Neko Odyssey lets players photograph cats in an idyllic pixel art Japan 

One of the best ways to draw interest in indie games is to lean heavily into what people like. In the case of SECRET CHARACTER’s Neko Odyssey, that thing is cats. In a free demo that coincides with Steam’s Next Fest, Neko Odyssey puts players in the shoes of a young girl named Miki as she interacts with her local feline population and grows an Internet following along the way. The full game is slated to release later this year, and will be available in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. 

The premise of Neko Odyssey is simple. As Miki, players go around town taking pictures of cats. Miki posts these photos on her online profile, which nets her likes and follows. Aside from the core gameplay loop, Miki can interact with cats and humans in various ways. She can talk to people to purchase items, find secrets, and learn new ways to get cats to pose for different photos. The cats can also be subject to affection – whether it be using cat toys, providing them with food, or petting them. Neko Odyssey also has a story that can be progressed by reaching milestones like acquiring a certain number of followers on Miki’s profile. 

The free demo of Neko Odyssey is an early build of the game that tasks players with getting 200 followers for Miki’s online profile. To accomplish this goal, players must search for cats within an explorable section of the map. Taking photos of the felines doesn’t just expand Miki’s online portfolio; it also adds their pictures and names to a compendium. The compendium helps keep track of which cats have been found and how many more are still waiting for a photo op. Different cats can be found at different times of the day (Neko Odyssey has a day and night cycle), making repeat visits integral to completing the compendium. 

Miki’s inventory in the demo contains a strange variety of items including carb-heavy foods like donuts and pizza. Two tabs indicate that cat toys and treats will eventually be added to the game. There is also a monetary system, though it is unusable in the demo. Judging from NPC dialogue and Miki’s inventory, money will likely be used to buy cat-related items like toys and food as well as giving Miki the option to dine in local eateries. 

Speaking of food, Miki has her own packed snacks which she must consume to keep her stamina up. Running out of stamina doesn’t cause Miki to die, however. Instead, it forces her to go home and share a meal with her mother – thereby fast-forwarding to the next day. 

Neko Odyssey is still in the early stages of development but its blend of 2D and 3D assets combined with pixel art characters adds to the cozy atmosphere it is going for. Expect more features to be added over time and a narrative that, judging from the demo’s ending, is on the stranger side of cat-related media. 

Neko Odyssey is scheduled to be released for PC (Steam) in 2024. A free demo is available to download now.