Kittentaxi wins the internet with cats-and-guns combo

What’s not to love about Kittentaxi? Developed by The Wonder People Co from South Korea, this quirky running game is a little more than another entry to this crowded genre. 

You’re put in the shoes of two feline felons who’ve robbed a bank and must now make their getaway from the cops. Once in the car, you’re in charge of the driver, while the other shoots automatically at pursuers when near enough. The aim of the game is to get both cats through stages without their car getting blown up by sticks of dynamite being hurled their way.

Of course, it’s not just moving the car around. You also have to pick up coins with which to buy upgrades, grab weapons lying around in boxes on the road, and avoid the aforementioned dynamite. If you’re feeling particularly lazy or need to take a break, you can also set the game to play automatically! While you’re pursued by ambulances and police cars initially, the stage always ends with a huge truck pulling up just behind you and trying to blast you to bits.

Audiovisual aptitude

What’s really unique about Kittentaxi is its art style. The game looks rough, like it’s been drawn with a graphite pencil and smudged about at the edges, and is mostly done in black and white, with only key items or backgrounds colored. It sounds like this would look messy, but really, this rough approach to its visuals only adds to its charm.

It works great with the fun, upbeat tunes that you hear in the main menu and when the game starts. The tunes are definitely not anyone’s expectation of what video game background music should be like, but works surprisingly well with Kittentaxi’s visual approach.

Monetization

Kittentaxi is free to play, with optional monetization. Like any freemium game, it uses both premium (diamonds) and in-game currency (coins), where coins can be bought by paying for diamonds. Coins can be used to upgrade guns, your car, and of course, those adorable cats. However it’s worth noting that the game can be played without spending any money at all. Stages are quick to be cleared, and earning the coins for upgrades by replaying them doesn’t take long, making this a fair alternative to simply paying for them.

There are a total of 15 banks to rob in Kittentaxi, with each bank having its own getaway stage. However, don’t expect to breeze through the entire game in a day. Kittentaxi is governed by a stamina system that stores up to five stamina “keys”. A key is used up with each stage you play, and takes up to five minutes to generate—just short enough that you can feed your running game addiction, but long enough to draw the game’s stages out. Thanks to this, Kittentaxi’s 15 stages can be spread out over a good few days.

In theory the game does sound like it can get too repetitive after a while, but in practice, it doesn’t at all! Kitten Taxi’s running aspect, combined with the need to avoid getting mowed down by angry trucks, gives it variety and makes it an exciting time-waster.

Kitten Taxi is available on Android and iOS. It was featured in this best of Asian mobile gaming post.