The Game Developers Conference is an annual event for video game developers. It includes an expo, networking events, and awards like the much-sought-after Game Developers Choice Award. A lesser-known part of GDC is alt.ctrl.GDC, a showcase of alternative controllers by independent developers selected through an open submission process.
The winning of alt.ctrl.GDC in 2024 was Chú Mó, which looks more like an escape room than a game but certainly fits the description of an alternative controller. This year's winner has yet to be announced, but one of the contenders is unlike any controller I have ever seen. In the game How to Pet Your Cat, the controller is an enormous cat butt. The game has both single and multiplayer modes, and players smack the cat's butt repeatedly to outpet their opponent.
The developers plan to improve the controller by adding the rest of the cat's body, which should make it less creepy. According to the developer's site, "There's no wrong way to pet this cat!" However, I highly recommend not trying this with an actual cat. Even my most easygoing cat would not tolerate this kind of shenanigans.
Previously: Beating Baldur's Gate 3 as a cat
