Developer Arkedo and publisher Neko Entertainment brought Poöf vs. The Cursed Kitty to the world back in late 2013, a platformer and tower defence mash-up involving a dog, a cursed kitty, and lots of poop. Now Cubed3 revisits the game to see how well it has stood the test of time, almost a year later.
Poöf vs. The Cursed Kitty is a platformer at its core. A dog named Poöf is given a gift, a kitty that lays golden eggs. The gift is cursed, however, and Poöf becomes trapped in a dimension full of monsters coming to take his kitty away. Poöf has the ability to jump on enemies to defeat them as they approach in waves, and should they reach the kitty, it is game over. However, if Poöf meets the requirements of various challenges, he unlocks skills to aid his quest, such as towers that shock nearby enemies and poop that slows them down.
Easily the strongest aspect of Poöf vs. The Cursed Kitty is its art direction. Everything is charming and flows well. From Poöf, to the kitty, to the enemies – everything is adorable, even (perhaps especially) the poop.
The game could have used the same direction when it comes to gameplay, though. The controls are clunky, with the WASD keys controlling Poöf, something that might be difficult for right-handed players, while the mouse is used for the occasional special ability. After the first few dozen rounds, grinding toward the next available upgrade feels repetitive.
