Counterfeit Cat: Nine Lives

A blue alien wearing a purple cat suit might not sound like the most obvious hero, but Counterfeit Cat: Nine Lives commits to the absurdity completely and is better for it. Streets are cluttered with gold coins and genuinely strange enemies — boxing sausages chief among them — that will end your run in a single hit if you're not careful.

The nine lives mechanic gives the game a real sense of stakes. Losing one stings. Losing several in quick succession turns the experience into something almost frantic, that particular kind of tension where each near-miss feels meaningful rather than arbitrary.

Max the yellow cat tags along throughout, a pampered, round little creature who adds to the odd warmth the game carries despite its chaotic energy. It's a strange combination — slapstick danger wrapped around something genuinely charming — and it works surprisingly well.