Pushcat

Pushcat is what you get when you cross Bejeweled with Boulder Dash. Interestingly, the game specifically draws inspiration from the NES version of Boulder Dash, which I have something of an irrational love for after I spent most of my childhood playing it. The mechanics are very simple: you need to collect a quota of silver coins from each level, but first you need to create the coins by pushing and dropping colored gems into rows of three. Later, there are some other ways that coins are created, as well as some other mechanics like blobs that eat rocks and bombs that destroy walls under certain circumstances. If you collect the coin quota and exit, you can progress to other levels, but you can also aim for a “star” quota on most levels by collecting even more coins. There are about fifty levels in all. The game has many random elements. Some levels are completely random, others are generated based on a fixed template, but the specific contents of the level will change every time...

I was a big fan of the C64 Boulder Dash games way back in the day, and while Pushcat has figured out a way to put an interesting twist on that style of game, I think it puts emphasis on the wrong things. Most notably, there's a significant element of randomness to the majority of levels, whether it's random gem layouts or random block spawners, PushCat leans far more into its Match-3 elements rather than being a tightly-designed puzzle game. The subsequent effect is that the levels all feel very 'samey', in that they tend to ultimately boil down to shifting a large pile of gems and rocks around, pushing rocks into the gutter and matching gems so that you can pick them up. If the level features infinite spawners, the gem target is obnoxiously large and tedious. If the level features a finite-but-RNG amount of gems, the gem target tends to be underwhelming and doesn't promote careful thought-out play. It's only the handful of fixed-layout levels that are actually any good. Which is a ...

What I like about it: reminds me of Boulder Dash, except things don't kill you when they fall on you, and you can push multiple objects (not just one). What's give-or-take for me: it's a match-three. Not exactly my favorite style of puzzle, though it puts an interesting spin on the Boulder Dash-like gameplay. What I don't like: some sections of puzzles are randomized. Still, if you can snag it for cheap, I say go for it.

Pushcat is a great game!! The game is very addicting! It is a different kind of match 3 game because you have to plan your moves and use different strategies to win the games within levels. You get coins after you match 3 or more gems but then you have to go back and collect the coins which is easier said than done. You can play a game (cave) a few times and then realize what you need to do to beat it! There are 50 caves to beat, they are all different, some have a few gems some have hundreds of gems. There is no time limit and you can replay the cave till you win it! It's a great puzzle solving game along with a match 3 game! I love it! I recommend this game! I'd buy it again :-)

fun little puzzle game

Shopworn Match 3 mechanics receive a new lease on life in [i]Pushcat[/i], a cheery [i]Boulder Dash[/i] derivative brimming with attractive pixel art and goofy dialogue. Players assist the indomitable title character as he travels through various worlds in search of gems which yield smiling silver coins. When three or more gems of the same colour are matched horizontally or vertically they transform into the coins, much to the delight of the covetous cat. After a set number of coins are collected, Pushcat can escape through the catflap and proceed to the next area. Although Pushcat can become trapped or reduced to ashes by exploding Aztec Death-heads and have no choice but to restart the level, he never needs to worry about being crushed from above by falling blocks; this element makes the gameplay far less tedious than that of many [i]Boulder Dash[/i] imitators. Most levels require some degree of planning, but every once in a while there are more freeform, endurance-focused trials...

I bought Boulderdash & another Boulderdash style game. I also downloaded a few free ones. BY FAR, this is the best of them all. I hope more levels are on the way, because this can not be the last of a game that plays this well.

this is a great little game. The one catch is that you can inadvertently exit a cave while navigating around, which is particularly frustrating when you're close to getting that gold star. A simple "Are you sure you want to exit the cave" dialouge prompt would go a long way in making this game great. Still worth it.

very fun :)