Windows Central Verdict
Lovers of pets and compact, emotional stories in video games will easily fall into Copycat, a difficult journey to find a forever home, seen through the eyes of a cat who has never known love. It possesses all the hallmarks of a debut indie game from a tiny team, but is clearly filled with every ounce of passion they could squeeze into less than four hours.
Pros
- +
Beautiful and emotional story of grief, familial trauma, and the fear of abandonment
- +
Simple, vibrant visuals used in creative ways
- +
Entertaining writing and cat-like moments
Cons
- -
Plenty of small bugs
- -
Definitely a "basic" video game
Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Some of the most impactful video games have the shortest, with Copycat taking me less than 4 hours to 100% (including the achievements) on Xbox. This tiny adventure packs a massive emotional punch in 16.5GB, though.
I count a purr baby among my family, who ignores the namesake he inherited from Iroh of Avatar: The Last Airbender (think Book 1 Iroh that mostly ate and napped, not the Book 2/3 Iroh that kicked all the ass). I'm not ashamed to admit, he got a lot of extra cuddling after I wrapped up this game.
I love video games of all kinds, and I'm constantly moving between titles of different genres and sizes. Some of my favorites are indie games that focus on the story first, so I'm always looking for the next heartfelt emotion.
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Nuuvem and Neverland Entertainment. Nuuvem and Neverland Entertainment had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.
Copycat review: What is it?
Copycat is a short-lived, narrative-driven indie game that takes mere hours to complete, and its story is twofold.
On one side, we have Olive, an elderly woman who is struggling with a knot of complicated emotions: the frustration and denial of her ailing health, the desperation to cling to her dwindling independence, and the grief over losing her single companion at home.
A recent medical emergency resulted in her beloved cat running away, and Olive finds herself at the animal shelter to hopefully adopt a new family member to keep her company.
Category | Copycat |
|---|---|
Release date | May 29, 2025 |
Developer | Spoonful of Wonder |
Publisher | Nuuvem, Neverland Entertainment |
Genre | Narrative-adventure |
Players | Single-player |
Install size | ~16.5GB |
Playtime | 3-4 hours |
Platforms | Windows PC, Xbox, PlayStation |
Xbox Game Pass | No |
Reviewed on | Xbox Series X |
On the other side, we have a cat (named "Dawn" by Olive) that has never known the embrace of a loving family. To Dawn, "forever homes" are unhealthy fantasies that get in the way of what truly matters: escaping, so that she may survive in the wild away from the cruel grasp of humans.
Through all of this, the original Dawn that ran away from home may still be out there...
Copycat is now available for $14.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox) and $14.99 at Steam (PC).
Copycat review: What I like
Copycat boasts all the charm of a debut title from a small, passionate team with a singular goal — crafting a heartfelt, interactive story. You immediately understand the nature of this studio when visiting the Spoonful of Wonder website, and it shows in every part of the game.
This isn't an epic, photorealistic, 60+ hour, open-world title built in Unreal Engine 5 behind a team of dozens strong. The visuals are modest, the gameplay is simple, and the actual structure of the game won't impress; Copycat is all about the journey, and it beautifully captures that feeling.
That isn't to say Copycat isn't fun to play, a "complaint" I hear from people who seem to believe only action-packed RPGs and Soulslike video games have any value.
Copycat gives you dozens of opportunities to walk in the furry boots of our feline friends, and mixes up the gameplay through a variety of open environments with plenty of objects to knock over or paint to walk through, interactive activities to draw a sigh of exasperation from Olive, dreamscapes to live out Dawn's fantasy of being a mighty wildcat, and more creative moments and mechanics.
You can't truly embrace the essence of a cat (there is a story to be told, after all, so Dawn has some rather profound thoughts as she roams), and some parts do fall a little flat, but Copycat's true strength absolutely lies in its story.
I won't spoil any more than the basic synopsis I already provided; Copycat is a short game as it is, and it's worth experiencing on your own. At its core, though, Copycat tells a familiar tale of family, conveying its darker themes of grief, trauma, mortality, and fear of abandonment without shying away from uncomfortable notes.
I do wish that your choices as Dawn had a little more impact on the overall story, but that simple-sounding request requires a far more ambitious game. Copycat is a wonderful experience without those larger ideas.
Just be warned, this game is almost guaranteed to wring you dry of tears as you progress, with certain moments hitting with devastating finality that will leave you turning to your own furry family for comfort. I know my cat got a little more attention after the credits rolled on Copycat.
Copycat review: What I don't like
As I already mentioned, Copycat isn't a masterpiece of narrative and character writing all the way through, and the quirky, simplistic visuals can sometimes hamper the emotional delivery of some scenes.
Like many indie games of this variety, Copycat's gameplay is also on the light side, which some gamers simply don't enjoy. That's all subjective, though, and none of it ultimately prevented me from loving my time with Copycat.
What will equally affect everyone, though, are the bugs. Menus becoming impossible to navigate, controls being unresponsive, the game refusing to actually suspend or go into Xbox's Quick Resume without restarting, these are all minor flaws, but they make more of an impact when your game is less than 4 hours long as it is.
Copycat review: My final thoughts
✅You should play this if ...
- You're looking for a short game to occupy an afternoon.
- You love passionately made, narrative-driven indie games.
- You're ready to have your heart broken thinking about your pet.
❌You should not play this if ...
- You're a weirdo who demands dozens of hours of fetch quest gameplay.
- You're not prepared for a game about pet abandonment and trauma.
Even though Copycat originally released on Steam last year, I'm counting it as a 2025 game — I played it on Xbox, after all. It adds to a list of some of the most impactful and emotional games I've played in years, all arriving in the span of a few months.
It was also the perfect emotional reset after a different kind of devastation from finishing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. If you're a fan of narrative-driven indie games and want to spend an afternoon feeling rather emotional, Copycat is an excellent spend of $15 and 4 hours.
Copycat is now available for $14.99 at Microsoft Store (Xbox) and $14.99 at Steam (PC).
Copycat is hard to handle at times, and it made me cry and cling to my cat in equal measure, but it's a beautiful debut title from a new indie studio, and I'm very glad I gave it my Saturday.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
