Neko Atsume 2: The Return of the Meows

Neko Atsume 2 was silently released over the past weekend. Once word got out, players flocked to download it. 

Back in 2015, Neko Atsume took the world by storm as millions of players downloaded the app to meet the many cats in the neighborhood. The game became such a huge hit that it launched a merch line, a film adaptation, and a Kamen Rider spin-off. 

In 2018, a PS4 VR edition was released in Japan. It became available in the US in 2021, but a Meta Quest edition was released in 2023.

The Premise

Neko Atsume 2 is an idle game where players leave out snacks and toys for the cats and leave the app. Whenever players return, they are met with thank-you treats from the cats they missed in the form of gold and grey fish. Grey fish are the common currency, and gold fish are used to buy premium items. In many cases, players can also see cats playing in their yards if there is still food left in the cat bowl.

Players begin with a tiny yard. However, they can spend real money to obtain gold fish to buy an expansion. Alternatively, they can save up grey fish to buy the expansion. Getting everything done in the game shouldn’t take more than a month if players are actively checking on their yard every few hours or so to refill their cat bowl. I’ve been playing for a little less than a week, and I’m ¼ of my way to getting the 5,000 grey fish yard expansion. This is after I splurged on an umbrella worth 300 grey fish.

The Appeal

Neko Atsume 2 is not the most exciting gameplay, but it’s nice to watch the cats hang out. Instead of doom-scrolling on Twitter, I find myself opening up the app to watch the cats hanging out in my yard.

There is the option to take photos of the cats and create a photo album for each of them. It’s not necessary, but having personalized memories of each cat is something I find precious. While I know everyone can get the same shot, the serotonin that shoots through me when I see a cat doing something new makes me open my camera to add the moment to my collection.

Once cats develop a certain level of trust with the player, the cats bestow mementos onto the player. No, none of them give you dead animals. They’re not real cats. However, getting a memento from each cat is a way for them to show that we have their trust, just like when a real cat brings in a dead animal. 

The Differences

There isn’t much of a difference between Neko Atsume and Neko Atsume 2. There are new features, but players can also use the features from the first game. However, some changes make Neko Atsume 2 slightly different. 

There is now an option to visit other players’ yards. The visitation feature isn’t built into the game itself. Yards need to be sought out on social media. Players can post a link to their yard online, allowing other players to visit their yard in the state it was when the player created the link. Visiting other players once a day gives players a stamp. These stamps can be redeemed for deluxe snacks once the player fills up a card. 

There is also the addition of new items and cats to the series. There are also cats locked behind the game’s subscription service. This tiered subscription service allows players to create 1-3 new cats based on the tier of their subscription. For example, players who subscribe to tier 3 can create 3 custom cats. The lowest tier is .99 monthly, and the highest tier is $3.49 monthly. Every tier gives players access to Aida, a cat who helps the player collect more grey fish and automatically refills the cat bowl.

At the beginning of the game, players can choose between the old yard or a new yard. The yard players select doesn’t matter. However, each yard comes with a special surprise: a dog! Yes, a dog can be seen randomly peeking into our yards. If players click on the dog, it barks. 

In Neko Atsume, items never needed fixing. In Neko Atsume 2, items do get worn out and require maintenance. Some items do not require currency to fix, but some do. I find this change to be a little odd. However, realistically speaking, I can’t expect 10 cats to use the same scratching post every day and not need to replace it at some point. 

Getting Ready for a Meow-tastic Time

If you’re ready to hang out with some cool cats, this is the perfect pastime. I’m excited to meet the new cats and visit my friends’ yards to see their cats. 

Neko Atsume and Neko Atsume 2 are available on all iOS and Android devices via the app stores. If you have a Meta Quest, the VR edition of the game is also available.