Kickstarter Calico: Magical Girls Running Cat Cafés

Every now and then I run into a Kickstarter project that catches my interest. This time I want to highlight a simulation game that enters around cats and other adorable creatures. Always guaranteed to catch my interest. As long as it’s cute, colourful and casual!

Calico: Magical Girls Running Cat Cafés

Calico is a “day-in-the-life community sim game” as the developer describes it. It will be your task to rebuild the town’s cat café and fill it with cute and cuddly creatures!

You play as a magical girl, you can choose between Heartgirl and Flowergirl. What caught my eye instantly is that the characters aren’t thin as a stick. That’s refreshing! In the small village that your magical girl travels to, she is going to find other magical girls and more fantastical friends. The town is shaped like a star, with the cat café that the girls is going to be running in the centre.

Every animal you meet can be interacted with, you can pet it or play with it. Of course, it depends on the kind of animal as to what you can do. Birds love to be given seed and you can even feed the koi in the pond. Befriend the animals, give them a name or add them to your party, after which they will follow you anywhere. Or send them to your cat café where they can relax and play with any customers that pop in for a visit.

Nothing can go wrong in the game

In the game, it is your job to build up your café. In that special place there will be lots to do. Decorate it, collect furniture and make pastries and drinks to keep your patrons happy. With the money you earn you can buy things for decorating and such. In town there will be multiple shops, including the potion shop run by Autumn. Her potions can alter animals and the game around you! There will even be a ” more to pet” potion that enlarges your favourite animal so you can even ride it.

The developers thought it important to mention that nothing can go wrong playing this gaming. No need to water for crops to survive. No need to keep the animals fed. So you can’t go wrong in this game. There are many animals in the world of Calico.

The Kickstarter Campaign

The kickstarter campaign launched on April 2nd, with a goal of €26,728. The campaign will end on May 1st, but it’s already funded. At this time € 32.765 is funded by 1.274 funders (and of course, I’m one of them). With the money, the two-man development team Kells and Andrew plans to work non-stop on the project for 1,5 year to be able to complete it.

The first stretch goal is up: Magical Character Creator (funding of € 45.000 reached). The player will then be able to customise skin, gender, hair, eyes and outfit. The ultimate plan is to release Calico on PC and Mac, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. They development however is in the very early stages.

If you want to check out this Kickstarter, you can find it here. Calico: Magical Girls running Catcafé

5 comments

  1. I backed Caloco too!
    In the end I couldn’t resist the cuteness, animals, art style and general feel and happiness the game radiates.
    And I really like the woman are not super skinny and that you can do nothing wrong.
    I’m susceptible to stress in games, and I don’t think that will occur/ be a problem in this game!

    I have asked if there is a way to make the ‘Calico Zine’ a digital add-on or adding it to the game in some way.
    The physical pledge would be 50 dollars (including international shipping costs), and that’s a bit to much for me right now.
    But I would love to read the ‘short-form comic’, so I have my fingers crossed they will make it available digitally some way!

    2 Stretch goals are already achieved. You can now customize your character and animals.
    The next stretch goals will unlock a companion app (witch will be free) where (among other things) you can carry one of your pets around with you.
    It unlocks at 80k. We are now at 63k with 44 hours to go.

    Check it out if you haven’t already!
    Really recommended for people who love cute, sweet, loving and peaceful simulation games.

    1. I backed it too of course, for me the early access would be great (to review it on the site, of course). I read about their Zine, that would be so great right? I bet it’ll come available after the games release, even if you haven’t backed for that amount right now. To be honest, my limit of backing kickstarter is somewhere around € 25, I wouldn’t put down € 50 either.

      The game looks uber-cute. And a colleague of mine is in Japan now for a holiday, I’m curious to hear if she visited such a cat cafe for real.

      1. I have 2 cats of my own, but I would still be very enthusiastic to visit a real cat cafe!
        I’m going for the normal digital copy, but for you it’s indeed great to try the game before launch.

        I also love comics, so I really hope you’re right about the Calico Zine.
        It would be such a shame if they keep it physical only. It could really enhance the world building element of the game.

    1. Great huh! This Kickstarter backing in small doses is really fun to do. Most devs are quite good at keeping you up to date, and but the time you’ve mostly forgot about it, a code is in your mailbox.

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