Longcat

Overview

Each level is a small grid with walls and empty cells. The cat starts in one cell. Pick a direction and the cat's body shoots forward in a straight line, cell by cell, until it runs into a wall or into its own body. It cannot stop halfway. The goal is to cover every empty cell of the level with the cat. Think of the level as a floor of tiles that all need to be walked over exactly once, with the rule that you can only walk in long straight runs.

After each stretch you choose a new direction from the point where the cat stopped. That is the whole move set, and it is enough to make the puzzles tricky: a single stretch in the wrong direction can seal off a pocket of cells that the cat can no longer reach. The cat's own body stays on the grid for the rest of the level, so every move also changes the map for every later move.

If the path closes before all the cells are filled, the level restarts, so a wrong turn costs you only that level. Poki notes that the game was inspired by snake games and lists more than 1,900 levels, so there is a long run of grids to work through. In practice this means the game is a series of small, self-contained problems. You can stop after any level and pick up the next one later without losing the thread.

On a computer you steer with WASD or the arrow keys. On a phone or tablet, or with a mouse, you press and drag in the direction you want the cat to go. There is no timer described on the Poki page; the challenge is in the route, not in reflexes. Touch control and keys do exactly the same thing, so it plays the same on a phone as on a laptop.

Who will like it

Players who like calm logic puzzles, short sessions and a clear rule set. It works well on a phone for a few levels at a time, and it asks for no reading and no fast reactions. It is also a good pick for anyone who enjoys the idea of snake games but prefers to think rather than race, since nothing moves until you choose a direction.

• Poki is supported by advertising, so expect ads on its pages around the game.

• The rule never changes, so the appeal depends on enjoying route planning; players looking for action or story will run out of interest quickly.

• Later grids can be hard and the restart is instant but total, which some players find repetitive.

Controls

Tips

• Look for dead ends first. A cell with only one open neighbour has to be the last cell the cat reaches, or the cat has to pass through it on the way in, so plan the route around it.

• Fill narrow corridors early. Long open areas are easy to cover later; single-cell passages are where levels get stuck.

• Trace the route in your head before the first move. A level usually has one or two correct openings, and the rest close off a corner within a few stretches.

• Remember the cat stops only at a wall or at its own body. You can use the body you have already laid down as a new wall to stop the cat exactly where you need it.

• When a level restarts, change the very first move rather than the last one. Most failures are decided in the opening stretches.

FAQ