9 Lives to Defend - Review

9 Lives to Defend: Feline Fury Meets Bullet Heaven

The indie scene has a new obsession, a genre that has clawed its way to the top of wish lists and play-time charts with ferocious speed. We call them "survivors-likes" or "bullet heavens," a wave of games built on the elegant, dopamine-dispensing foundation laid by the phenomenal Vampire Survivors. Into this now-crowded arena leaps 9 Lives to Defend, a title that immediately sets itself apart not by reinventing the wheel, but by wrapping it in the fluffiest, most charming package imaginable. The premise is simple and universally relatable: you are Loki, a housecat left to his own devices, whose sole duty is to defend the home from a relentless pest infestation until his owners return. This straightforward narrative hook provides the perfect, humorous frame for what is a deeply chaotic and addictive roguelike experience. Having already garnered a "Very Positive" reception from players during its time on PC as a solo-developed passion project, 9 Lives to Defend now makes its console debut, ported and published by the experienced team at Silesia Games. Getting our paws on the PlayStation 5 version, we were eager to see if this feline fantasy has the claws to stand out from the pack.  

The game's appeal lies in a calculated fusion of mechanics and theme. It taps into a specific and growing niche that could be described as "cozy chaos." While the gameplay is described as a "frenetic bullet hell", demanding constant movement and strategic upgrading, its presentation is anything but intimidating. The aesthetic is consistently labeled as humorous, cute, and charming, with a "fluffy" cat protagonist at its center. This approach is a clever market differentiator. By cloaking an intense, mechanically-driven gameplay loop in an accessible and lighthearted theme, developer Goldarait and publisher Silesia Games—whose portfolio includes other cozy titles like Cats & Seek —are clearly targeting an audience that exists at the intersection of casual and hardcore gaming. It’s a design choice that mitigates the intimidating "bullet hell" label with the universal appeal of a cat, broadening its potential reach far beyond the genre's typical fanbase.

The First Frantic Scurry: Core Mechanics and Gameplay Feel

Your first run in 9 Lives to Defend throws you directly into the fray. As the default version of Loki, you are dropped into a familiar domestic arena—a living room, a backyard—that is immediately swarmed by encroaching pests. The control scheme is the epitome of the genre's "easy to learn, hard to master" philosophy. The left stick governs your movement, while the game handles the aiming and firing of your primary weapon automatically. This frees you up to focus on the two most critical aspects of survival: positioning and power-ups.   

However, the game doesn't settle for pure passivity. Developer Goldarait has layered in small but meaningful mechanics that reward active player input. A dedicated dodge, thematically dubbed your "infinite zoomies," is mapped to the X or R1 button, allowing for a quick burst of speed to escape tight spots. Furthermore, the right stick can be used to override the auto-aim, a crucial tool for prioritizing high-threat enemies or distant bosses that your standard auto-fire might ignore. These additions create a subtle but significant skill ceiling. While a novice can survive by simply moving and collecting the "kibble" dropped by defeated foes, a veteran player will be expertly weaving through enemy patterns, manually targeting elite pests, and using their zoomies with precision timing. On the PlayStation 5, this entire experience is amplified by the DualSense controller. The supported vibration function gives a tangible texture to the on-screen chaos; you feel the thrum of a powerful special ability activating and the subtle patter of Loki's paws as he dodges through a horde. This tactile feedback transforms the simple control scheme into a surprisingly engaging physical experience, preventing the core loop from ever feeling completely hands-off.   

The Strategy of the Cardboard Box: Builds, Synergies, and Progression

Beyond the immediate feel of combat lies the strategic heart of 9 Lives to Defend: its progression systems. These are split between the temporary builds you create during a single run and the permanent upgrades you invest in between attempts.

In-Run Progression: The Card Catalog of Chaos

Each run is a blank slate, a new opportunity to craft a devastatingly effective (or hilariously absurd) pest-control machine. Upon leveling up, you are presented with a choice of upgrade cards, with over 40 distinct options available in the game. This is where the game's feline theme truly shines. Instead of generic "fireball" or "axe" upgrades, your arsenal is built from the everyday objects of a cat's world. A cardboard box becomes a defensive shield, a laser pointer becomes a piercing beam of energy, and a bouncy ball becomes a ricocheting projectile. The joy of the game comes from discovering the powerful synergies between these items, allowing for the creation of what the developers aptly call "the weirdest card combos". Combining an item that increases attack speed with one that adds a stun effect can lock down entire waves of enemies, while pairing a wide-area-of-effect food bowl with a damage multiplier can clear the screen in seconds. Each run becomes a new experiment in weaponized cat toys.   

Meta-Progression: The Long Road to Catnip King

Between runs, the kibble you’ve collected can be spent on permanent upgrades. This meta-progression is where the game reveals its long-term hooks and its most significant potential pitfall. You can unlock different "versions of Loki from other dimensions," which effectively serve as unique character classes with their own starting weapons and abilities, such as a Wizard, Soldier, or Samurai cat. You can also purchase and equip powerful amulets to further customize your starting loadout. However, this is where a major criticism of the original PC version becomes relevant: the progression can feel punishingly slow. Upgrades are expensive, and the rate of kibble acquisition, especially in early runs, is modest. Compounding this is the design choice to not share stat upgrades between the different Loki variants; unlocking the Samurai cat means starting its progression from scratch, a decision that can feel like a grind.   

This slow pace, however, may be a deliberate choice. For a game created by a solo developer, Felipe Cecato , and offered at a budget price on PC , extending the game's longevity by slowing the rate at which players unlock content is a common and understandable strategy. The critical question is whether the core gameplay loop is compelling enough to make that long-term investment feel rewarding rather than frustrating. Based on the "Very Positive" Steam reviews, many players find the moment-to-moment action addictive enough to justify the grind, but it remains a point of contention that could divide the player base.   

A Portrait of Domestic Chaos: Art, Sound, and Thematic Execution

Where 9 Lives to Defend truly excels is in its presentation. The "cute hand-drawn art style" is an absolute delight, imbuing the game with a whimsical charm that perfectly complements its humorous tone. Loki and his dimensional counterparts are expressive and adorable, and the various pests are designed with enough clarity to be easily identifiable even when the screen is flooded with hundreds of sprites. This art style is not merely an aesthetic choice; it's a brilliant technical one. For a bullet heaven game that relies on throwing hordes of enemies at the player, a simple 2D art style is a pragmatic solution that ensures performance remains stable. The low complexity of each sprite allows the engine to render an immense number of them simultaneously without straining the hardware, which is a key reason the game has such modest PC system requirements and can be ported to a wide range of consoles, including the Nintendo Switch.   

The sound design is equally effective. The audio cues perfectly "sell the comedy," with satisfying zips for the zoomies and crunchy impacts for attacks. The "upbeat and lighthearted soundtrack" provides a driving energy that matches the frantic on-screen action without ever becoming repetitive or annoying, a crucial quality for a game designed for countless replays. Every element of the presentation, from the weaponized cardboard boxes to the kibble currency, works in concert to sell the central fantasy. It’s a cohesive and masterfully executed theme that elevates the game from a simple genre exercise into a memorable and charming experience.   

On the technical front, the console port by Silesia Games, a Polish studio with over a decade of experience, is excellent. As you'd expect from a game with a clean, stylized 2D art style, 9 Lives to Defend runs flawlessly on PlayStation 5. The experience is pristine, with a buttery-smooth frame rate that holds steady even when the screen is absolutely flooded with pests and projectiles in the final, chaotic minutes of a run. Load times are nonexistent, getting you into the action instantly. It’s a polished and frictionless port that lets the addictive gameplay shine without any technical distractions.

The Final Verdict

9 Lives to Defend is a triumphant entry into the bullet heaven genre. It understands that the key to standing out in a crowded field is not radical reinvention but masterful execution of a unique and compelling theme. The core gameplay loop is tight, addictive, and thoughtfully designed, offering just enough active engagement to keep players on their toes. Its charming hand-drawn visuals, humorous tone, and wonderfully creative cat-themed upgrades combine to create an experience that is pure, unadulterated fun.   

The game's one significant caveat is its meta-progression, which can feel slow and grindy, particularly the decision to silo upgrades for each of Loki's different forms. This may be a hurdle for players who demand rapid unlocks and a constant sense of forward momentum. However, for those who fall in love with the frantic, satisfying rhythm of its combat, the long-term goals will feel like a marathon worth running. For fans of the genre, cat lovers, or anyone seeking a chaotic, charming, and endlessly replayable adventure,    

9 Lives to Defend is an easy and enthusiastic recommendation.

Final Score: 8/10