To preface: I was a Kickstarter backer for this game. Received code on launch day. I did not receive this game for free, as I was a Kickstarter financial supporter.

To summarize my Calico experience: This game is like having cotton candy left out in the rain, leaving you with a sugary drippy mess that you can't enjoy. A good vibe and pastel cutesy aesthetic alone does not make a game good. The execution is terrible with what this game could have been, and leaves much to be desired. Beautiful artwork and a cute style doesn't make up for frustrating game play I've dealt with in my two hours of play time. Calico is a game that is easy on the eyes but difficult to play, leaving you sore to the senses: full of bugs, glitches, and overall, a hollow experience. This game is absolutely not worth full price. Please consider waiting until the developers put in a LOT OF TLC to make this game more polished.

Now, some pointers and notes on why I feel this way:

Positives that kept me Optimistic

- Cool inclusive customization! The character customization is better than most AAA title games with plus size options and other ways to make your character adorable. The characters were my favorite part of the game and would have done better as a comic book series or some other form of media, even.
- Nonbinary character and a variety of well designed NPCs! See above, love the characters. The dialogue can be really charming and cute when they talk with you and interact.
- Cute 2D art! Everything art direction wise is very well done. But again, see my note: aesthetic does not save a game, which is a great point to transition into...

Negatives that Broke Me

- The gameplay is a frustrating experience. It's hard to navigate this 3D world. Before you unlock the mount feature (like riding a huge cat), it's tedious to run around to the town. The cat cafe is incredibly far away. Input lag is noticeable and sometimes buttons don't work.
- The 3D is unappealing and still looks like an Alpha version. I am convinced they just didn't want to push the development more than they already had. On October 2020 on their Kickstarter updates, they asked for more patience and delayed it again (it's okay, like, 2020 is a rough year, and I honestly would have been okay with waiting a BIT longer if they took more time to polish this). Their decision to release it now makes me wonder if they just wanted to not disappoint fans further. I was hoping that it was part of the charm, but it just looks...bad.
- The audio in this game, both sound effects and music, are atrocious. Sound mixing is AWFUL. The cries of the animals are poorly audio balanced, and the ONLY songs that play get grading after only a mere 5 minutes. Be ready to put on your own music if you want to play for a long period of time.
- I am also convinced that this game is not well optimized in the slightest: I may not have the highest grade gaming computer, but after an hour of playing, my system was HOT after playing. I could have roasted marshmallows over my gaming laptop after playing an hour of Calico.
- Dialogue boxes will randomly close when talking with NPCs. Apparently they did a hotfix on this since 12/15, but it keeps happening when I play. It's frustrating to progress in the story when this happens.
- The UI is bulky and tends to get in the way a lot. It's very distracting.
- I know that the ragdoll physics and "wonky" models are supposed to be part of the charm, but it lost its charm for me in a short duration of time. Birds placed on your head will T-POSE, polar bears will just spin endlessly when you get out the toy wand to play with them...there's so much chaos to these animals and their models, *you have no idea.*
- Speaking of the models, wow, your playable character model is a mess. They always look into the long distance with an empty look in their eyes. When you pet or hold an animal, it looks like you're constantly breaking your wrists, and the model is so low quality compared to the other NPC models that are adorable. It's a shame. I want to a pretty Magical Person, please let me look just as good as the other models!

As mentioned briefly, the developers have been addressing and fixing bugs and glitches (but again, I'm still having issues that apparently have been "fixed").

I wanted to believe in this game. I really did. The confusing mechanics, menus, and controls that make up the gameplay of Calico don’t feel ready enough. It feels like they released this game just to avoid another delay. Calico’s world was introduced to me through Kickstarter as a warm and cute game experience, being as bold as to say it would be similar to games that I adore like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, but I fell for the ruse and got nothing like that. Gamer pro tip: NEVER TRUST DEVELOPERS THAT COMPARE OTHER COMFY GAMES FOR THEIR COMFY GAMES. It fails. Miserably. Every time!

Overall, Calico has left me disheartened and disappointed. I could see the passion behind the team, but it's obvious the implementation of these whimsical ideas fell so short from their main goal.

I will not be returning to this game besides showing my friends how awful this game plays for a laugh, and warning them to wait until fixes get implemented: Many. MANY. Fixes.

UPDATE, 2023: Hey folks, this game is still bad. It's been three years, released on the Switch, and still disappointing. I no longer show this game to my friends because it is not even worth the time for a cheap laugh when so many other indie studios and groups create games with both the love and the skill to create a better experience.