If you’re anything like me, your Xbox library is a constant battle between high-stress competitive shooters and the “I just want to rot on the couch with a coffee” indies. Lately, I’ve been leaning hard into the latter, which is how I stumbled upon Inkling Cats: Beneath the Dreams.
On the surface, it’s a game about kittens. But beneath that cute exterior—literally “beneath the dreams”—is a surprisingly deep, ink-splattered roguelike that feels like a love letter to childhood imagination.
A World Sketched into Life
The premise is genuinely sweet: you’re playing through the dreams of a creative kid named Liam. Everything in the game—from the enemies to the environments—looks like it was doodled into a magical sketchbook.
You play as one of his three kittens: Spok, Smuk, or Skrat. Each one has a completely different vibe. Spok is your reliable all-rounder, Smuk is built for the “glass cannon” players who love speed, and Skrat is essentially a tiny, furry tank. There’s something inherently hilarious (and satisfying) about taking a plush kitten and absolutely wrecking a room full of sketchbook monsters.
The Gameplay: Binding of Isaac Meets a Coloring Book
If you’ve played The Binding of Isaac or Enter the Gungeon, the room-to-room combat will feel familiar, but Inkling Cats carves out its own identity with its weapon customization.
Instead of just picking up a “better” gun, you’re collecting ink drops and components to modify your gear piece by piece. You can swap out barrels, add elemental effects, or build synergies that turn a simple projectile into a screen-clearing explosion of ink. It makes every run feel less like you’re at the mercy of RNG and more like you’re an architect of your own chaos.
Why It Clicks
The “just one more run” loop is strong here. Because the world is divided into nine chapters within an enchanted book, the progression feels manageable. You aren’t just grinding for the sake of it; you’re unlocking new “pages” of the story, discovering magical cards that change your playstyle, and gradually seeing Liam’s world expand.
It also supports local co-op, which is a rarity for roguelikes these days. Sitting on the couch with a friend, arguing over who gets the best weapon component while dodging ink-monsters, is exactly the kind of low-stakes/high-fun energy I’ve been looking for.
Final Verdict
Inkling Cats: Beneath the Dreams isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to. It’s colorful, it’s creative, and it has a mechanical depth that rewards you for paying attention to your “build.”
If you’re looking for something that balances “cute aesthetic” with “challenging gameplay,” this is a hidden gem on the Xbox Store that deserves a spot in your rotation. Plus, you get to play as a kitten with a customizable ink-cannon. What more do you actually want?
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