CatThem's Gayten

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   <default>CatThem's Gayten</default>
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</image> <label>Developer</label> <label>Publisher</label> <label>Engine</label> <label>Version</label> <label>Platform</label> <label>Release date</label> <label>Genre</label> <label>Mode</label> <label>Rating</label> <label>Media</label> <group collapse="open"> <header>System requirements</header> </group> </infobox> CatThem's Gayten is a science fiction horror cattumlike video game created by Halls with music composed by Creepercattum being used in the game. The web version of the game was released on itch.io on 2023-05-02. This masterpiece of digital interactive art is directly inspired by the Garten of BanBan series but it differs from it quite considerably.

Plot

SPOILERS HERE!

The protagonist of the game is initially revealed to be a private investigator, hired to investigate the eponymous CatThem's Gayten - a former kindergarten where a monster called CatThem supposedly resides. The protagonist enters the Gayten and while exploring encounters CatThem who imprisons them. They manage to escape from the prison by breaking one of the walls with a pickaxe.

When making their way through the Gayten, the protagonist encouters a monster, later revealed to be a gafloomium creature but escapes from it. They meet CatThem again.

CatThem claims that he is actually Callum Elbertson - a scientist working for the GARF (GAyification Research Foundation) Initiative - a deep state research organization which purchased the kindergarten when they found out that it is just above The Rift - an entrance to another dimension. CatThem claims that his current form is a direct result of his unethical experiments. When experimenting on the creatures from that dimension, Elbertson's team found out that gafloomium - a substance which can be harvested from the bodies of gafloomium creatures can transfer a person's "soul" (along with consciousness, memories etc.) to another body, in Elbertson's case into a body of a cat.

CatThem also claims that a "monster" called Gafloomas Bird has been trying to kill him and has actually hired the protagonist to do so.

However, soon after talking with CatThem, Gafloomas Bird contacts the protagonist and asks them to come into their den to talk. Upon doing so, Gaflomas Bird reveals that CatThem is not Callum Elbertson but rather a highly intelligent and dangerous monster created by Elbertson and his team of scientists which supposedly killed all of them after escaping from a gestation chamber. Gafloomas Bird also reveals their true name - Roo Ber and their story - they were one of the children Elbertson experimented on.

Gafloomas Bird asks the protagonist to go to the Archive Room where all the information is available. The notes found in the Archive Room, written by Callum Elbertson and Prof. E. Eprom, confirm what Gafloomas Bird was saying, providing the details of the experiments, except for one note, evidently scribbled quickly which says: "TO ANYONE THAT SEES THIS I AM STILL ALIVE IT IS TRYING TO KILL ME HELP". Last note which the protagonist finds was clearly written by CatThem and says: "IF YOU ARE READING THIS IT MEANS YOU KNOW TOO MUCH. I AM RIGHT BEHIND YOU". While reading this note, the protagonist gets knocked out and captured by CatThem.

The protagonist wakes up inside a cage right next to a gafloomium reactor, which CatThem plans to use to spread gafloomium onto everyone in the whole world.

CatThem is defeated at the last possible moment by Knife Guy who shoots CatThem with his gun. This doesn't kill CatThem but sends him into a phase of regeneration which is "long and very painful". Then, Knife Guy joins the party to help defeat CatThem.

Knife Guy states that he has a plan to defeat CatThem. He wants to throw CatThem back into The Rift to send him to another dimension but he doesn't know where to find it. He suggests starting to look for it in the Gafloomium Testing Site.

While trying to find a skull which is necessary to unlock the entrance to the testing site, the protagonist experiences a hallucination where they and Knife Guy are attacked by a monster. Knife Guy reveals that it didn't really happen and the protagonist must have been daydreaming, then they both proceed into the Gafloomium Testing Site.

After exploring the testing site for a while they find a gafloomium reactor protected by lasers. They manage do disable those lasers and get access to the reactor to study it but they are again captured by CatThem who has set up this trap. CatThem claims that Knife Guy won't be able to defeat him this time because he has set up an anti-gun force field around the reactor. CatThem says that Gafloomas Bird has been working with him the entire time, however this turns out to be untrue after Gafloomas Bird says they've been blackmailed by CatThem and decides to join the protagonist instead. When CatThem tries to kill Gafloomas Bird because of this, Knife Guy reveals that he also has a knife, which he uses to defeat CatThem.

After the fight, Gafloomas Bird takes Knife Guy and the protagonist to a secret room they built. Gafloomas Bird introduces themselves to Knife Guy, who says that his real name is Leon. After that, the protagonist realizes that they don't actually remember their name or anything that happened before they arrived at the Gayten. Gafloomas Bird also reveals the location of The Rift - it is in Callum Elberton's former office.

After making their way to the office they see CatThem trapped inside a cage near a gafloomas reactor. Callum Elbertson reveals that he was alive the entire time. Elbertson's plan is to use a gafloomas reactor to take control over the minds of entire mankind by utilizing the gafloomium reactor to spread gafloomium everywhere. Elbertson reveals that gafloomium can be used as a mind control drug and that he's been using it on CatThem, Knife Guy, Gafloomas Bird and the protagonist the entire time.

He uses mind control to make them step into the cage and successfully uses the gafloomium reactor to take control of the whole world. After doing so, he orders Knife Guy to shoot the protagonist as "they have fulfilled their mission".

The protagonist realizes that they are not dead. Shortly after that, they wake up inside a bed in Prof. E. Eprom's laboratory. E. Eprom reveals that the protagonist is actually a gafloomium creature as well, created by him to defeat Elbertson. He says that he didn't expect that Elbertson will use them for his gain and shows the protagonist the news on a TV. The news consist of only five words repeated over and over - "WE MUST OBEY CALLUM ELBETRSON". The protagonist decides to fight Elbertson's evil mind control. E. Eprom gives them a radio to contact him and a bunch of helmets, which can protect from electromagnetic mind control waves from the gafloomium reactor.

The protagonist finds The Rift with Elbertson, Gafloomas Bird, CatThem and Knife Guy standing beside it. E. Eprom informs the protagonist that the radio can also function as a weapon, emitting a very powerful 5G beam when the right button is pressed. The protagonist uses the 5G radio to defeat Callum Elbertson, however Gafloomas Bird, Knife Guy and CatThem are still under mind control and try to attack them.

The protagonist manages to put helmets on Gafloomas Bird and Knife Guy and then they have to choose whether to free CatThem as well or throw him back into The Rift, considering he's highly dangerous, even when not under mind control.

In the ending, protagonist, Knife Guy and Gafloomas Bird decide to leave the Gayten and celebrate.

In the final, post-credits scene, E. Eprom is seen talking with a mysterious "Master", who is revealed to be Cattum. The scene implies that Cattum has planned all of this and now is the time for the "Zongus Plan".

Similarities to Garten of Banban

• Both games feature a mysterious substance, responsible for creating monstrous creatures, the substances are even similarly named ("givanium" and "gafloomium")
• Both games take place inside a former kindergarten
• Both games feature a purple bird character (Opila Bird in Garten of Banban and Gafloomas Bird in CatThem's Gayten)
• In both games there are notes written by scientists who conducted experiments inside the kindergarten

Connection to Cattum Game

While Halls has clearly stated that CatThem's Gayten is not canon to the Cattumverse, there are multiple elements in the game that hint at a possible connection.

• The sprites for the protagonist are identical
• Cattum appears in the epilogue of CatThem's Gayten
• Main villains of both games share the surname "Elbertson"

Reception

The reception for this game has been overwhelmingly positive. Critics and players alike have been calling it "one of the best games of all time", "the greatest horror game of all time". It has won all of the Game Of The Year awards, even though the year hasn't ended yet. The game has a perfect 100 critic score on Metacritic and an equally perfect user score of 10, making it the highest rated game on the entire platform.