When it comes to cozy games, it’s interesting to see the various ways developers have come up with simpler and milder concepts, while still retaining enough variety in play to give their titles legs. Sure, throwing in cats somehow, including some crafting, and having some sort of life sim element has become a pretty standard formula, but how can that be packaged in a way that stands out from the crowd? 

I’ll admit that the hook for Kimono Cats, essentially having you go out on an extended date with someone at an old-school carnival, is different. You’ll walk together by a bunch of typical stalls that include food vendors, games, and some curiosities, and your method of choosing the next one to share with your companion will be popping one of the bubbles floating above your heads. Depending on what you manage to release there could be an immediate positive response, something horrible like them getting sick, or initiating a mini game where your performance will dictate whether you’re impressing them or not.

That element is fun enough, but wouldn’t likely last terribly long, so there are some other things to get sucked into as well. The first is that you’ll be able to take your earned winnings from different events and invest in a pretty wide variety of items to fill your town with. Keep in mind, this is all pretty simple, with you more positioning a load of knick knacks in an open field, but with time you can craft a pretty nice place for people to visit… and if you’ve got any friends playing the game that can be part of the fun, visiting other towns and triggering a spinner there to get additional rewards. The problem is that overall it’s all a bit on the shallow side, and while perhaps somewhat relaxing, the rewards for doing well quickly feel like diminishing returns. Much like the fair, it can be fun for a little while, but at some point you’re just going to be ready to go home.