Shady Cats

In Shady Cats, the greatest threat doesn’t come from snarling monsters or stationary traps—it comes from your own shadow. This 2D platformer casts you as an agile cat on a mission to collect plump, delicious acorns.

The twist? Every move you make—every run, every jump—is mirrored exactly by a dark double trailing right behind you. A single moment of hesitation, a sudden sharp turn, or jumping backward into your own previous path will cause you to collide with your shadow, ending the game instantly.

What makes Shady Cats so engaging?

The real fun starts when you bring some friends around to play. The game may support up to four people, each controlling a different cat, on the same keyboard. Now you have to not only run away from your own shadow, but also from the "afterimages" of your teammates. Smooth coordination, accurate computation of the jump trajectories, and not getting in each other’s way are critical to the survival of the group.

Controls

Player 1: Left/Right Arrow Keys (Move); Up Arrow (Jump).

Player 2: A or Q (Left), D (Right); W or Z (Jump).

Player 3: J/L (Move); I (Jump).

Player 4: F/H (Move); T (Jump).

Tips and tricks

Keep moving forward: Don't go back on your steps; you especially don't want to do this when the distance between you and your shadow has grown critically narrow. Expect the trajectory: Imagine the shadow moving in response to what you just did, before you turn around.

Save your fireflies. Don't blow your fireflies. Save them for when you're down to the wire, and the shadow has closed off all escape routes.

Weigh the honey: Honey gives you a great number of additional chestnuts, but the risk of being swarmed by bees often surpasses the possible profit.

Be cautious of overlapping shadows: In Co-op mode, any cat’s shadow can be fatal—keep a watch on the whole board, not just your character.

Similar platformer games: TAG 2 Online.