There are games you enjoy, games you recommend, and then there are the rare ones that make you finish, look back, and realise you wouldn't change a thing.
A personal connection to Australian indie games
Sometimes people ask me why I’m so passionate about supporting indie games. My answer is simple: have you ever actually spoken to the teams behind them? They’re an incredibly passionate, talented group of creative — and probably very exhausted — minds.
That’s exactly how I felt talking to lead developer Martin Rinfield from Brisbane-based studio Abandoned Sheep. The excitement on his face when discussing Schrödinger’s Cat Burglar, and speaking with someone who had experienced the work and passion poured into it, was infectious.
Fun fact: Martin was the first indie developer I ever worked up the nerve to interview face-to-face. That conversation sparked my much deeper interest in the development side of gaming.
This will likely be the one and only 10/10 review I write… for now. And not because of that personal connection. Quite simply, Schrödinger’s Cat Burglar feels like a AAA game living inside an indie budget. Let’s talk about why.
Portal… with cats?
Schrödinger’s Cat Burglar — or, as it is affectionately described, Portal with cats — comes from Brisbane-based Australian indie studio Abandoned Sheep.
You play as Mittens, the world’s greatest (and most literal) cat burglar, who gets caught in a quantum experiment and finds herself trapped inside a secret research facility with some very unusual new powers.
The game takes inspiration from Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment: until something is observed, multiple possible states can theoretically exist at the same time. In Mittens’ case, she can split into two possible versions of herself, occupying different positions and allowing you to manipulate which possibility becomes reality.
Surprisingly, my brain grasped the concept relatively easily. My biggest problem was remembering I could do it when I needed it for a puzzle.
As you make your way through the facility, you’re hopping between platforms, hacking computers, collecting secrets and solving increasingly complex puzzles that slowly piece together the story behind the facility, its experiments, its pest-control robots and a mysterious character known as Shadow Cat. And that’s as much as you’re getting from me. No spoilers.
Two Mittens are better than one
The splitting mechanic is easily the star of the game. You position two versions of Mittens in different places, manipulate which version is being observed and interact with the environment across the two states to solve puzzles.
It sounds incredibly complicated when someone explains it to you… and then makes complete sense once you’re playing. Those AHA! moments are ridiculously satisfying.
The puzzles increase in difficulty alongside your own understanding almost perfectly. You learn one concept, become comfortable with it, and then the game throws another little piece into the mix.
I never found myself frustrated. Challenged? Absolutely. But it’s that satisfying kind of challenge where you stare at something, try a few ideas, suddenly realise what you’re supposed to do and think: OH! I’M A GENIUS.
New concepts continue to be introduced and combined with things you’ve already learned, keeping the puzzles fresh instead of repetitive.
Controls and visuals
The controls are standard, uncomplicated and can be played using keyboard and mouse or — my preference — controller. The tutorial introduces the mechanics without dumping everything on you at once, which is important in a game where the main mechanic could very easily become confusing.
Visually, Schrödinger’s Cat Burglar uses a clean, colourful, stylised 3D presentation. The laboratory gives you that slightly sterile science-experiment atmosphere you’d expect from something like Portal, while Mittens and the game’s humour stop it from ever feeling cold or lifeless.
More importantly for a puzzle game based around observation and positioning, I always felt like I could understand what I was looking at and what the game was trying to communicate.
Sound and music
When it comes to sound effects… you really can’t go wrong with cute kitty purrs and noises.
The original 26-track soundtrack was produced by Dreamtrak, with Oli Horton credited as composer, and progresses alongside your journey through the facility.
The music complements the environment beautifully, adding to the atmosphere without distracting you from the puzzles you’re desperately trying to convince yourself you’re smart enough to solve.
Polish and performance
I’ve watched this game develop from the bones of its early demo into what it is today, and the developers have continued supporting and improving it after release.
Personally? I encountered ZERO bugs, glitches, softlocks or frame-rate issues during my playthrough. That’s obviously only my experience and doesn’t mean bugs haven’t existed, but post-launch issues have continued to be addressed through patches.
For me, the game ran incredibly smoothly.
Why 10/10?
At the time of writing my original review, approximately 97% of more than 600 Steam reviews were positive, and the game held a critic Metascore of 84. But those scores aren’t why I’m giving it mine.
For me, 10/10 doesn’t mean a game has to be objectively perfect. It means I finished the game, looked back at the complete experience and couldn’t identify something I genuinely wanted it to do differently.
The story, mechanics, puzzles, difficulty progression, controls, animation, personality, music, accessibility and ongoing developer support all come together into an incredibly polished experience.
So, when I ask myself: what would I change? Nothing. Would I go back for secrets, achievements and bonus puzzles? Absolutely.
The final verdict
Schrödinger’s Cat Burglar is clever without disappearing up its own quantum backside, challenging without becoming frustrating, funny without trying too hard and polished far beyond what I expected from a debut indie title.
I’ve watched this little cat grow from the early demo I first played into the game sitting in front of me now.
And somehow, amongst all the quantum physics, sinister experiments and complicated puzzles, one of my strongest lasting impressions is still: hehe… chonky cat.
A word from the devs
Abandoned Sheep shared these thoughts about what they hoped players would take away from the experience:
“I think I’m most proud of how the story comes together in the third act — no spoilers, but people who have completed the game will know what I mean when I mention a certain room in the old laboratory. I was hoping people would connect with the characters and be moved by that scene, and I’ve seen so many streamers play that section and be in tears… mission accomplished! And sorry for everyone who was caught off guard there…”
“When they finish playing, I hope players feel like they’ve been on a journey and had fun! Simple as that really — we made the game with the aim to delight players throughout, so I hope players have fond memories of their time in the facility.”
Developer comments reproduced from the original review material.
Original review gallery
Browse the original KateFearGaming review slides and artwork.
