Ludography
76/100
Players53 ratings
76/100
Critics5 reviews
More scores
Metacritic13 critic reviews
79/100
Metacritic usersuser score
75/100
GameFAQsJust Right
3.25/5
Player reviews
94% positive4,405 reviews
Steam Deck
Verified
Runs on
Windows
Price
US$7.99

Where to get it

Gato Roboto cover

2019 · doinksoft · Adventure · Arcade

Gato Roboto

Timed Nintendo exclusive

Pounce inside of your cozy armored mech and set off on a dangerous trek through an alien underworld full of irritable creatures and treacherous obstacles in a valiant effort to save your stranded captain and his crashed spaceship.

Released
30 May 2019
Platforms
Nintendo SwitchWindowsXbox One
Genres
AdventureArcadeIndieMetroidvaniaPlatformer
Developers
doinksoft
Publishers
Devolver Digital
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionScience fictionComedy
Engine
GameMaker
Country
United States
Age ratings
ACB GPEGI 3GRAC ALLESRB ECERO ACLASS_IND LUSK 6
Languages
Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Spain)
Time to beat
3.5hmain story9hwith extras4hcompletionist

About

Gato Roboto is a 2D Metroidvania video game developed by American studio Doinksoft and published by Devolver Digital on May 30, 2019. The game follows a cat named Kiki attempting to save her owner after they crash land on an alien planet, forcing Kiki to don a mech suit and explore the planet's depths.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

In Gato Roboto players control a cat named Kiki. By default, Kiki can climb and jump off of walls, swim in water, and fit through small gaps. She is unable to damage enemies or use any other abilities, and dies in one hit. However, while inside of a mech suit (which can be obtained at most save points) she gains multiple hit points, a gun attack, as well as several other upgrades found throughout the game, such as a double jump and a dash ability. Other mechs, including a submarine and a turret, can be found throughout the game.

The player's main goal is to enter the lab of the alien planet Kiki is stranded on in order to find a way to free Kiki's owner, Gary. Access to the lab is blocked off until the player clears the planet's aqueducts, heating system, and ventilation system, after doing which they advance to the lab, the final area of the game. Throughout the game's world there are many upgrades, including movement abilities, health upgrades, and cassette tapes which unlock optional color palette swaps for the game's 1-bit graphics.

Story

In the distant future, Gary and his cat Kiki are piloting a spaceship to a distress call in an alien planet. While flying towards the planet, Kiki steps on the ship's keyboard causing the ship to crash land. Both survive, but Gary is trapped with the wrecked ship, while Kiki is outside of it. Gary then sends Kiki out to find a mech suit, explore the planet, and find a way to get off of it.

Throughout the world Kiki can discover voice logs which speak of a mad scientist obsessed with keeping his sickly dog Barkley alive. Additionally, as Kiki clears out the planet's systems to gain access to the lab, they repeatedly encounter a talking rat, who is eventually revealed to be the mad scientist, transferred into a different body. He confesses to using a false security alert to lure Gary's ship to his planet, in order to steal Gary's body. He transfers his consciousness into Gary's body, and plans to save Barkley by transferring his consciousness into Kiki's body.

Reception

According to review aggregator Metacritic, the PC version received generally favorable reviews from critics while the Switch version received mixed or average reviews. Kyle LeClair of Hardcore Gamer called it a "fun, insane concept" and "simple yet highly fun". In regards to difficulty, IGN Japan said it was "more difficult than you would expect from a game that stars a cute cat in mech armor, but it's well worth it if you're up for the challenge."

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Nintendo Switch30 May 2019Worldwide
Windows30 May 2019Worldwide
Xbox One21 April 2020Worldwide

Editions and related releases

Included in
The Doinksoft Collection

Games like this

Collections1 collection

Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.