Calico

great game. great cats

I REALLY want to like this game. Truly, I do. But when I can't use my controller because my mouse keeps constantly glitching back on screen, and I can't use my mouse because of general wonkiness, I simply can't get behind it. I'm going to try again in a few months, maybe, and see if the controls get optimized. Fingers crossed! It has potential, but it's definitely not there yet.

Very cute, love Pudgems

I really want to recommend this game, because the premise is fun, it has a lot of cool ideas, and the style is charming, but it's in dire need of polish; just moving around in the game feels bad. Turning slows you down, so unless you go in a straight line and turn like a robot it's very hard to go exactly where you want to, plus you auto run if you go straight for too long and I couldn't find a way to turn that off.
You can toggle run, and choose to run everywhere but this doesn't really fix the turning issue, and the game never tells you it's even an option so you would only know if you did it accidentally or checked the keybinds.
This all wouldn't be a huge deal but it is an open world game so you are walking/running around all the time.

There are also a ton of other issue, like the animal pathing not being great (they keep getting stuck next to my cafe door), one tried to follow me while I was doing the baking minigame, the toy is hard to use, I had a pulsating notif to check my mail and it turned out I literally couldn't because of a bug, etc. etc.
None of these are game breaking, but they all contribute to a noticeably worse experience that left me wishing the game had more polish or was a little less ambitious or something.

If none of that sounds like a deal-breaker for you than by all means go for it, I think the game has a lot of heart and I desperately want to enjoy it but in its current state I just can't.

I haven't played for very long but I'm having a lot of issues with the game. The controls are confusing and unintuitive. When you open the game it says it plays best with a controller but then gives keyboard and mouse instructions. I can't find a way to display controller instructions. I also don't like that as far as I can tell, there's no way to fix the camera on my character.

Music 10/10 Baking games 10/10. It's a super smooth and relaxing game with zero punishment.

3D models went through walls and wall paintings floating in the air...quests not so clear, might need more hints.

Overall, love it. It's like one of those SLH hotels - surprisingly good, definitely nothing like those main stream games.

Don't get me wrong I love the game but ever since I first played I got so stressed by the fact that I could NEVER get a perfect score on the cookies. The time was always never enough, and I tried recently, (because maybe I was just bad at the game when I first tried) but I still only ever got silver! I just think it would be nice to give more time to bake, I like to play games to 100%, but it's impossible to get a good score on some baking levels. Still, if your in the game just for a short cozy experience it's amazing! It's cute, silly, and one of the most cozy games I've played. Overall It's great, but I would love more time to bake.

I give this game my recommendation with a huge asterisk: it's not for everybody. It's very bare-bones, even with the DLC, and mostly consists of fetch quests, simple puzzles, and mild platforming. The cooking minigame is more fleshed out, but can be obtuse and money is hardly an issue in-game anyway. Glitches abound. The music is repetitive.

BUT.

The diversity in the cast is fantastic, with charming and varied designs. Finding random animals is always a treat. The cooking minigame is a lot of fun despite the tedium. The game is gorgeous, if not very high fidelity, with lots of colors. And if you have some friends on board to laugh at the glitches with you, it's a hoot.

Again, I recommend this, but only if you fall into the admittedly niche subsection of people who can take the good with the bad.

cured my depression

its so cuteeee. really fun story and ideas, a bit clunky sometimes but so worth it

This game is so cute and lovely! It is an excellent game for beginner gamers, and anyone who loves cozy things!

love this cozy game♥

this is the only game in my library i have 100%ed. i wanna bite into this game like a cookie. i want everyone in the world to have this game. pure. kitty.

Everything I've ever desired in a game 🩷

the game is great!! very cute & i love designing my own cafe. i do wish there was more to do in the game because i feel it’s very easy to complete and then there’s not much to do anymore :( but i do love the game and i rlly enjoyed my play through!! <3

Fun cutesy game ^^

yes i recommend. the game is relaxing, cute and fun. I really enjoyed baking cookies and making drinks. riding a giant cat and carrying animals on my head, the game is just adorable.

I saw this game in a video and wanted to check it out. First of, the controls are super wonky. Is this girl drunk?
Then, the baking minigame... I mean, yes, it's quite an unique approach, but it's still bland. Just like the whole world... yes, it's cute, but so repetitive, and especially the edges are hideous. The animals... they are basically dead. The walk around randomly and you don't even have to earn their trust. You just pick them up and be like "go to the cafe" and they're like "okay whatever" and do it. Why? A cat wouldn't just walk around idly if I run at it at full speed, neither would a raven or a chicken. I know it's a cozy game, but it's just so bland...
I can imagine that this game has potential with several patches and changes, but it has a long way to go.

It says you CAN play with a mouse and keyboard, but it is unplayable. I don't want to have to buy a controller just to play one game.

very cute game and unique

super cute and cozy game. it's pretty short so its nice for a small boost of dopamine

This game is ridiculously cute.

And it's also ridiculous, and I mean it in the nicest way possible. This game can easily be completed in a day, don't expect any ground-breaking GOTY qualities in it. If you like collecting animals (and petting them and riding them) along with cooking, then I heavily recommend this game. I find it's a really nice game to relax to, the soundtrack is really calming and helps me relax. I never really felt rushed to complete anything, and took everything at my own pace.
Dialogue is silly, but cute. Besides needing to fix up the island essentially, there isn't really anything that builds the lore of this place. It's an island full of witches/magical girls and that's just totally fine and normal - no questions asked.

Cats, cooking, magic, and whimsical characters - all put together in a simple game.

It's cute, I enjoyed the idea of the game when I first played it; however, it just feels like they gave up on bettering the game or even adding anything new, it feels like an empty shell of what it could be and what it looks like it is. Its glitchy, repetitive in a not good way, and its going on 5 years and it still just feels like a demo of what a full game would be. There are way better free options of games that are similar to this one that I would recommend.

i love this i finished it in three days so i do think you should aadd more things and areas

did yall just like give up on the game or somn

Very Cute and relaxing. Had it in library for agess so wish i got into it sooner. Very well done and super cute! (love the lgbt rep)

everyone might not agree with this review, but I genuinely enjoyed this game. I do wish it was longer, but unfortunately, it's not super long. it did take me some time to get all achievements (moreso because I'm stupid rather than them being insanely hard). the game is very cute and I enjoy the other characters. it's also nice that all the NPCs have pronouns so you know how to refer to them. I will say I do wish the café itself was more important to the story. you do get recipes and new customers going thtrough it, but it's not really like the focal point if that makes sense. character customization is fun and cute imo. also, the music is amazing. "a cat is a cat" has been stuck in my head recently (the main theme, with the lyrics not just the istrumental). luckily it's on spotify.

It's cute, but feels so empty and unpolished. I was sadly disappointed. The idea is great, but the execution is poor.

very fun

yay kitty

It's just alright, I really wanted to like this game but it's just not as engaging as I imagined it would be. The camera can be wonky at times and I missed the first cut scene and intro because the camera was super zoomed in and cut off the character speaking the entire time until I gained control of my character for the first time. I still have no idea what was said during that time lol. The game is a little clunky and I just didn't enjoy it that much. It felt really repetitive and just slow fetch quests. Maybe I'll pick it back up, but at least I got it on sale.

Fun, whimsical and a great game for those who love cats!

I recommend this, but with *extreme reservation*. The game is exactly what you see in the previews and little more. It feels like someone's first videogame, a game that one of your friends could have made.

Calico is a game with a lot of fun ideas and style with shortcomings that ultimately leave one wanting more. Sadly my hopes are not exceedingly high we will be getting more, as their last big update came out 2 years ago.

My first and biggest complaint is that *there is no way to expand or upgrade your cafe*. It seems like that should have been a natural first choice for game progression: unlocking more cases for more baked goods, a larger space for more seating, and most importantly *room for every cat you meet to come live at the cafe*. There are like, 20 cats in this game, and so many other animals too, but you can only keep 10 in the cafe at a time? This seems like an extreme oversight in game design that could have elevated this to the next level.

Most other parts of the game seem based off of this missing concept: why give us more than one display case if all cases display the same 6 goods? Why give us so many pieces of furniture as quest rewards if you run out of meaningful places to put them?

My second complaint is there is no indication that an NPC has a quest ready, other than you traversing the map to talk to them. No quest markers. No fast travel. This is Game Design 101, people.

There is very little to the "sim" aspect of it as well. The NPCs have favorite treats but you never get a sense of knowing who is coming in and when. You gain hearts with them? But there is no progression of the relationship from it. No romance options.

And my last complaint is the cooking minigames. I like that they are trying something different. But I feel like there should be a skill tree that helps you score higher in the games. (And the one that makes you play pool is just bad. Don't make a badly-working pool game and give *me* a low score for not being able to play it.)

There is something to love here. I had fun with the design of the cats and other animals, the character creator has some great stylistic options, and your eventual unlocking of travel by bird is very satisfying. It just needs to cover more of the basics and get some "serious" polish before I would recommend it to anyone else.

Even though $12 doesn't seem like much for the game to begin with, I would still highly recommend waiting for a sale - somewhere between $5-8 seems more fitting.

Super cute, very fun, short game :)

I was excited for this game, but it just didn't play or look good

unfortunately this game is very clunky, the character creation was difficult to navigate & it was crashing & glitching on me a little bit.
It is cosy and cute, but not very playable imho.

Super lovely game.
It feels nice an cozy.
There are some tiny glitches and sometimes you don't know who has the next Quest for you, but you can figure it out.
I totally recommend this, if you're looking for a relaxing and comfy time.
I didn't do all the cooking but some of the mini games where a bit more challenging.

It's a very cute and whimsical game, but it's awkward to play. It's clunky.
There wasn't anything that grabbed me and kept me playing the game.
I really wanted to like it! :(

The game falls into the typical problems of cozy games that are solely cozy with nothihg to actually do. NPCs are cute, but they don't do much. Game is full of bugs and very clunky. It's cute on the surface, but it's empty. Calico has potential, but in its current state there's too much cozy and not enough game.

Super cute and fun :)

It is a sweet fun game, where you get to chill and help people. The animals are cute, and the potions are neat. The cooking is fun all the different things you due. (I have low playtime right now because I originally played on stadia but just rebought it)

This game serves a fantastic purpose to calm one's central nervous system. Love it. 10/10 would recommend.

Calico is a not very good. The moves are horribles, the designs is just awful and the game have many bugs... I don't recommend it!!! 👎

This game has been relaxing, sweet, and like if all my friends and I created a world to live in together. Its so comforting and wholesome, exactly what I want to come home to play at the end of the day.

This is literally the game I would've made if I was able to make games. OMG. You can have so many pets and you (no spoilers) can make them so much cuterrrrrr as you progress! Ahhhhh I love all the side quests, I love the characters, and I. LOVE. THE. CATS!!!!!!!

Thank you for making this game <3 <3

It looks like a cute game, and I'm sure it is, but it is genuinely unplayable without a controller, which I do not have. It's impossible to make any sense of the character creation tool. You need to click buttons and it doesn't give great instructions. Why not just let me use my mouse? I've never been more frustrated. Hitting Escape doesn't even bring up the settings, I had to force quit the app just to leave.

I admit I could have spend more time figuring out the controls but honestly I was just so frustrated trying to give myself eyes I gave up. Only play this game if you have a controller or the time and patience to figure out confusing controls.

take my money

If you're looking for a cosy game, this probably will not satisfy you. I've had this game for 2+ years, I've 100% all the achievements. At the start, I really enjoyed it. It was in early access and although it was clunky, it was promising with a fun premise. However, since then, the game has seemingly been abandoned and has no further content/bug fixes as of January 2023. As i said, when I bought the game, it was in early access. From that point to full release, there were only a couple 'major' updates, which added a buggy design system, maybe 5 minutes of content in total. It was disappointing.

The game is honestly not worth 10 GBP. Not even on sale is it worth it. There are many higher quality games that are polished and get regular updates that are cheaper than this. The soundtrack is short, and at that: repetitive. The models are amateur at best and sadly there are too many clipping bugs to warrant buying this game at full price.

Not worth it. It gave me lots of headache/motion sickness to control the game. Eventho i love the theme (i love the pastel/kawaii theme) but i'm tooooo disappointed with the controls and also the interface too: too bright to read, instruction are also very confusing to me. I hope there would be a huge improvement. PLEASEEE!!

Its not giving