Cats prowl through the history of fiction, lending their feline mischief to countless classic works. Glimpses of gleaming eyes and the rumble of gentle purrs are everywhere, as the little furry companions wriggle their way into novels, movies, and games. The upcoming Catie in MeowmeowLand is a whimsical journey through a mystical feline world, and has its roots in the many cat-centric creations of the past.
Tumbling Down the Rabbithole
The year is 1865 and London is the most populous city in the world. The River Thames bristles with sailing barges and rowing boats, drifting in the shadows of hulking half-constructed steamships. In the newly-built London Underground, locomotives propel wooden cars through dark tunnels, gas lamps lighting the way.
It is the year that Britain’s first speed limit is put in place, outlawing blistering speeds of 2 mph in town and 4 mph in the country. Elsewhere in the world, the New York Stock Exchange establishes its first permanent headquarters in New York City. Within a year, dynamite will be invented. Transatlantic telegraph cables have failed once, but will succeed in a years’ time. Wars rage and nations are reshaped.
And in London, the bustling hub of a changing world, a man by the name of Lewis Carroll publishes a timeless piece of children’s fiction, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
One of the best-known pieces of Victorian literature, Carroll’s novel is a classic which virtually everyone alive knows of, and has likely read or experienced through one of its many adaptations. The beautifully written tale of fantastical adventure brings to life enchantingly odd characters and imagery - unique creations that ensnare the imagination and embed deep in memory. Figures like the Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, and Cheshire Cat remain cultural touchstones to this day, and have endlessly influenced the fantasy genre and wider popular culture. The fantastic world of Wonderland, with all its absurd eccentricities, is one which generation after generation of children yearn to visit.
The timelessness of this tale has led to countless adaptations. The 1951 film, Alice in Wonderland, was Walt Disney’s 13th animated feature film, and received a surprisingly lackluster initial reception. A considerably more successful 1974 theater re-release cemented its popularity, and in more recent years Disney released the Tim Burton-directed live-action adaptation. Both movies depict the classic tale of Alice falling into the bizarre and lore-rich world of Wonderland, discovering its countless peculiar creatures and characters.
The Magic of Studio Ghibli
Over a century patters by. The year is 1985, or Showa 60 in the Japanese calendar, a time of economic prosperity for the country. Japan is about to host the 1985 Summer Universiade in Kobe, as well as Miss International 1985 in the city of Tsukuba. A group of creatives fresh off the success of the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind join together to found an animation film studio. The legendary Studio Ghibli is born, and founders Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata begin work on the magical films that will inspire a whole new generation.
In just a few years, one of their most acclaimed and iconic films will arrive, in My Neighbour Totoro, the story of two young girls discovering a supernatural world of woodland spirits and wondrous creatures. One of the most striking elements is the Catbus, the gigantic flying cat with headlights for eyes, windows running along its side, and a hollow interior with fur-covered seats. This wondrously bizarre creation ferries characters to and fro, all the while wearing a wide grin uncannily reminiscent of Carroll’s Cheshire Cat.
Many years and incredible animated creations later, 2002 delivers Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns, telling the story of a girl with a feline affinity. Able to speak the language of cats, she crosses paths with a Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and finds herself invited to his realm. She explores a world filled with absurd and whimsical cat characters, and all the spell-binding strangeness Studio Ghibli is known for.
The Wonders of MeowmeowLand
The common ingredients of these creations, separated by continents, oceans, and over a century, are manifold - but they will soon share yet another connection. The upcoming fantastical adventure game, Catie in MeowmeowLand, draws upon the rich shared elements of both. It is a love letter and homage to the peculiar creatures and characters of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the fantastical lore-rich worlds of Studio Ghibli.
References to Carroll’s work abound - from a fateful tumble down an animal’s burrow to the appearance of a highly familiar sentient egg, and a furry creature leading the way with a time-piece in its grip. Studio Ghibli fans will feel the thrill of recognition as well - in the creature somewhere between cat and train which carries Catie on her journey, and the wondrous world bursting with eccentric feline characters of every persuasion.
However, there is a deeper similarity which unifies all of these stories, a common essence that binds them together. A human discovering a world of magic, filled with imaginary creatures. A rich, fantastical world bursting with life, with unique details and characters, and eccentricities waiting around each and every corner. It is about discovering a hole in the reality of the ordinary world, and plunging through it into a spectacular realm of dazzling imagination, of joyous whimsy, and most importantly, of cats.
Catie in MeowmeowLand is a traditional point-and-click adventure game set in a bizarre world of cats and ludicrous characters. Echoing the adventures of Alice, Catie follows a white cat with a pocket clock into her garden, and is swept down a rabbit hole into the world of MeowmeowLand. From there, your task is to solve puzzles and help Catie get back home!
Find your way through the strange land of MeowmeowLand, meeting a host of peculiar characters and solving a series of bizarre and original puzzles that will test your imagination. Sink into a hand-crafted, detailed world, with original music, 24 2D hand-drawn sceneries, and over 100 uniquely amusing characters with individual voices and over 2 hours of animations.
Catie in MeowmeowLand is available now on Steam, alongside Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and GOG!
Hey, everyone We have synchronized our recent alpha updates to the stable version ( which is the Steam default one )
Removed Easter Content:
Removed the bonus effect of happiness boosting for Rack of Lamb and Ham.
Removed Easter Egg Event.
Removed the building choice of wonder building - Giant Easter Egg. (Building on construction or completed won't be influenced).
Removed the Easter-related decoration of Marketplace and Small Marketplace.
Easter Eggs of decorative buildings will remain.
Feature Adjustments:
Optimized the UI and logic for the recipe selection in processing buildings (now will auto select feasible processing recipe once selecting a certain product).
Optimized the image in tutorial to fit in with new UI design and added some guides for new processing system.
Adjusted the output products in Butcher. Fat now can be obtained through slaughtering livestock or hunting. (Butcher buildings in old saves need demolishing and rebuilding).
Optimized the tips when material reserves of Quarry type buildings are running out.
Optimized the name pool in some languages.
Optimized the entry and exit place of Marketplace.
Optimized the introduction text of Sandbox Mode.
Optimized the description text of technology - Quick Preparation (no changes in actual effect).
Added many decorative buildings.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed the difficulty score of Initial Livestock when creating a new game.
Fixed the guide text when first encountering Sandstorm and Tornado.
Fixed the issue that Sandstorm and Tornado will be triggered in Easter Island.
Fixed images not shown in some passive events.
Fixed sick citizens unable to be banished or treated in some cases.
Fixed domestic animals can be spawned randomly on map when creating a new game.
Fixed the wrong info in some cases shown in formed caravan.
Fixed the difficulty shown as the preset name when creating a new game with custom settings.
Fixed the issue that the name of city can be changed when setting its name unchangeable.
Fixed House-type-buildings option can still be selected in the blank on the left after changing Build Menu Style.
The second journey to the planet Prime has started! We would like to thank everyone for patiently waiting for this moment.
The 2nd CBT will be available for players to enjoy 24/7 for 11 days. If you encounter any issues, errors, or inconveniences, please share your experience with us so we can continue to improve Overprime. If you notice any good changes, please feel free to talk about them on our Discord.
2nd CBT Details
2nd CBT Period
04/29/2022 at 11:00 AM- 05/09/2022 at 07:00 PM (UTC+9)
2nd CBT Events
We have multiple events happening during the 2nd CBT period. Click the link below to learn more about them! [Go to 2nd CBT Events]
Basic Gameplay Info
Visit our official website to learn more about basic gameplay in Overprime. [Go to Game Info]
Minimum/Recommended Specifications
*Check the minimum and recommended specifications for optimized gameplay!
Survey Information
▷ Survey Period 04/29/2022 at 03:00 PM - 05/15/2022 at 11:59 PM (UTC+9)
▷ Survey Details Warriors, we want to hear from you! Tell us what you thought about the 2nd CBT! We would love to know what you think and how you feel about the game. Our team takes your feedback seriously and will do our best to make the game the best it can be.
▷ Click the Survey banner on the left side of the in-game Lobby screen.
Report Bugs via Discord
- If you find any errors during the 2nd CBT, please report them via Discord.
*Any changes made during the 2nd CBT will be announced via Latest News. *On the official Discord server, players have access to the bug report and feedback channels. *Use the [bug-report] channel to report bugs. Please include the following information in your report.
▷ Bug Report Format Step 1. What is the issue? Step 2. How did the issue occur? Step 3. Attach screenshots or video clips Step 4. Did you play the game on a PC with the minimum spec requirements or better? (Yes/No)
Follow the Overprime Page
- Follow or add Overprime to your Wishlist to receive the latest news about the release date and any updates. *Steam > Search Overprime > Add to Wishlist or Follow
Notes:
*Accounts created during the 2nd CBT will reset at the end of the 2nd CBT. *Maintenance could be scheduled if needed. An announcement will be posted in advance. *Please keep in mind that the end date of the 2nd CBT is subject to change.
We hope everyone has fun during the 2nd CBT! We'll see you on Discord! Thank you.
It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.
This Week's Dev Picks
1v1 Random Maps
✔ ARABIA✔ ARENA✔ HILL FORT✔ TEAM ISLANDS
Team Games
✔ ARABIA✔ ARENA✔ BLACK FOREST✔ GOLDEN PIT✔ MEGARANDOM✔ NILE DELTA
Cast Your Vote Now!
To participate in the community ranked map pool vote, you will need to login to the official Age forum using your free Microsoft account. Then, click the images below to jump to this week’s polls.
:alertalert: Polls are open until NOON Pacific on Sunday, May 1 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!
We would like to announce the 3rd town to be opened for Server Hestia. - Ankha 1. The stocks of Ankha Town will be offered for public. Date: May 1, 2022 Time: 10:00pm PST/PDT