When we think about Halloween media, we’re often forced to look only to horror. That’s changing slowly but surely as we get more games, movies, and books with autumnal or Halloween aesthetics rather than chills and thrills. One title we can add to the not-so-scary category is Flying Neko Delivery, a delightful journey with a witch that just happens to be an adorable cat. With a lovely art style and score that pairs nicely with its undemanding gameplay, you’re set to soar without many cares in this new game.

For every Wytchwood game that leans into the best elements of fall and the spooky season, there are 15 horror games. Maybe 2 or 3 of those are actually good, while the rest rely heavily on jump scares and gory scenes to keep players trekking on. Here’s the thing that I love about Flying Neko Delivery: it’s not going to ask too much of you, nor is it going to rely on scares to make you feel like you’re in your own Halloween world. Instead, its simple structure is a wonderful way to turn your worries off for a bit while you fly the skies with a feline witch.

Sky Rogue, a Toronto-based developer, is likely best known for Sky Rogue, a colorful action-flyer title with roguelike gameplay. The developer does a great job maximizing the high points of that game for Flying Neko Delivery, including their flying mechanics and unique art style. What works so well about the game is that in its simplicity of controls and purpose, it allows you to really take a break from games driven by challenge and just fly along in an adorable world worth every minute you spend in it.

The game’s music is written by Mark Sparling, the composer for A Short Hike. There’s a good chance that if a game like Flying Neko Delivery is on your radar or spectrum of interest, then you know how integral music is to the experience of the similarly cozy A Short Hike. The music and colors of Flying Neko Delivery go a long way in taking a pretty direct fetch-quest experience and giving it the ambiance to invite you back for more rather than treat its missions like a chore.

In this game, you’ll play as the kitten witch Onigiri. The lead feline lives in a cottage and makes their living delivering packages on a broomstick. Let’s get this out of the way real quickly: yes, you are delivering things from point A to point B for most of your time in this game. That said, you’re also working to customize your cottage, explore new worlds, forage plants and fungi, and meet quirky villagers. There are some elements of the game that feel like it holds you back from really getting to explore the skies worth mentioning as well.

For the most part, this game is not going to challenge you. That’s not its intent, and quite frankly, that’s okay. It’s a bit frustrating to me that there’s really no risk of crashing or messing up your flight, not that I want to see our sweet Onigiri collide with anything. It’s more the idea that you’re really just here to guide the game through its marks rather than play a role in what happens. The customization options are fun, but also don’t go far enough to make you think over and over about what decisions to make.

I think that at the $19.99 USD price point, this is a fair ask of players for a game that is going to offer just a little bit less than you might hope in terms of expansive experiences to encounter in the game. I can’t quite call this a perfect experience just because there are a lot more things I would have liked to be able to do, including having a bit more of a hand in my journey. That’s not going to make this a game worth skipping for most, nor did it make me feel like my time spent playing Flying Neko Delivery wasn’t worthwhile.

The game is discounted right now on Steam, but I do think it fits quite well on the Nintendo Switch, the console I utilized for this review. Wherever you decide to play it, if you’re interested in laid back wholesome experiences, you’re bound to enjoy it. There’s a lot to love about the world of Flying Neko Delivery, and if you’re itching to end October with a witchy-cozy title, then look no further.

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Flying Neko Delivery

$19.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Great Addition to Your Cozy Game Library
• Wonderfully Inclusive World for all Witches
• Amazing Score and Art Style

Cons

• There's no Room to Fail, Which Feels Like Riding with Training Wheels
• Not Enough to Thrill you Each Time you Boot up the Game