Demo unleashed for Stars in the Trash

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Full version of hand-animated watercolour cat adventure coming soon on Steam for Windows PC

There are lots of anthropomorphic cats in modern media, but in the right hands even domestic house cats are capable of delightfully enjoyable adventures of their own. One such example is Stars in the Trash, a beautifully illustrated side-scroller from indie developer Valhalla Cats.

The game stars Moka, a "spoiled" house cat who's had enough of feeling trapped as a pet and decides to run away from his pampered home life in search of real adventure. Little does he know the dangers the greater world has in store, not the least of which is the kennelman stalking the streets in pursuit of prey. When Moka's journey "takes an unexpected turn" and threatens the safety of his best friend, the young feline must "learn how to survive, and appreciate what he left behind."

Stars in the Trash is beautfully hand-painted in the best tradition of animated movie classics Disney's The Aristocrats. These animals can't talk and have no special abilities, however, so you'll have to move and think like a cat in order to succeed. In this side-scrolling "narrative-driven platformer that combines action, exploration and puzzles," you can run, jump, roll, claw, and of course knock over anything that looks like it needs a little mischief applied. (Gamepad control is recommended.) As you engage in the "emotional journey" of the feline protagonist, you'll need to "explore, make friends, fight, and escape from the kennelman" as you begin to "discover the power of friendship." The obstacles are meant to provide "intuitive manageable challenges" that should take between 3-5 hours in total to complete.

While no release date has been set for the full version of Stars in the Trash, a short playable demo is available now on Steam, introducing the game's basic mechanics as you help Moko flee the family home.