Cats with Standards: A Demo of Psychological Horror & Personal Struggle

Gaming Staff • May 1, 2025

Indie Game Pc Games Role Playing Game Virtual Reality Gaming Early Access Free To Play

Jestercraft, an indie game studio led by veteran developer Klaus Kääriäinen, has launched the demo for its new psychological horror game, Cats with Standards. The game is now available on Steam and invites players to explore a dystopian world dominated by cats with twisted rules. Obedience is expected in this society, and any act of rebellion comes with severe consequences.

Cats with Standards is a story-driven, hidden-object psychological horror game inspired by Kääriäinen's personal experiences with burnout. The game reflects the crushing weight of modern life, where the demands of work, performance-driven culture, and the need to meet expectations can lead to emotional collapse. The game serves as a haunting narrative and a deeply personal expression of mental exhaustion in a society that rarely allows room for vulnerability.

The game features psychological horror, hidden object mechanics, branching choices, and multiple endings. The hand-drawn art style and original soundtrack bring this nightmarish world to life. Kääriäinen created the game to express his sense of being trapped in an environment that demands conformity, even at the expense of one's own well-being.

The demo of Cats with Standards is now available on Steam, offering players a sneak peek into this surreal world through three carefully crafted levels. Jestercraft is a one-man indie game studio founded by Klaus Kääriäinen, a seasoned game developer with years of experience in the industry. Cats with Standards is the studio's debut release, a passion project fueled by Kääriäinen's own struggles with burnout, people-pleasing, and self-identity.

Source