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Indie Dev Interview: Switchback Studio’s Harrison on Cat Herder 

Cats and videogames go together like cheese and crackers, and taking a popular term for trying to control the uncontrollable, Harrison and Switchback are on to a winner with Cat Herder. 

In Cat Herder, you take the role of a hapless cat owner/sitter who tries to get these playful, adorable and easily distracted animals to do what you want, through various puzzles and scenarios. 

We caught up with Harrison to find out more about his journey as a solo dev, how the game came to be and his muse/cat Dory, as he confessed he is actually a dog person!

Cat Herder is out now available on Steam 

Please could you introduce yourself?

My name is Harrison! I’m a former mechanical engineer, and left my job about a year ago to try and make it as an indie developer!

And could you introduce your studio?

My studio is called Switchback Studio, but in reality it’s just me. I’m a solo dev! I got the idea for the name when I was on a backpacking trip, and thought the alliteration was fun.

Can you tell us about Cat Herder?

Cat Herder is a silly, cute, and chaotic little puzzle game about, umm, herding cats!  The gameplay revolves around trying to get the cats into the target zones, and making them stay there.  The cats, being cats, are not always cooperative.

How did you come up with the concept?

The first version of Cat Herder was made as part of a self-inflicted challenge, where I created 10 video games in 10 weeks! It was the 9th game in the challenge, and only exists because my initial game idea involving mirrors had to be scrapped after the first day. The concept for the game more or less sprang to life fully formed, though I imagine my real-life cat Dory also had something to do with it.

Can you tell us a little about the gameplay?

There’s a bunch of different cat toys in the game, from treats to laser pointers to cat wheels, and each one interacts with the cats/player in a different way.  The cats also have their own likes and dislikes! The puzzle aspect of the game comes from figuring out how to properly use what toys you have available.

Did you want to give the cats personality in the game?

My cat Dory was a huge influence on the personality of the game!  She’s incredibly chaotic, so a lot of that comes through in how cats will react to certain stimuli, like sniffing catnip, getting splashed, or being picked up against their will.  She also inspired some of the toy interactions, like watching TV.

What’s your next step for the game and plans for the future?

The next big step for the game is release! After that (and the inevitable wave of bug reports), I may or may not do an update or two, depending on the game’s success. From there, I’ll be working on my next game, tentatively titled Sticky Golf, where everything the ball hits, sticks!

Are you a cat or a dog person?

Funnily enough, I’m probably more of a dog person, and would absolutely have a dog if I didn’t live in a relatively small apartment. Still, I obviously love cats!

When is it out and how can people stay updated?

The game came out on Thursday,November 3rd!  If you’re interested in updates, the best place for it is twitter:  https://twitter.com/SwitchbackSt33

For more on all things indie games, stay tuned to www.intoindiegames.com