1 CatLine is a precision puzzle platformer that presents 50 single-screen levels in which the goal is to reach the gem. The retro-looking (initially) 2D platformer presents a human character to control with the usual run, jump, push, and switch triggers that a retro 2D platformer provides. A couple of levels in, things get interesting with the introduction of a secondary character… a cat!
Cat is a short, blocky cat that works in a similar vein to Snake. At a button press you can switch between characters, and if switching to the cat, the 2D perspective is given a 3D-ish camera tilt. The cat isn’t affected by gravity and moves in a grid-like fashion. You’ll quickly find out that the cat can fill gaps between platforms and move like a staircase up the screen to reach high platforms. Surfing the cat is what about 25% of the entire game entails, slightly to its detriment because the puzzles themselves are small but enjoyable to solve. The puzzles often involve the cat and human both triggering switches and pushing blocks on their own plane. The camera perspective shift helps players understand which switch is on which plane, and then work out the logical order of building or unlocking platforms to get the human to the goal.
Some of the best parts of the game involve levels where switches rotate platforms, or the cat is locked into only a small section of the screen. Add in some portals, and you’ve got some short but satisfying single-screen puzzle platforming to complete. My main complaint with 1 CatLine is that many levels end up devolving back to using the cat to create a staircase to get around the level. I wish the emphasis were the other way around as there were two levels in particular where character swapping during a jump is introduced (without a prompt) that gave me genuinely pleasing a-ha moments. More of that pretty please! Instead, 1 CatLine wraps up before becoming too taxing. That said, there were no bugs or issues with the PS5 version I played, and it took me just over 2 hours to complete. Not bad for the budget price point.
Whilst 1 CatLine is a little simpler than I’d have liked, and its focus is more on character switching to shuffle around levels over pure puzzle solving, I did still enjoy my playthrough. The idea and puzzle elements are well executed and suitably pitched at the easier but never totally obvious end of the puzzle spectrum. The platforming controls are responsive and consistent. It just has a little too much busy work making up the playtime proportions to make it a truly satisfying platforming meal. Recommended on sale.
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