A Feline Fix for My Cat-Struck Week

Hello there!

I recently decided to revisit my childhood by downloading My Talking Tom (yes, that's the full name).

This game was first released in 2012 for iOS and later for Android. I still remember seeing it on my old iPhone while waiting in line at an amusement park in Zhukovsky.

The game's goal is to raise Tom, a cat with a pretty complicated backstory (according to Wikipedia).

When the game was released, a common backstory was shared across platforms, stating that Tom's first owners abandoned him, making him a stray. This explains the initial scene where Tom is helplessly sticking his paws out of a cardboard box.

If you're not new to this, you can skip the part where Tom makes sounds from the box.

So, what's the game all about?

The game's core is about nurturing and feeding a small, grey, homeless kitten - Tom, which you can name as you see fit.

I named my Tom 'Everest'. 🐱

At the top-left corner, there's a circle with numbers and a green bar. The bar's length shows how much time is left before moving on to the next level. With each new level, new items and food become available to buy with in-game currency. As you progress through levels, Tom will grow.

By the way, levels where Tom's growth is marked are indicated by a cake. It's like a birthday thing.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see images representing happiness, fullness, satisfaction, and sleepiness. The more the percentage and the more green on the icon, the happier and more energetic Tom will look.

This is actually a big plus: it's immediately clear what Tom wants. If there are red marks, it means Tom needs to be taken to the bathroom, fed, put to bed, petted, or played with.

So, Tom lives in a two-room apartment with a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. You can renovate each room by changing wallpapers, floor tiles, furniture, and wall hangings...

Before the renovationAfter renovating (except the bedroom):

Renovating the bedroom:

We bought all the items with our own money. Although we're total cheapskates...

The in-game currency is virtual, but you still need real money to get it (although you can manage without it, trust me). You can earn it by playing mini-games. My favorites are:

RacingConnect the dotsSpace piano

You can also dress Tom up, change his fur color. It's all up to personal preference.

Let's dress him up like a Viking!Fed him...

And there's a free feature called 'Travel':

We're in Niger!Oh! Tom's neighbors just dropped off a piano!

Love this moment! What I like about My Talking Tom:

It repeats back what you say (I turned off the mic, and now Tom's complaining).Good graphics.Works offline, which is great - you can always entertain yourself, no matter where you are.It meows just like a real cat!Mini-games.But:

There's way too much advertising. TikTok, Getcontact... ugh.

Other than that, I didn't find any major drawbacks.