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For gamers seeking out a relaxing, wholesome experience, Calico is the simulator they've been waiting for. Designed to elicit warm vibes through a watercolor aesthetic and laid back environment, this game allows players to embrace their inner witch and soothe their stressors in the best way possible: petting cats.
Calico is a community simulation game all about allowing players to embrace their inner witch. Players are tasked with rebuilding a cat café by redecorating, cooking baked goods to stock the shelves and, most importantly, befriending animals and inviting them to set up shop in the café. Calico is a wholesome game, with simple, low-stress mechanics and stunning visuals to add to the chill atmosphere.
While Calico's wholesomeness and watercolor environments invite a sense of calm, the game's cat interactions amp up the excitement. Players can interact with many different animals throughout the game, with options to pet and play as expected, but also to dance or lounge with them, pamper them, or even wear them as a hat. Because players are witches, Calico also includes several magic potions that allow players to have more fun with their cats, including making them giant and riding them.
Calico also offers players a wonderfully customizable character creation experience. Not limited by gender, players can craft avatars with any skin or hair color and select many different weight options. Not only does this allow for great representation, but it also assures players that anyone can, in fact, be a witch and will be beloved by cats no matter their appearance. With the ability to collect more clothing options through gameplay, a player's witchy avatar can change as they make a place for themselves and their café in the town.
But aside from customizability and playing with cats, Calico also offers some mini-games to pique players' interests. To prepare the baked goods to offer at their café, players must play a baking game where they are shrunk down and must navigate the giant-sized ingredients to complete a recipe and bake pastries. Offering players something beyond just the simulator experience makes Calico even more compelling.
Some players have noted frustration with a crowded interface and buggy interactions while playing with animals or during the cooking mini-game. Development studio Peachy Keen Games is working on patches that prevent some issues with players becoming permanently stuck. But despite these issues, Calico can still provide players with a magical experience, crafting warm-and-fuzzy feelings from cat interactions in a simulator experience unlike any other.
