Mind-boggling time travel 2D puzzle game | Full Review - Cat of Khronos

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Cat of Khronos is a time traveling puzzle game with mind bending mechanics that is sure to keep players captivated and their brains challenged as they navigate through various “4D” puzzles

🟩Pros

+Unique Time-travel puzzle gameplay

+Engaging and thought-provoking

+Challenging progression and satisfying puzzle solving

🟥Cons

-Very steep learning curve

-Limited gameplay variety

Cat of Khronos is a game that allows you to travel freely in the fourth dimension —  time itself. You must use your god given ability to overcome obstacles in the form of lamp post-looking guards, retrieve the fish for some reason, and make it back in time to be transported into the next level.

The game centers around the enigmatic Cat of Khronos, as it embarks on an adventure through time and the mortal world. The intentionally vague plot mirrors the perplexing time-travel mechanics, but no matter — the true highlight lies in the mind-bending puzzles. These puzzles are uniquely engaging and thought-provoking, ensuring that players are both boggled and challenged throughout their journey.

Cat of Khronos itself is actually in 2D isometric view, and features retro-style pixel graphics, an equally classic adventure style soundtrack that fits the puzzle and time mystery aspects of the game, but the game mechanics themselves can be described as “4D”.

If there was ever a game that could accurately convey the sensation of traversing the fourth dimension as a fourth dimensional being, Cat of Khronos would undoubtedly be one of the games that can be used as an example.

Cat of Khronos gameplay setup involves the timeline representing the flow of time, which is conveniently numbered from 1 onwards — representing each point in time. Ordinary mortals can freely travel between the 3 dimensions, but are stuck traveling the flow of time from 1 onwards only (chronologically)

Not the Cat of Khronos, it can freely choose to travel between different points in time, it can start from number 5, then 6, then go back to 3. From the mortal’s point of view, you will be popping out of nowhere and disappearing, then popping back in another place moments later. The Cat is still bound by the three-dimensional laws of physics and can only move step by step within three-dimensional space.. In short, it may appear to teleport from a mortal’s point of view, but it cannot teleport.  This intriguing combination of time travel and spatial movement adds complexity to the gameplay mechanics.

In each level, the only objective is to retrieve the fish and return to the starting point at the correct time. It’s an easy sounding task that can be easily completed without time-travel shenanigans, but the presence of vigilant guards who pursue the player upon detection and the strict time constraints for a successful return makes things complicated.

These guards are strategically positioned to impede players from completing levels without cleverly navigating around them using time travel. Success hinges upon meticulous planning, requiring players to think ahead and strategize their moves. Perhaps you'll need to lure a guard away, vanish into the time stream, reappear behind them later, or perhaps you'll need to alert guards at a later time, travel back in time to move freely, and then reemerge at that later moment to evade capture.

It’s really confusing, but immensely satisfying to pull off once everything falls into place and you successfully solve the levels. The inclusion of a "Mortal's View" replay at the end of each level helps a lot in making sense of the 4D puzzle you just solved.

Personally, I found myself grappling with the mechanics as early as the second level. The basic mechanics eventually clicked, and I was able to progress through subsequent levels. Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it, the game would suddenly introduce even more challenging puzzles. Which usually involves a larger level, with more guards and complicated positioning to complete. This cycle goes on and on for the entirety of the game, continuously providing players with a satisfying increase of level in difficulty, but admittedly it lacks variety in the form of more obstacles or elements other than guards to avoid.

Conclusion:

Cat of Khronos’ mechanics are complicated to understand, which is not surprising considering it is trying to convey the mechanics of actual 4D travel itself. This unique concept, combined with the captivating puzzles and the allure of navigating through time, makes Cat of Khronos a game that will both baffle and engage players, offering a rewarding and brain-teasing experience from start to finish.