Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 65 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 83% | 76 | 15 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 1 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 4 reviews sampled · 4 total reviews in window · weighted 0.6 up / 0 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (17)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
- 80
“With a very short runtime, those familiar with the shoot-em-up genre might not get a lot out of this game. We think this reflects quite well in its price, however, and for a game that started life as an April Fool’s joke, it’s actually very accomplished. If you’re up for a few laughs, definitely give this one a go; it’s a great start to what could potentially be a highly enjoyable, lasting franchise.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche began its life as an April Fool's prank, so its inadequacies as a game aren't shocking.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“When it comes to weird games I'm a bit of a connoisseur on the Switch, I've even set aside an entire category for them specifically...”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche is a fine game that is well worth the price of admission. This is the kind of game you need to get when you have some credit on your Switch and just want something easy and fun to play, and the content should please anyone wanting a laugh or a quick getaway from reality.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Its writing can be fun for its short duration, the voice acting is pleasant to listen to, and the music by Shantae and Shovel Knight composer Jake Kaufman is at the very least catchy. However, if you're not already a fan of the genre or even if you prefer more meat on the bones of the ones you play, this game likely isn't going to get you what you want. Its slow pace and short runtime may turn some players off, but if you're looking for a way to kill an hour or so it may still be worth a look.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche is a brief yet amusing shooter. The silliness works well, and the varied weapons make you rethink every attack to keep shooter fans on their toes. The shooting is fun for those not normally skilled in either traditional or bullet-hell variants of the genre, but it really takes some effort to not complete the game in one sitting. This isn't a fantastic game in the genre, but it's worth owning if you're down for short and satisfying side-scrolling shooter jaunts.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Catgirl Without Salad: Amuse Bouche is a delightful, sugar rush of a game that's over far too quickly. It's a wildly funny game with gorgeous visuals and terrific voice-acting. Unfortunately, the game is over far too soon and once the three levels have been cleared, there just isn't much else to do. The game doesn't overstay its welcome, and that helps the joke land in a way that few other games could pull off. As such, many players will find that the game's humor and style are well worth the $7.99 cost of admission, but others might want to wait for Shantae and the Seven Sirens, instead.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Cat Girl without Salad does indeed feel like an April Fools gag, for better or worse. While some similar gags like 8-Bit Bayonetta or the Shin Megami Tensei metroidvania still lead to solid games made in a shorter amount of time, Cat Girl ends up as a bigger mixed bag, due to being only three stages long, with each of those feeling like a dull slog through the mud. The powerups are super cool and nifty, but since they rarely appear and the final stage is filled with enemy sponges, they never felt truly realized or useful.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“This is a game filled with humor and which mixes characteristics of different genres which leads to a resulting fun experience that nevertheless, doesn't tick all the boxes to convince everyone. While the colourful visual environment, original ideas and overall humor make it a friendly game, its very short life and rather high price make it an experience that will not please everyone.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche is a fun, unique, and irreverent way to spend an afternoon, and it would easily receive a recommendation if one were possible.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“This game is too stinkin’ short! After playing one level I told myself I would try out the next but quit after a while. I beat the game in a single one and half hour sitting. The game is so beautifully made and is really quite cheap, but it’s a game that lasts no more than a couple hours. There is a good side to this though! Once I beat the last battle, the villain mentioned that Kebako will have six more trials to face. This, I assume, means there will be updates to the game that add in more levels.”
read full review ↗
Fintendo
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Capsule Computers
NintendoWorldReport
Worth Playing
ComicBook.com
Seafoam Gaming
FNintendo
GameSkinny
LadiesGamers.com…and 5 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.