Chapter One: Introduction
CATGIRL LOVER is a lewd match-three game available on Steam. I couldn’t be bothered to finish the game, but I estimate it would take less than two hours to complete all content with DLC.
To experience the complete game with adult content, the CATGIRL LOVER – FREE catgirls for everyone! DLC must be installed. This article will strictly discuss the patched game.
Chapter Two: Gameplay (3/5★)
Section One: Overview
CATGIRL LOVER focuses on a “novice spellcaster” practicing a new spell to strip his opponents. In this world, magic is made when you “Collect the elements in a row.”
In other words, when three or more icons are matched in a row, he casts a spell.
When elements are matched, they are cleared from the board and replaced by new ones. As the game progresses, his opponents gain “protection” in the form of new playing areas. With a limited number of turns, it’s important to make the most out of each match to progress.
Section Two: Balance
A large portion of your final score is determined by seemingly random “explosions” that occur when your last turn is expended. Sometimes, these explosives would grossly overstay their welcome.
When this happened, I minimized the window and continued writing this article.
Other times, they would fail to chain and I’d get a shitty rating — yay RNG.
Chapter Three: Sexual Content (2/5★)
Section One: Content
There are five animated portraits with full nudity, but I wouldn’t even call them “suggestive”.
Section Two: Implementation
Accumulating points plays clothes-breaking animations up to full nudity.
Section Three: Interactivity
The animations are not interactive.
Section Four: Quality
The characters are well drawn with decent animation, but they’re overall disinteresting. With only casual, non-erotic poses I find the nudity only to be “better than nothing”.
Chapter Four: Story (2/5★)
Section One: Plot
You’re the newest student of the Golden Shower Order; your teacher is Kaleria, and she is teaching you how to “disarm your opponent, weaken his defence” using “removere armis”.
Removere armis is a spell intended to “neutralize enemy’s armor”.
You will find that its usage seems to have. . . side effects of the best kind.
Section One: Characters
The player character is seems to be intended as a self-insert. However, I found it difficult to connect with him due to lack of player agency. Given multiple choices for responses, they were unremarkable with no consequences.
His teacher, Kaleria is weirdly turned on by his propensity for magic. I can’t help but wonder, does she act like a pervert around the whole class. . . ?
You can make anyone have a propensity for anything with Kaleria’s teaching style!
And finally, the player’s “pet cat” Mia; her distinguishing traits are that she says “master” a lot and likes to “play”. She’s no less one-sided than the rest of the cast, but everybody likes a cat that waits all day to “play” with you!
Chapter Five: Sound (3/5★)
Section One: Soundtrack
The music thematically clashes with the story and setting. The gameplay represents a spell caster dueling ladies with magic spells — jazzy solos are not what I imagine as the backing track.
I muted the music because I hated it, but if you like jazz you probably won’t mind it.
Section Two: Sound Effects
Matching shapes sounds like music. As objects are removed from the screen, the game chimes like someone is playing a xylophone. However, the sound effects sound as if playback was cut short.
Section Three: Voice Acting
There’s some acting, such as laughter and “hellos”. The voice acting doesn’t sound great.
Chapter Six: Visuals (3/5★)
Section One: User-interface
The English is awkward with multiple grammatical errors.
The graphical user-interface is appropriately themed, most of the time. For some reason, multiple choice prompts use generic black backgrounds instead of a fantasy-themed box.
Section Two: Graphics
The icons used for gameplay and scorekeeping feel like generic assets. I mean, what do coins and trophies have to do with magic slinging?
Visual effects feel equally generic with flat hearts and sparkles plastered on the screen.
Chapter Seven: Verdict (2.5/5★)
CATGIRL LOVER is a functioning game with a reasonable amount of gameplay. But in the face of similarly priced match-three games with stronger art and story, CATGIRL LOVER isn’t a worthwhile purchase. For example, ISEKAI QUEST and Failed Adventurer provide meaningful stories, sexual content, and exciting gameplay mechanics at a similar price point — less than five dollars.
But there’s no reason not to buy CATGIRL LOVER if you’re a fan of match-three games and you prefer quantity over quality.
Chapter Eight: Recommendations
Gameplay
Add randomized “elements” with special abilities.
Increase the score garnered from general gameplay and reduce the length of turn-zero “explosions”.
Story
Learn to fucking write.
