HERE COME THE CATS, the game
HERE COME THE CATS is a free boss fight by Paledoptera. The itch.io page and the Game Jolt page both describe a rhythm bullet-hell, in the vein of a lane-dodging music game, starring Dess and a hunting pack of cats. Game Jolt labeled its package version 1.0.0 when checked on 9 Nov 2026. The itch publication timestamp is 7 Nov 2026 at 21:59 UTC, which is 8 Nov in Singapore.
Game facts and source status
| Fact | Reading | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Author account · 2 stores |
| Platform at the stores | Windows | Author account · 2 stores |
| Version / store publication | 1.0.0; itch publication 7 Nov 2026 at 21:59 UTC (8 Nov in Singapore) | Author account · 2 stores |
| Engine | Godot 4.7, 640×480, 30 fps cap | 1 source, the project file |
| Length | About 10–15 minutes | Store account + independent playthroughs |
| Warnings | Mild language, dark themes, flashing lights, disturbing imagery | Author account · 2 stores |
What the story actually says
The itch blurb puts two survivors in the Depths: a moody deer monster and an enigmatic scientist. The opening lines in the project have Dess crawl out of a passage, complain that she did all of this for a cat-coin, and mention that the doctor warned her. A rat, a force field, and a trap follow. After the trap, the SOUL enters her body. She tells it that when the big one notices them, the SOUL has to weaken it until the cat gets bored.
The large cat is FRIEND. The later form is CONCATENY, which the dialogue calls the biggest cat in the hunting pack and a feeding form. CONCATENY addresses her as December and tells her to weaken the beast to within an inch of its life, then let the SOUL be consumed. The ending scene sets a completed flag, waits, and rolls credits. I do not add an epilogue the files do not contain.
Credits named on both store pages
- Paledoptera — game.
- Kordacpz — FRIEND mouth shapes, Dess portraits, extra sprites.
- Zeno — Dess cover and title screen.
- Eduardito — Gaster lab environment art.
- Airplane — background sketches. HighPoweredKeyz — logo font.
- Listed inspirations: Faz, marineflames, and Vision Crew’s Alternate Chapter 6.
- Music credits name Everhood 2’s main menu, Deltarune’s findher, and three Waitress songs: Here Come The Cats, The Great Forever, and Rubio’s Lament.
Tags on the itch page include fangame, deltarune, undertale, rpg, experimental, arcade, rhythm, pixel art, and No AI. That tag list is one page’s own labels. The download page explains the zip, and Mac and Linux explains why a preset in the project is not a published build.
Related
Questions
Is this an official Deltarune chapter?
No. Toby Fox did not make it. Paledoptera published it as a free boss fight on Game Jolt and itch.io.
How long is it?
The store text and the full-game videos put a clear run around 10–15 minutes, with two boss encounters.
What does it cost?
Both official pages list it as free. I did not find a paid edition.
Sources
Sources checked . See the editorial policy for the public sources and cross-checking method.