Nyaaaanvy on PC

Though the party game genre has been up and running for decades, it could be said that we’re experiencing something of a renaissance period in the modern era.

Thanks to the prevalence of online play and streaming services, these types of games are more popular than ever, with no shortage of indie devs throwing their hat into the ring. Today’s review covers one such competitor who instead elects to throw their cat into the ring; after almost two years in early access, the feline-centric physics-based brawler Nyaaaanvy has released in full on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Is it the venerable cat of cats? Or just another whiskered pretender? Let’s delve into what makes this little game tick.

The premise of Nyaaaanvy sees you taking control of one of the eponymous creatures. Nyanvies are long, sausage-like beasts that fling their bodies at one another to deal damage. Using one of four directional attacks with different applications, the aim of the game is to batter your opponents before launching them out of the arena. Items will appear on the stage, including catfood to replenish your health, and energy drinks that provide you with a brief period of unlimited stamina.

The more damage you sustain, the easier you are to launch, with blows delivered to the head proving particularly effective. If you are hit too often, you’ll enter a vulnerable stun state that makes you easy to finish off. Depending on where you are fighting, the stage itself can also prove a hindrance, with obstacles such as swinging levers that can push you around.

The controls and concept are easy to grasp, and there’s four small tutorials to flesh things out if you’re unsure. Within minutes you’ll be deftly flying around the place, striking your foes from above and punishing them with a mighty uppercat… I mean, cut.

Nyanvies come available with a variety of colours and features, so I of course set about constructing a lookalike to one of my own kitties. The resultant Lafayette was a pretty reasonable facsimile, complete with her great big eyes and her sassy attitude.

There a few different modes to choose between, though they are largely variations of the same theme. Subgames include an endless survival mode, or a “sumo” mode with extra long and sluggish nyanvies. The biggest change of pace is the collect mode, where you have to snag coins that appear on the stage. This works particularly well on the ice floe map, where you must also dispose of bombs before they explode, sending a chunk of the ground into the chilly waters below.

The main feature, as it were, is a brief story mode with a narrative that is incredibly silly, but on-brand all the same. While it starts off with the same kind of gameplay bookended by cute cutscenes, around the halfway point it takes an unexpected turn that sees you navigating a dungeon where you must track down ID cards and avoid the penguin security guards.

Although it’s a little weird and awkward, it does break up the proceedings of “cats bopping each other in a small arena”.

To that note, Nyaaaanvy is unfortunately rather limited in its scope. It is almost entirely variations of the same theme, and there are only so many rounds you can go before you feel like you’ve seen it all. Its closest comparison, Party Animals, has such unique maps that each fight is fresh and different.

Again, Nyaaaanvy has stage obstacles, but they’re a secondary function and the maps are otherwise similarly shaped and sized. As charming as this package is, there really isn’t enough there to justify its position in a crowded field of lookalikes.

At this early juncture, I wasn’t able to find opponents online to test the multiplayer mode. After waiting in the lobby for a period of time, a match was generated with the same AI opponents you’d find in the single-player mode. Considering that there are servers for various worldwide regions, the odds of someone finding online competitors within that window doesn’t seem too great.

At least, unless this game really takes off, which would be wonderful to see. This is a game that I would really like to garner a cult following, with its lively vibe and adorable protagonists.

I had a fun time tinkering with my nyanvy and pitting her against the variety of quirky CPU designs for a couple of hours, before ultimately deciding that I had had enough. There’s nothing particularly wrong with what Nyaaaanvy offers, I just crave more variety; whether that comes from an expanded selection of subgames, or customisation that boosts effects beyond mere cosmetics.

Lafayette is a fickle girl, after all, and you have to work hard to hold her attention for very long.

Final Verdict

Nyaaaanvy

REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER

Release Date: 22 February 2024

Platform: PC (also available on Switch)

Developer: Team DigitalMind

Publisher: Phoenixx Inc.

Despite my self-confessed affinity for cat-related products, Nyaaaanvy just doesn’t bring enough to the table to set it apart from a bevy of other physics-based brawlers.

It looks cute, it’s smooth and fun to play, but the same could be said for any of its contemporaries. Unless you’re a fan of the genre or just that feline obsessed, you likely won’t find enough to sustain your interest.

Besides, we already know that Lafayette is the best cat out there, why would you want to bother cobbling together an inferior competitor only for her to trounce you within seconds? You come at the queen, you best not miss.