Catly, an open-world adventure game featuring photorealistic felines, made a splash at The Game Awards 2024. Promising a 2025 release on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Watch, the game’s “technologically innovative” nature has sparked curiosity and questions.
The trailer showcased stunningly detailed cats navigating a vibrant, psychedelic world, culminating in an encounter with a human cycling through outfit options. While visually captivating, the trailer revealed little about the actual gameplay.
According to a press release, Catly emphasizes cat care, exploration, and “world-crafting,” with unique, customizable felines and endless accessory and environment options. However, details remain scarce.
A catA screenshot from the Catly Steam page.
A Steam page exists, but offers limited information, showcasing screenshots of cats and environments. An Apple App Store page presents a seemingly Tamagotchi-like virtual pet app for the Apple Watch, further adding to the intrigue.
The mystery surrounding Catly‘s technology deepens. MaagX inquired about the use of generative AI, given similarities observed in the trailer. The Catly team declined to elaborate, deferring details until 2025. Information about the game engine also remains undisclosed. This secrecy fuels speculation about how Catly delivers unique cats to players and enables an open-world experience on the Apple Watch.
The Mystery of SuperAuthenti Co.
The developer, SuperAuthenti Co. Limited, adds another layer of mystery. With Catly appearing to be their first project, their digital footprint is minimal. A business listing and co-founder Kevin Yeung’s LinkedIn page confirm their Hong Kong base.
SuperAuthnti Co Co-creator Kevin Yeung poses with PlayStationSuperAuthenti Co-founder Kevin Yeung showcases Catly.
Eight months prior, Yeung shared a photo showcasing the game to PlayStation’s Shuhei Yoshida, although PlayStation isn’t currently listed as a launch platform. The photo reveals a glimpse of potential gameplay, featuring a helmeted pink cat on a sunny street.
Unanswered Questions and Potential Connections
Interestingly, before SuperAuthenti, Yeung co-founded TenthPlanet, another Hong Kong gaming studio. In 2022, TenthPlanet announced two blockchain games, including Alien Meow, a “digital cat Metaverse” featuring detailed felines and an open world. This project, with striking similarities to Catly, involved cat breeding for in-game value. Its launch status remains unclear. Yeung’s LinkedIn page seems to have been deleted following this announcement.
MaagX has reached out to the Catly team to confirm Yeung’s connection to TenthPlanet and the potential involvement of TenthPlanet’s other founder, William Wei Chen, with SuperAuthenti Co.
Awaiting More Information
For now, much about Catly remains shrouded in secrecy. The game’s innovative technology, its realization on different platforms, and the developer’s background all contribute to the intrigue. Further details are expected in 2025, when Catly is slated for release on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Apple Watch.
