Dual Cat — Play Free Online

Dual Cat is a co-op puzzle game built around a simple, slightly awkward idea: there are two cats, and they have to get to the exit together. You can play it with a friend sharing one keyboard, or on your own, steering both cats at once. That second option is where most of the challenge and the comedy comes from.

If you came to this site for Fireboy and Watergirl, the appeal will feel familiar. Progress depends on both characters, so neither can simply run ahead. Each level asks you to think about where the two cats need to be and in what order they need to move, and the fun is in working that out together, or in coordinating both sets of controls yourself.

It runs in the browser with nothing to install, so you can open it and start a level within seconds. It suits short sessions with a friend or family member on the same computer.

How to play

Two players share one keyboard. The usual split is the arrow keys for one cat and WASD for the other. If you are playing alone, you use both sets of keys, one hand on each, and move the two cats in turn or at the same time.

The goal on each level is to bring both cats to the exit. Help each other through the obstacles rather than racing ahead, because one cat reaching the exit does not finish the level. If one of you gets stuck, the other should stop and look at what the level is asking for.

Tips

1. Play the first level slowly. Learning how the two cats respond to their keys matters more than speed at the start.
2. When playing with a partner, say out loud who is moving next. Most mistakes in co-op puzzle games come from both players acting at once.
3. Playing solo, move one cat into a safe position first, then bring the other over. Trying to steer both at the same time works better once you know the level.
4. Use the fullscreen button under the game if the view feels small. If the game stalls, reload the page to restart it.

Similar games on Fireboy and Watergirl

The site's headline game, Fireboy and Watergirl, and its later temples, such as Light Temple and Ice Temple, are the closest match, with two characters and one keyboard. Duo Vikings and Duo Survival 2 also put two characters on the same keyboard. Up Together is another game made for two people at one screen. Bad Ice Cream is a different kind of two-player game, so try it if you want something more arcade-like.