents it from being challenging enough for my tastes. Instant classic? Not quite. Cat-filled, fun mayhem? Yes.