Cat Quest III Purrfect pirate adventure

For the first time in the series, you get your own ship. The Purribean is an open archipelago, and from the start you can point your bow anywhere: sail out, fire cannons at enemy vessels, then zip to shore and continue on paw. The sea and land flow into each other without loading screens, so a trip rarely stays a trip. You might set out for one island, spot a cave on the way, and come back an hour later with new weapons, a blunderpuss among them, and a story you did not plan. The ship itself can be upgraded with items you find, and the weather and colors change as you cross the map, so each stretch of water looks its own way.

The fighting is quick and easy to grasp, and this entry tightens it up: attack combos flow better, and you can carry a melee weapon and a ranged one, swapping mid-fight when a situation calls for it. Spells add bigger options, and gear comes with different bonus effects, so two builds can feel noticeably different. Enemies and bosses have their own attack patterns to learn, and the wanted-poster bosses give you something to hunt. Fair warning from the couch: the game looks adorable and still bites. Because the whole map is open early, wandering into the wrong corner can end badly until you level up.

The whole adventure is playable in local co-op, one cat per player, sharing one screen and one couch. It suits the game well: the combat is simple to learn, the fights are short, and the jokes land just as well when someone else is reading them out loud. It is a natural pick for playing with kids or a partner: family friendly, fair in difficulty, and short sessions fit it fine. One copy, two pirates, one treasure map that is probably upside down.