Review: Hidden Cat Outlaws (Nintendo Switch)

Hidden Cat Outlaws is a puzzle and hidden objects game developed by Sleepwalking Potatoes and Silesia Games. This game has a fun gimmick that stands out from other hidden cat games.

As with most hidden object games, Hidden Cat Outlaws has fifteen levels of colored hand-drawn pictures set in the wild west, each with cats hiding within them. However, these images are more interactive and unique.

For example, there are many cats hiding in the overall picture. However, some are found inside buildings. Those buildings are locked, and you’ll need to find the keys to unlock them. You can then click on the building which will contain a much smaller image that holds one to three cats that are easy to spot. It’s like a reward for finding the key.

In addition, each picture has three extra items to find. It might be a hat or shorts or something. These extra items are random, and if you find them all, great. If not, that’s fine too. You don’t get anything for completing the levels 100%. In fact, you don’t get anything for completing the game. Once you get through all fifteen levels, you’re brought back to the main menu and that’s that.

Each level also has a “boss” cat. When you find them, you’ll enter a mini-game, if you will. To defeat the boss, you use the D-pad to match the screen showing left, right, up, or down. Correctly doing so will create a shot firing sound effect. Essentially, you’re dueling with the boss. This is the wild west, afterall. If you miss your shot or press the wrong button, nothing happens; you can just keep going until their health runs out. It’s low-stakes, which is fine since this is supposed to be a relaxing game.

And that’s all there is to Hidden Cat Outlaws. Fifteen levels of finding cats, keys, and extra objects, in addition to fighting one boss per picture. There’s no replayability since you don’t unlock anything new upon completing all the levels, nor are there timers for you to beat your personal best.

Some of the cats blend in really well, which creates a bit of a challenge. There is a hint button that has unlimited uses with a cooldown if you get super stuck. Regardless, each level took me no more than ten minutes to complete. So, you’ll get a good one to two hours out of this title.