[APP] Free Four-some Pixel Games!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Google Play Store, Cat Bird, The Witch's Isle, I Became a Dog 1&2 nor A Street Cat's Tale. All of these games belong to their respective creators, which are credited throughout this post. All of the images in this post do not belong to me, and are taken from the Google Play Store. A full list of links will be provided at the end of this post.

As someone who doesn't have much, it can be difficult to find free content to enjoy. Watching free playthroughs on Youtube has become one of the main ways I can discover recent video games, and although it is fun to watch someone enjoy the game, you still want to be directly part of the experience. While it may be useful to listen to them like a podcast when doing other things, when you're only watching it, you're at least one remove from the gameplay. Sometimes, it can be depressing.

And so, in the next few blog posts, I'll be discussing some app games you can play! Each game on this list WILL be FREE to download AND FULLY COMPLETABLE WITHOUT MAKING IN-APP PURCHASES at a REASONABLE SPEED (no need to grind for 100 hours, nor regretting using the "premium" unit of currency in the game, like Gems as opposed to the free Coins you earn in-game). I'm broke as many of you probably are, and I'm not sponsored. I know how it feels. I'll furthermore specify whether they can be played online or offline (the latter of which being another big concern). I'll also rate and discuss them without giving too many spoilers.

Without further ado, here's the list! May you find something you like!

1. Cat Bird by Ryan Carag / Raiyumi

Source: Google Play Store (accessed via web browser)

• Available on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.
• Rated 9+ (App Store) and G for General (Google Play).
• Rated 4.6★ (App Store), 4.6★ and Editor's Choice on Google Play.
• Playable OFFLINE, offers in-app purchases and contains advertisements inbetween levels.

Cat Bird is a fun little platformer featuring a cat with wings. I'd call it more of a Cat-Bat, but it's still cute either way! Our titular character gets ejected off its feline planet, and you must help it quest through more than 40 challenging levels, facing four bosses along the way! The pixel art style is absolutely adorable and the game loads super fast when you want to retry a level or begin the next one. You can also collect "crowns", to show off your skill navigating some difficult levels! I managed to grab all 20, which took me a few tries and lots of wiping my sweaty hands on my pants, hehe. It's a game to play in short bursts of time, perhaps when you get frustrated at some homework, or on public transit. I think this game deserves a solid 5★ for sure. Tight controls, lovely graphics, nice score, wordless and simple story, with some replayability value for the crowns. What more could you want?

2. The Witch's Isle by COCOSOLA

Source: Google Play Store (accessed via web browser)

• Available on the iOS App Store, the Google Play Store, and Steam (Paid only).
• Rated 12+ (App Store) and M for Mature (Google Play).
• Rated 4.8★ (App Store), 4.0★ and Editor's Choice on Google Play and has Positive (87% of the 44) reviews on Steam.
• Playable OFFLINE, offers in-app purchases and contains advertisements to gain hints. The Steam version has no in-app purchases, all hints can be freely viewed.

Such a lovely point-and-click pixel game that deserves more attention. One night, a woman is cursed by a witch. If she doesn't find the witch's stolen urn by 4am, the curse will kill her. This game has multiple endings that are all worth exploring, and it really takes you for a ride. The backgrounds are pretty, the pixel characters are cute, and you get to know the island very intimately over your playthroughs. It can be a little difficult to navigate at first because it's so dark and the architecture covers the ground sometimes, and you may get a bit stuck, but it's never too frustrating to stop playing. It's a puzzle game, and you can also point the camera at other islanders and see what they're doing. Watching them can lead you to secret locations! It's a game definitely worth playing, free or buying it via Steam. I'll give it a 4.5★, the controls can be a little janky sometimes and of course it's easy to get a bit lost or stuck, but all in all, it's still a game I'd highly recommend!

3. I Became a Dog 1&2 by Yun Ho Jang / We like games

Source: Google Play Store (accessed via web browser)

Source: Google Play Store (accessed via web browser)

• Available on the iOS App Store (First) (Second) and the Google Play Store (First) (Second).
• Both games are rated 12+ on the App Store. On Google Play, the first game is simply rated M, whilst the second is Restricted to 15+.
• On the App Store, the first game is rated 4.7★ and the second 4.9★. On Google Play, the first game is rated 4.3★ and the second 4.4★.
• Playable OFFLINE, offers in-app purchases and contains advertisements to speed the game up.

I'd call these two games narrative-driven clicker puzzle games. You play as a human who has been turned into a dog, and you must figure out how and why that has occurred. You solve puzzles whilst finding time to eat dog food and cockroaches to upgrade your abilities of speaking to dogs, farting, eating and running faster! The games do have multiple endings, and there is New Game+, so nabbing upgrades is faster in subsequent playthroughs. I didn't actually like the second game all that much, and once you finish it, you might come to understand why. Still, these two are very fun, worthy games to play. I'd give the first 4.0★, and the second 3.5★. If you can find my review on the second game, I gave it a 3★ (I didn't make one for the first game), but I'll be a little generous and boost it on this post. I think I was quite bitter when writing that comment, haha!

4. A Street Cat's Tale by Su Young Moon / feemodev

Source: Google Play Store (accessed via web browser)

• Available on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.
• Rated 9+ (App Store), and G (Google Play)
• Rated 4.5★ on both the App Store and Google Play.
• Playable OFFLINE, offers in-app purchases and contains advertisements to speed the game up.

Unlike the other games, this is one I've played recently – in fact, currently! This game is about a sweet little kitten whose mother gets run over. Will they be able to survive all alone? This game's sort of like a dating simulator, you survive and you meet with humans or animals that you want to be friends with. I made a few mistakes during my playthrough, so here's my advice. Spend the entirety of your first playthrough exploring the town, finding every character you can talk to and upgrading your home. Then, spend each playthrough targeting a specific character to get each ending. Don't worry about going to bed hungry, either. I've been trying to make friends with everybody in my playthroughs so far and it's made the game a little bit exhausting and fruitless when I have to reset. Your house carries on however like a New Game+, and it serves to increase your health, stomach and how many times you can talk to characters. It's not a knock-out game, as cute as it is, so it's a 3★ from me.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this content, please follow this blog by subscribing! I planned to try to post something every Sunday, but it looks like it'll have to be every fortnight, or whenever I get these up. So, please do follow this blog by subscribing, or at the very least, keeping it in your Bookmark bar! I know how we silent readers are, reading and taking off. But at least do the Favouriting thing~? Hehe. Please also feel free to comment if you have a game you'd like me to check out! It should be free, and completable without making in-app purchases. Once again, thanks for reading! Stay safe and take care 'til next time.

Pages Linked (in order of appearance):

1. Cat Bird (Raiyumi) - iOS App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cat-bird/id1213493742) and Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.raiyumi.catbird&hl=en_US)
2. The Witch's Isle (COCOSOLA) - iOS App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-witchs-isle/id1261272917), Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Beltheva.Noma&hl=en_US) and Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/701860/The_Witchs_Isle/)
3. I Became a Dog (Yun Ho Jang) - iOS App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-became-a-dog/id1248676102) and (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-became-a-dog-2/id1469159664), Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.welikegames.BecameDog&hl=en_US) and (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.WeLikeGames.BecameDog2)
4. A Street Cat's Tale (Su Young Moon) - iOS App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/a-street-cats-tale/id1475067013) and Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.feemodev.cat.ad&hl=en_US)