Stars in the Trash review

One cat’s trash is an adventure gamer’s treasure in this short but lovely animal-themed side-scroller

I’m a huge sucker for cat games, or any animal-themed game for that matter. Cats and the Other Lives, Stray, Nine Noir Lives – the list keeps on growing, and I can now safely add Stars in the Trash to my list of favourite feline adventures. This short but heartwarming side-scroller tugs on every emotion while at the same time being fun to play and beautiful to look at, with gorgeous graphics that show just how much love and care has been put into it. Made by Valhalla Cats, a Spanish developer with an impressive pedigree from companies like Disney and Warner, this charming light action-adventure invites us into a hand-drawn tale of cozy beginnings, daring escapes, and the surprisingly poignant journey of one curious tabby.

Moka, the hero of this tale, is a spoiled housecat, and a day in his cushy life might look something like this: First he wakes up on a comfortable couch, where he usually dozes with his best friend, the dog, who rolls his lame hind legs around in a little doggie wheelchair. (Ow, my heart!) After stretching and happily smacking his lips, Moka trots into the living room, where there will surely be a bird to harass—from the safety of a window, of course. Having thoroughly made sure the bird knows who’s boss, Moka ventures further into the kitchen, where naturally, there must be more mischief to get up to. Oh yes, indeed there is. Calculating the best route to the top of the kitchen cabinet in order to knock down the cat food container, for example, Moka successfully finishes the heist, making sure the food is scattered all over the floor.

The first couple of days of introductory cat life not only allow you to fully immerse yourself in the feline experience, they also serve as a short tutorial, showing you how to move around, interact with items, and even how to fight through a fierce battle with the vicious vacuum cleaner in the basement. Oh, and did I mention that there is a “meow” button?

Now don’t get me wrong; Stars in the Trash is no cat simulator. Although he is living his best life at home, Moka is constantly drawn towards the adventure that lies beyond the safe haven of his house, but every time he tries to escape through the open front door, he is stopped by the friendly yet protective dog. Naturally, being the savvy and defiant cat he is, one day Moka manages to get out, but once outside he quickly discovers that the world isn’t as inviting as his cozy house, but after venturing too far to go back, returning home is not an option anymore. Moka soon finds himself fighting off aggressive rats, saving a terrified dog, and crossing paths with another stray—a mysterious girl cat. Of course, no adventure is complete without a villain, and the biggest threat to Moka’s search for adventure is the evil dogcatcher, whom you’ll constantly need to evade.

Playing Stars in the Trash with a gamepad is recommended as soon as you begin, and although it is perfectly possible to play with a keyboard, I agree that a controller is the most comfortable way to play. This has to do with the platforming elements the gameplay is mainly built around, where you need to jump, claw, roll, sneak and climb. The platforming requires quick responses but is not very difficult, although the game is technically over if you get caught by the dogcatcher. Thankfully, instead of being sent to the pound you’ll simply start over at the last nearby checkpoint. At one point, Moka climbs a cathedral with a bell tower both inside and out, in a scene that gave me Uncharted and Tomb Raider vibes. Just like a little feline version of Nathan Drake or Lara Croft, Moka needs to climb, shimmy and leap across ledges, windows and the inner workings of the bell tower in an attempt to flee the dogcatcher, which is frantic, exhilarating, and really fun.

Although puzzles in the classic sense take a back seat in this adventure, Stars in the Trash isn’t altogether a platformer, leaving room for Moka to figure out alternative solutions to conundrums such as escaping a closed supermarket or not getting electrocuted at a construction site. He obviously doesn’t have an inventory allowing him to gather and save items – he is a regular cat after all – but Moka can pick up some objects with his mouth in order to use them elsewhere in the same scene. He can also press buttons to turn things on or off, but progress is pretty straightforward and linear, and there aren’t really any great challenges to be found.

Stars in the Trash

Genre:	Adventure
Presentation:	2D or 2.5D, Side-scroller
Perspective:	Third-Person
Graphic Style:	Stylized
Gameplay:	Environmental puzzler, Quest
Control:	Direct Control
Game Length:	Short (1-5 hours)
Action:	Platforming
Difficulty:	Low
Theme:	Animal

Another thing that isn’t very challenging but is quite entertaining is the combat. Now, don’t be alarmed, even though I mentioned Uncharted and Tomb Raider previously, Stars in the Trash is not at all similar to those titles in terms of fighting. The only actual combat Moka encounters is a little bit of paw-fighting, where you simply need to mash a button in order to kick some rat butts.

Where Stars in the Trash shines the brightest is probably its visual presentation, with a hand-painted watercolour art style reminiscent of older Disney classics like The Aristocats and Lady and the Tramp. Not only are the characters given life with this charming aesthetic, the environments are just as lovingly drawn. From cozy living rooms to bustling city streets and the quiet countryside, every background is packed with interesting details, such as graffiti, street artists and elaborate storefronts. It’s clear that an enormous amount of care also went into the animation; even when Moka stands still for a little while, he lies down and starts to purr (and the controller vibrates with him!).

The soundtrack is just as thoughtful. At times it is beautiful piano music, whether happy or more melancholic when appropriate. At other times it swells into something more adventurous or upbeat with a bigger orchestral score, especially during chase sequences, when the music becomes subtly unsettling. In the absence of any voice acting, the music has to hold the sound design up on its own, and it works perfectly with the visuals to create an immersive experience that is sure to paw at your heart.

Stars in the Trash is lighthearted and playful for the most part, but I was taken on an unexpectedly emotional journey with Moka. From thoughtful touches such as the wholesome friendship between Moka and his dog companion, to fun details like cats being terrified of cucumbers, this game really ticked all the boxes for me as an animal lover. If Moka steps in a puddle, he stops to shake his paw, and overall the whimsical and cheerful tone is delightful. Do not be fooled by the cute and charming visuals, however, as the story also takes some darker turns along the way. Nothing so dark that it might scare off younger players, but more than one scene brought a tear to my eye.

In terms of length this is a fairly short adventure, so even if you take your time to stop and smell the flowers, you will probably not spend more than an hour or two in Moka’s company. (He doesn’t actually smell the flowers, but he will knock over a number of flower pots along the way!) The game’s brevity is probably its biggest weakness, but in the right way as it left me wanting more rather than feeling cheated. I especially wish I could’ve got to know more about the characters, such as why is the dog in a wheelchair, and what is Moka’s family like?

Final Verdict

I can appreciate that platforming and combat isn’t for everyone, and some players will probably steer sharply away from games like this, but Stars in the Trash is light enough in the “action” department that it shouldn’t scare anyone away, and there are plenty of reasons to make an exception. It might not be long or complex, but it looks and sounds lovely and has more heart than many games ten times its size, so if you’re anything like me, you’ll not only have a good time while it lasts, but still be thinking about Moka long after the final meow.

Aurora played Stars in the Trash on PC using a review code provided by the game's publisher.