Developed and published by Torbellino Games with a undetermined release date, Katsune’s Path is described as, “Protect the portals and aid the good spirits in this 2D tower defense game. Stop demons from invading by activating turrets along the paths. As the forest protector, use your speed and strategy to keep peace across the realms, transforming into the legendary nine-tailed fox to fulfill your destiny.”,

Gameplay

The mechanics are familiar to most tower defense games: build towers or turrets across multiple lanes that all lead to a central objective, preventing enemies from reaching their goal. Katsune’s Path follows this formula but presents it with a noticeably cozier vibe.

Don’t confuse cozy with easy. Correctly choosing the right elemental power for each turret is more challenging than it first appears. Each turret must utilize the appropriate damage type for the enemies passing through its lane. Turrets will still attack without the correct element, but they deal significantly reduced damage.

What makes Katsune’s Path stand out within the genre isn’t mechanical complexity, but its art style and the comforting atmosphere it creates. Rather than throwing players immediately into overwhelming hordes of enemies and tough resource management, the game eases you in. I was also impressed by the lack of bugs during my time with it—zero encountered.

Story & Worldbuilding

You play as Zenko, a fox tasked with guarding a portal that guides good spirits to another plane of existence. Your role is to prevent demons from entering the portal by building turrets imbued with elemental powers, destroying them before they reach their destination.

You earn coins by defeating demons, which can be used to purchase additional turrets and upgrades. Alongside this, you wield a trusty staff, allowing you to shower enemies with your own magic. Each demon has specific elemental weaknesses, and this is where the game’s strategy truly shines. Every turret can only use a single elemental power at a time, so careful planning is required to ensure you’re distributing the right kind of spiritual energy where it’s needed most.

Graphics & Audio

The art style is Asian-inspired, featuring bright colors and beautiful backgrounds that appear hand-drawn at first glance, though I can’t say for certain. Regardless, the visuals contribute heavily to the game’s cozy atmosphere.

The audio is mostly spot-on. From the first spoken line, it’s clear that a lot of thought went into the narration. I’m typically someone who turns the music down or off in games to focus on sound effects, but Katsune’s Path left an impression. The background music, however, occasionally reminded me of a slot machine game—not in a bad way, just oddly familiar. A more lo-fi, cozy soundtrack could better set the mood for defending the spirit realm.

Replayability & Value

There are plenty of tower defense games that offer similar gameplay, and Katsune’s Path doesn’t reinvent the genre. That said, within the first few minutes of playing, it’s clear how much care and attention has gone into every aspect of the experience. From the art and soundtrack to the voice acting, each element feels thoughtfully crafted.

Assuming the pricing aligns with other games in the tower defense genre, the value is absolutely there. I’d recommend making a cup of tea, settling into your comfort zone, and preparing to guard the spirit portal from demonic threats in Katsune’s Path when it releases.