The best cat-collecting game ever made, Neko Atsume, is being adapted into a live-action film. The movie is called House of Neko Atsume and will be released in Japanese theaters in 2017, according to a translation from Siliconera. It will star a best-selling author named Katsu Sakumoto (Atsushi Ito) struggling with a bad case of writer’s block. He splits for the quiet countryside, encounters a lone cat, and begins leaving food out for it.
We can only assume Katsu’s cat collecting will balloon from there, much like it does in the original. Neko Atsume, which began its life as a Japanese mobile game by developer Hit-Point, is about leaving out different kinds of food and toys to attract cats.
At the height of its popularity, Neko Atsume was a virtual craze that inspired highbrow think pieces, first-person accounts, explainers, guides, and more. Android even spoofed it directly within its 7.0 Nougat release. It packages cat lady love and Pokémon-like collecting sensibilities in a heart-melting cartoon aesthetic, making it instantly adorable and totally shareable. Players took to Twitter often to share pictures of their kitties playing with toys, eating, napping, or showing off their adorable X-shaped buttholes.
We may not be playing the app as often these days, but there’s always time to go back. When was the last time you checked on your nekos?