Quilts and Cats of Calico is apparently based on a board game, and the gameplay reflects that transition. However, the charming graphics, bright colors, and adorable kittens translate almost as well to a casual video game as they did to a low-stakes board game.
Plot Ahoy!
I know longtime readers are tired of hearing me say that the plot really isn’t an issue, but it is, nevertheless, true. In Quilts and Cats of Calico, you basically assemble quilting “squares” in order to attract feline friends and accrue points. There is a story mode in which you’re a quilter who’s trying to climb the social rungs in the city of cats, which happens to have a vaguely Victorian vibe to it.
As expected, the story is cute, if a little darker than I expected.
You’re setting off from your tiny hamlet with a letter of introduction from your aunt in your pocket to follow in your father’s footsteps to find your future in, and I am not joking, the city of Tomkitty. Admittedly, your father went missing in that city after he left to go help the kingdom in its war via the power of…sewing. Tomkitty is a city of cat worshippers, and people gather to use quilts to entice the felines into blessing them with good luck and prosperity. As you design the quilts in story mode, you’ll come to learn the game and the world in which it’s set. Story mode therefore serves as a longer tutorial in that you play through several targeted games with more limited numbers of patterns.
Review Notes
Why do we care about patterns, you ask? Well, because we’re making quilts here, people! You’ll draw an opening hand of tiles which have pattern information on them that you have to follow, and these patterns reflect both color and pattern style. If you satisfy all of the requirements, your points award is commensurate. Buttons provide additional point boosts, and you acquire these by placing three tiles of the same color. You can also use the tiles floating around your gameboard in order to complete patterns for points, which is a nice touch.
The basic idea is that you place your pattern tiles in the highlighted hexes. From there, you assign the randomly generated patch tiles to the surrounding hexes in order to meet your design goals as best you can. Clicking on the tile bag ends your turn, giving your opponent or the AI the opportunity to play. Oh, did I mention? This title has a multiplayer function. Up to four players can play locally, and there’s even an online option.
The best part though is that you can attract different cats to occupy your tiles by satisfying their design preferences. Anyone who’s ever had a cat can tell you that cats do, in fact, have discerning tastes, and these kitties are no different. Speaking of the kitties, Quilts and Cats of Calico comes with a cat editor that is probably as much fun as the actual gameplay because you get to, you guessed it, design cats. In story mode and solo play, you can click on your opponent’s portrait to see what their quilt looks like and what their goals are, which makes for a nice set of hints.
Visually, Quilts and Cats of Calico is beautiful. The colors and patterns are bright and eye-catching without being obnoxiously so, and the cats are animated in an adorable cartoonesque style. The soundtrack is relaxing and fades pleasantly into the background. The cats yoink the tiles, and I have to admit that I loved that.
TLDR
Y’all, Quilts and Cats of Calico is adorable, but if you’re looking for something fast-paced and exciting, this is not it. It is really designed to be a relaxing puzzle title that you play to make the worries of the world fall away. Honestly, I think it succeeds in doing so. And even better, Quilts and Cats of Calico retails for just $15.99 on Steam.
Stray Thoughts From Behind the Keyboard
- Oh God, you live in the Kingdom of Scratchington. I can’t.
- There’s an iron loom. Y’all, what?
- YOU CAN PET THE KITTIES and scratch the kitty bellies.
- Quilts and Cats of Calico is just so cute.