Subcat Review

Subcat looks utterly adorable. Cute animated cats are in charge of a submarine and they're desperate for some tasty food. That's where the player comes in and plenty of swiping and tapping.

To catch the sea based food, the player must first of all swipe away mist in order to see the seabed. Then it's a matter of tapping the fish to collect them up for the cats. It sounds so easy. At first glance, it seems like a typically easy casual game too but within only a few levels, things become rather frantic.

The sea mist returns fairly quickly so regular swipes are needed in order to see anything. The fish and other creatures move quickly around the screen, clearly eager to not be caught, so it makes quick taps and reactions vital. At times I wondered if Subcat could have been more accurate in terms of telling the difference between the swipe and the tap but most of the time, I readily accepted I was just too slow to succeed. An extra challenge comes from some nasty looking black piranha fish that, if touched, cause the game to end. Tapping carefully around these can be a little frustrating as they also move relatively quickly.

With time and practice comes success fortunately. A three star rating for each level also ensures there's plenty of reason to return to the game. Four different stages, comprising of 80 levels ensures the player won't get bored too fast. Different elements are included too such as the need to clear boulders and seaweed in order to see objects behind them.

Similar game mechanics have been used elsewhere but it works well within Subcat forming an enjoyable and challenging title. My only slight concern is the accuracy when tapping but other than that, it's a fun one to drop in on for short doses.