As players get further into the sprawling Crimson Desert, they’re finding new ways to play around in its gargantuan open world and with the many, many mechanics and systems. One way in which fans have found fun is to play Crimson Desert like it’s a cat sim, with some even honoring the memory of their IRL cats who passed away.
If you’re keeping tabs on Crimson Desert, you’ve probably seen the viral screenshots of cats dressed up in armor, or players surrounded by cats. It’s adorable.
One player, ButeosDolichovespula, took this to the next level by gathering an army of cats — 30 strong! — while adventuring in Pywell.
Warning! Spoilers for Crimson Desert follow:
For the uninitiated, building a cat army like this requires a lot of work. Crimson Desert has an animal taming system in which you feed animals or pet them to increase their trust in you (check out our Crimson Desert how to get pets guide for more). Get a cat to 100 points of friendship and you’ll have the option to “take in.” This sounds straightforward, but for cats it is not (they’re cats, of course building trust is hard!). Players are still working out the most efficient way of getting to that magic 100 number, using a combination of different types of food (fish, mostly) and returning each in-game day to repeatedly pet them. So, with this in mind, ButeosDolichovespula’s cat army is seriously impressive. How did they do it? “Patience and a lot of cooked bird meat,” they said.
“I just made the standard cooked bird meat with no fancy ‘filling’ ‘satisfying’ or anything like that,” ButeosDolichovespula continued. “It will give them 20+ trust and you can feed them three times a day.
“Cats are skittish! It helps if you sneak up to them and drop the meat then stand still and wait for them to take it. Or pick them up, and drop the food while you pet them/before you put them down.
“Also almost none of the cats in the cat village will take food from you. I like to think this is because they are already well taken care of 😛 I haven’t had any issues anywhere else though.”
“This is the reason I keep playing. I’m tryna turn Crimson Desert into Crimson Mewgenics,” said one player.
But where did ButeosDolichovespula find all those cats? It turns out Crimson Desert has a secret cat village called Pororin, which is packed with almost all the types of cats available in the game. And they come in all shapes and sizes, too, from slim to fat.
にゃんこパラダイスがあるとの噂をきいてもう少し頑張りました！ねこちゃんだらけ！同じ色でも好感度別でカウントしてるっぽいんですけど全カラーとふとった三毛猫ちゃんは仲間にしたいです〜🐈🐈⬛ねこの装備ショップまであってやばいっす！ポロリン村！入れない村っていうクエストクリアにて#紅の砂漠 pic.twitter.com/0hneFnjNAT
— あや (@Aya_VerIII) March 22, 2026
Now, some Crimson Desert players are using the game to honor their pets who died in real life. “We had a Calico pass away a few years ago so now I know who my companion will be!” said Icedtc. “I am honoring my fat tuxedo with this as well,” added infinitezero8. “When I got to the village was so happy to see a chonker who looked exactly like my Mr. Kitty. I love walking the towns/village with him on my shoulder.”
It’s not just cats, either. Some dog lovers are getting in on the act. “This is the way, my in-game dog is an exact replica of my dog and it makes the game 10x more enjoyable lmao,” said the appropriately named WorldlyDog777. “I feel like my dog is a part of the story with me.”
“We have two schnauzers but I don’t think they are in the game. Besides, it’s time to honor our cat Pumpkin!” said Icedtc.
People have been recreating their pets in video games for years. Developers do it too, immortalising their pets in the games they make. But it’s always wholesome to see, and further evidence that Crimson Desert players are finding their own fun in unexpected ways.
It’s not all fun and games when it comes to Crimson Desert’s animals, however. One player shocked the community when they discovered you can actually drown some of them, if you hold them under water for long enough.
If you’re jumping into Crimson Desert’s huge open world, we recommend you take a look at our guide to Things to Do First in Crimson Desert, plus Things Crimson Desert Doesn’t Tell You (we’ve got 28 and counting!). We’ve also got a guide to the Best Early Weapons we recommend picking up, the Best Skills to Get First (including a handy explainer of the skills system), and 34 Essential Tips and Tricks to help you succeed in Pywel.
Image credit: ButeosDolichovespula / reddit.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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