Tail of 9 Lives

A cozy rogue-like survival platformer where a cat must evade capture for 90 seconds, losing a life each time it's caught—gaining a tarot card ability in return!

Estimated Playtime: 5-10 minutes per run 

 Age Rating: 7+ (Mild Cartoon Mischief)

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🏆 Awards:

Tail of 9 Lives was awarded "Design Winner" at In the Making Festival 2025 — an arts festival held in Cork, Ireland. 

The game was showcased in an interactive arcade gallery at the Cork Opera House, where audience feedback contributed to the final judging.

Featured → https://www.inthemakingfest.com/in-the-making-jam-to9l-game

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🃏 Tarot Card System

Each time the Cat loses a life, they draw one of 22 Major Arcana Cat Tarot Cards, which provide buffs, debuffs, or chaotic effects.

Some Example Cards & Effects →

Card	Effect
The Fool	A playful pounce of fate — speed up or slow down!
The Chariot	A mighty feline sprint — Dash unlocked!
Justice	A life gained, but more Catchers prowl the land.
The Sun	A burst of energy! Your speed surges for 10 seconds.
The World	Destiny shields you — next lost life is prevented.

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🎮 Controls

Move Left / Right	A / D or Left / Right Arrow
Jump (if unlocked)	Spacebar
Dash (if unlocked)	Left Shift
Interact (Tarot Card Selection)	Left Mouse

*NOTE: Controllers are supported but not tested for UI.

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🐾 Meaning behind the name

The title "Tail of 9 Lives" plays on the classic saying that cats have nine lives, tying directly into the game's rogue-lite mechanic where the Cat loses a life upon being caught. The game revolves around using tarot cards to evolve and grow throughout those nine lives, making each run unique.

This playful yet meaningful name fits the cozy, rogue-lite survival theme, making it memorable and fun for players!

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🎨 Assets Used / Credits

• Main Character (Cat) → Cute Legends Cat Heroes (https://9e0.itch.io/cute-legends-cat-heroes)
• Chaser (Catcher NPC) → Chick Boy (https://9e0.itch.io/chick-boy)
• Environment (City Sidewalk Café) → Longcat Café Asset Pack (https://bittybeastie.itch.io/longcat-cafe-asset-pack)
• Cat Tarot Cards → Cat Tarot Cards (https://deliriumt.itch.io/cat-tarot-cards)
• Sounds & Music → https://freesound.org/

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This game was made in under 24 hours for - "In The Making Jam 2025" https://itch.io/jam/in-the-making-jam-2025

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Thanks for playing!

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