Mister Antonio review - "A charming puzzler about a picky cat"

• Simple yet challenging puzzles
• Work with Moose and squirrels to complete tasks
• Controls can be confusing at first

No human can match the ego and sassiness of a house cat. If you’ve ever opened your home to a fuzzy feline, you know they secretly rule the world (or at least they think they do). Mister Antonio, a new puzzler from developer Bart Bonte, tasks you with supplying a cat with the yarn balls he desires. Of course, Mister Antonio, being a cat, is rather picky, so you’ll need to think ahead as you collect precious yarn balls.

As You Wish, Mister Antonio

Every level is made up of one or more microworlds. You'll see Mister Antonio, your beloved black cat, sitting outside your home. A thought bubble above his head indicates what colour yarn balls he wants and in which order. It’s up to you to pick up them as requested and present them to your fickle feline. Once you fulfil your cat’s request, he’ll scurry inside, and you’ll proceed to the next level.

Each mini-world looks like a giant black hairball. Other than the balls and the occasional snowy cloud, everything on each micro world is a black silhouette. This combines with the starry night sky background to make these shapes really pop on screen.

Mister Antonio has simple controls. There are arrows for moving left and right. A centre arrow appears when you’re in a position to move to another microworld. While the controls are simple, it's easy to mix up which arrow to tap since you're moving in a circular motion around each microworld. However, after playing through a few levels, you'll get the hang of it.

Each time you pick up a ball of yarn, it's added to the top of the pile, which you'll need to keep in mind. Sometimes, your cat will request that specific balls be sprinkled with snow. To get a yarn ball covered in snow, you’ll need to walk under a cloud after picking it up. Of course, your beloved pet and master won’t accept snow when not requested.

Work with Forest Friends to Satisfy Mister Antonio

Despite the elementary nature of the puzzles, they provide a sincere challenge. If you get stuck, you can watch an ad to receive the solution. To move between mini worlds, you’ll need to use ladders found at specific points. The limited paths make gathering balls in the right order more challenging. Luckily, the local fauna is happy to help you out.

Some levels feature a moose or a squirrel. Both of these woodland critters will help you out in their own way. Approaching a moose triggers it to headbutt you, which causes the balls you're holding to reverse their order. 

Squirrels, on the other hand, help you out by snatching the yarn ball on the bottom of your stack and scurrying up a tree. Travel around to the other side of the tree, and the squirrel will deposit the ball on the top of your pile. You will need to take advantage of your forest friend's generosity if you want to please Mister Antonio.

Mister Antonio is an upbeat, minimalistic, colour-based puzzler that is surprisingly difficult. The monochromatic world design and vibrant yarn balls create a compelling aesthetic. If you’re a puzzle enthusiast or just a cat-lover, you’ll enjoy fulfilling Mr. Antonio’s every desire.