Cats & Dice (demo)
A downloadable game for Windows
Wishlist on Steam!
Cats & Dice is a dice-building roguelike all about getting the right synergies to pull off crazy combos and attain as high a score as you possibly can.
The Cats (maneki-neko) are the mainstay of the game. Every Cat has its own passive ability that can affect how you approach a run. All Cats generate a dice unique to them at the start of each round (for instance there's a Cat that will create a dice with only four on all sides). There is no additional drawing of dice from your deck and the like. These dice are then played to get a score. Reach the target score and you'll win the round.
With more than 60 Cats (and more to come!) to choose from, the possibilities are endless.
There are various Items that can be equipped onto the Cats you own. These Items can add onto or even alter your Cat's passive abilities. Some grant additional effects onto the Cat's dice and allow you to customize it to your liking. These Items are not permanently attached to your Cats, so feel free to experiment and change your strategy.
The dice play as important a role as your Cats. You can get bonus points out of specific combination of dice. There's a number of rerolls per round you can use to reroll specific dice until you attain the desired outcome. Some dice can also have special effects that help in various ways, from adding scoring multiplier to gaining more rerolls.
The combination of Cats' passive abilities, dice effects, Items' effects and other game-changing choices you'd have to make during the course of a run makes for a deep roguelike experience with endless possibilities.
Give the demo a try and let me know what you think! Wishlist helps me out a ton so please consider wishlisting on Steam if it strikes your fancy!
- Steam page
- Discord
- Twitter
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Demo Patch v0.1.520 days ago
- Demo Patch v0.1.451 days ago
- Demo Patch! Bug fixes.60 days ago
- Update - more juice than ever!64 days ago
- Demo Update!92 days ago
- Update! v0.1 - graphical changes and difficulty adjustmentsAug 24, 2024
- Cats & Dice demo release!Aug 12, 2024
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
so cute game brava
Hi! We played your game on stream and really enjoyed it!
visuals is not good, but gameplay is actually cooked good bro
I think I would like this game if I could play it. It just keeps crashing. Here's the report it spits out.
___________________________________________
############################################################################################
ERROR in
action number 1
of Step Event0
for object global_Tutorial:
Unable to find any instance for object index '60' name 'obj_Ticket'############################################################################################
gml_Object_global_Tutorial_Step_0 (line 463)
I deleted it and redownloaded -- this is what I get even with a fresh copy. It's like it's stuck in tutorial.
___________________________________________
############################################################################################
ERROR in
action number 1
of Step Event0
for object global_Tutorial:
Unable to find any instance for object index '60' name 'obj_Ticket'############################################################################################
gml_Object_global_Tutorial_Step_0 (line 463)
Wow -- I even tried getting it on Steam, same problem. Unplayable. Shame, i would've played this, right up my alley!
Tutorial bug should be fixed with the latest update, thanks for the report!
Very fun! If you know Yahtzee or Farkle, it will help!
So far I'm enjoying it! It admittedly took me a bit of time to fully understand it, though I think I might still not understand some parts. It helps that I've played Yahtzee and Farkle before, so at least I wasn't starting from 0. Other than that, I think it's fun! Can't wait to see where it goes!In case you need some ideas for more cats to add then here are some cats that seem kind of fair. (I don't know what cost to put on them so you can figure out the fair price for each cat lol) Here are the cats:
Double Trouble Cat
Dice:
1, 2 with double, 3, 4, 5, 6
Slots: 2
Effect: If the dice below is a 2, then give x2 multi per pair in hand
Sextuplet
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with mark
Slots: 2
Effect: If hand contains 6 of a kind, x10 multi
Rocket Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with boost, 6 with boost
Slots: 4
Effect: None
Rich Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with a cantrip on a dollar
Slots: 2
Effect: x2 mult if you have at least $10
Interest Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with dollar and same-same
Slots: 2
Effect: Earn double interest
Reroll Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with reroll, 6 with reroll
Slots: 2
Effect: Multiplies multi by the amount of rerolls remaining
Unique Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Slots: 3
Effect: x3 multi if hand contains "DISTINCT"
Retrigger Cat
Dice:
1 with same-same, 2 with same-same, 3 with same-same, 4, 5, 6
Slots: 2
Effect: +2 multi when a dice is scored
Round Cat
Dice:
1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3
Slots: 2
Effect: Multiply multi by the round number
Lucky Seven Cat
Dice:
7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7 with mark
Slots: 2
Effect: Multiply multi by the amount of sevens in hand plus one
Times Four Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4 with two doubles, 5, 6
Slots: 3
Effect: None
Cloning Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Slots: 2
Effect: x1 multi
permanently gains +x0.5 multi on 5 of a kind
permanently gains +x1 multi on 6 of a kind
Debt Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Slots: 3
Effect: Allows debt up to -$10, but gives -$1 in payout of money is less than $0
Gamer Cat
Dice:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with addition, 6 with mark
Slots: 2
Effect: +1 play, -1 reroll
Cat of Twos
Dice:
2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 with double
Slots: 2
Effect: Gives x2 multi if hand has at least two 2's
Fragile Cat
Dice:
1 with double, 2 with double, 3 with double, 4 with double, 5 with double, 6 with double
Slots: 4
Effect: Loses double after scoring
That's all. If you need to modify these cats to make them a little more fair, then be welcome to. Just be sure to credit me for these ideas if you add these.
I LOVE this game. It is officially my comfort game when I just feel bad. It's very entertaining and I can't wait to get the full game when it comes out!
Cats & Dice is a nice game, with high resolution graphics, music and sound effects, great as a fun pastime and with an options menu; I only downloaded the demo and I'm having a lot of fun, even if I don't know the rules of that video game perfectly, I'm learning them often. Congratulations for all your work and have a nice day. I hope you will publish the full version soon. It is a very complex video game. I'm developing a small video gamegame too, but I am at least a month away from completing version 1.0 (if you want, download the demo here). Thanks.
Official website page of "Puzzle32" (ITCH.IO)
Paolo Fassin (PCDear.ent.game)
BOON & BANE RAAAAHHH!!! I HATE BLACKJAAACK!!!! RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
I WAS ***THIS*** CLOSE TO WINNING RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PURE FIERY HATRED IS COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!
I just wanted to say I love the demo! I've beaten it a few times now, and I just wanted to say I'd take a look at 5's. Sorry if it's something already brought up, but I found runs going all in on rolling 5 to be much stronger than everything else. Besides that keep up the great work! This is definitely a day one buy for me.
Thanks for playing! I can see why you would think that, but I think this is mostly a demo issue. The full game will have more things that should complement other dice values well. Nevertheless, I will be keeping an eye on this. Thanks for the feedback!
just texturepack for balatro💀
nah its not a texture pack its a full-on mod
i mean its just balatro but its good
Love that! Art and gameplay are great! But I really miss Balatro fire effect on counter when your score exceeds target score - it really creates feel that you combo is LIT.
just played it for a couple hours and ive now beaten it :D
cool game and ill be happy to beat the full version aswell!
Thanks for playing! :D
This follows greatly on Dungeons & Degenerate Gamblers and Balatro. Bravo!
How do we play on google?
Are you talking about playing on android phone? If so, this is unfortunately a pc-only build. Mobile versions will probably be quite a way off in the future.
It runs kinda hot on my old laptop. But probably it's just gamemaker thing. Interesting game though. I don't really get it but that's probably because I haven't played Balatro.
What's the specs of your laptop if I may ask? Do you notice any drop in framerate?
2020 Thinkpad X390. Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8365U CPU @ 1.60GHz. Framerate drop, I don't think I experience any.
This game made me realise i LOVE these types of games.. I cannot wait for the full version!! great job!
fire
I am eating this game up.
Very much wanting a full version!
Thanks! Glad you like it. Full version coming early 2025 ;)
Just a thought, but the first round feels obsolete to me (given that I'm looking to win in 1 play, otherwise I just reset). Idk what the alternative would be - maybe a reset penalty (boooo) or fixed first roll or something special 🤷♂️
Just wanted to throw that out there!
I think I get what you mean. Perhaps I'll add something that randomizes the start of each run to add more variance. Thanks for the feedback!
reoccuring bug when I score extreme scores and some screen shake happens it displaces the text, I think four of a king+ or something can cause this?
had 4 of a kind 2700 or so twice the level requirement then this happened again
Hi there! Thanks for the bug report. So this only happens after the screenshake from a high score right? May I know the resolution you were playing in? Were you in fullscreen or windowed mode?
full screen, yes only when the score glitters not sure what that is, my screen is smaller than the minimum resolution could that be it?
I see. Yes, your resolution could be the cause, but I should be able to fix this. Thanks for the additional details, let me check it out!
The screen shake problem should be fixed! Please give it a try when you are able. Do let me know if the issue still persists.
tested, effect happened but no distortion good work
Using low roll and under 6 dice had the best feel. For money the one item that gives +2$ if you use under two reroll is the most stable for me so far.
Very beautiful relaxing game.
Greetings,
I really like this game and I would like to translate it into Turkish voluntarily so that Turkish players can experience it. If you need help with the translation, I would be happy to help you.
How can I contact you for this?I will be looking forward to your reply.
Best regards
Looking good. I like the visual
Thank you!
Really cute and fun!
The Balatro inspirations are clear, but the game definitely has it's own feel. I won the demo with a run where I was just rerolling as many 1s as possible and actually playing dice was secondary. Also the decision to make this game's equivalent of 'jokers' be cats is inspired.
If I could offer a couple pieces of feedback, I'd consider something a little more ambient for the background music. The current music isn't bad, but it feels a little intense for the gameplay.
I'd also place a little more emphasis on the Boon & Banes. Give them their own graphics and place them front and center of the screen. They're kind of the closest thing this game has to bosses, so they could use a little more fanfare.
Really look forward to seeing where this game goes. It's definitely earned a spot on my wishlist. Best of luck with development!
Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, the music is just a stand-in for now, I'd probably get them replaced in the future.
I do agree with you regarding the Boons & Banes, it was even less impactful in the previous iteration believe it or not. I'd need more time to figure out how to go about this.
Thanks again for playing!
This is really fun! I love Balatro, so this is great.
I like all the art, I think the music gets just like a smidge repetitve, I wonder as a musician, if you could have any music in this, what would it be like? Would it be similar to this? I was getting like "Transport Tycoon" vibes from it.
Thanks for the fun game!
Thank you! Yeah, the music is temporary for now. I think maybe something more jazz and less upbeat than Transport Tycoon?
Hey I made some music for the game, and posted it on the discord in case you're interested!
Is the music from Rockin’ Cats?
I'm afraid I don't know what that is. A game? Anyway, I am using royalty free music by a musician named Ozzed. You should be able to see the music credits on the game's titlescreen.
On Bonus screen, show the dice combination, much easier to get a quick overview of what you need.
Little more celebration when you win a round.
Would like if I double click it will automatic get selected, like when you hover a dice and press spacebar.
When on Payout screen, should be a button for you to continue, feels "wrong" to just click anywhere.
In the shop, maybe not have "exit" as a button for continue to next round, feels like you are about to exit the game or something.
Sometimes I did not know what was happening or what triggered what, think I had "Dice on the right gets +1", so maybe some animation or so, maybe it was and I am just tired now.
I might need to play more to see why and what dice I should put under what cat, what I did now was mostly "ah, I've the "nr 5 cat" and that gives me good bonus" and went with that.
Boon and Bane "perks" kinda get hidden and you will forget them, not sure if you can have an icon or similar that is always showing so you know what bane you have, but guess it can get kinda crowded in the UI.
Music, little too lively for my taste.
This is what I've now. Good luck and keep at it!
Very good points, thanks for the feedback!
Looks interesting.
I'll give it a try when i'm a bit more free.
The Slice & Dice inspiration is a nice bonus addition since that's one of my recent favorite games.
Also, slightly unrelated but i like how clean the UI looks.(i'm a sucker for UI design)