Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

Neko Atsume Review

Neko Atsume Review

Neko Atsume is a cute mobile game available for iOS and Android. In this game, you leave out some food in a yard to attract cats. Players can also set around decorations and toys to attract certain cats and to keep their attention.

The starting yard in Neko Atsume. Just leave food and toys to see what kind of cats decide to show up!

The starting yard in Neko Atsume. Just leave food and toys to see what kind of cats decide to show up!


Skills Needed to Play Neko Atsume

This game is easy to pick up and play. All players have to know how to do is tap and check their phone every now and again. That’s it. 

As a result, this game is accessible to people of many skill levels. It might also be a good introduction to gaming for young children. There is nothing offensive about the game, and the art style is charming and simple.


Neko Atsume's Price

This is a free game to download and play. It does have in-app purchases, which mostly give you the ability to buy certain elite toys or to expand the amount of space you have for your yard.

An image of the ability to buy the in-game currency.

An image of the ability to buy the in-game currency.

However, the cats themselves reward you with the in-game currency. It will take a long time to buy upgrades and elite equipment using just the cats, but it absolutely can be done. I would say it would take about a month or so to buy the larger yard, which is one of the most costly purchases.

Image of the "gifts" the kitties leave. They reward players with the in-game currency.

Image of the "gifts" the kitties leave. They reward players with the in-game currency.


The Food

There are various food types in the game. There is one available for free at all times, but does not attract the cats as much. It is advisable to pay (in game currency, not real money) every now and again to attract more cats. In general, if you know you will have more time to check your game it is a good time to put out better food.

After all, when you go and check your yard, you will likely be able to see and enjoy more visiting kitties.


The Yard

The yard is the place where everything happens in this game. Food and creature comforts are set around, and you check in on the app to see what cats visited you. 

You can purchase a larger yard, which also lets you change the scenery.

An image of the "full" yard that can be bought. More space = more toys = more food = more kitties!

An image of the "full" yard that can be bought. More space = more toys = more food = more kitties!

Ultimately, when you have the larger yard you can set down more toys. This will attract more cats, but be careful. This also means you have to set out another food bowl.


Lasting Appeal

The game’s lasting appeal is in its ability to take a minuscule amount of time to maintain every day. (Unless you want to take photos of EVERY cat and try to document them all.)

With basic play, I think I spend about twenty minutes or less per day. In other words, when time is the most valuable asset you have, this game will let you indulge without having too many demands on you in turn. 

Though I would call this a game, it is arguably more of a mental palette cleanser due to the minimal time commitment and lack of difficulty. But in a lot of ways, this is Neko Atsume’s greatest strength. 

The background of the extended yard can changed as well.

The background of the extended yard can changed as well.

It is so relaxing to watch the kitties play with the things you set around for them. 

It is so relaxing to watch the kitties play with the things you set around for them. 


Thank you to Hit Point and all others who made and published this game. It has been a lot of fun to play and relax with this game over the months. I hope this review encourages others to try out this cute and relaxing game if they haven't already. And as always, feedback is encouraged!

Further Reading

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