Reviewed on Nintendo Switch

She Wants Me Dead is the type of game that means well, but too many flaws keep it from being enjoyable. On its surface, it has this semi-Limbo-like look to it that’s easy to be intrigued by. Then there’s the story — you’re a dude with a cat, and your cat wants you dead, so she sets up a bunch of traps for you. It’s quirky and lighthearted, and it’s a good reason to make you want to play the game. When you do, though, you’re left with an underwhelming, disappointing platformer.

Your Cat Doesn’t Care About You

There are 10 stages in She Wants Me Dead. They’re basic 2D platforming stages that seem inspired by modern tough-as-heck classics like Super Meat Boy and Celeste. Unlike those games, though, the levels here are kind of devoid of personality and substance. There are spikes, fire traps, pitfalls, and buzz saws, sure, but the basic layouts aren’t exciting. And though there can be some degree of fun to be had occasionally, everything here just seems like it’s been done better before — because, well, it has.

Sadly, the levels in She Wants Me Dead just feel contrived. Sure, you’ll reach parts that are really challenging, but they come off as tedious more than anything. While playing, it got to the point where I just wanted to reach the end rather than actually feeling inspired to beat a specific level or clear a certain challenge.

It also doesn’t help that the controls in She Wants Me Dead are a bit floaty. The game doesn’t feel terrible, but it’s not as tight or polished as its contemporaries. A few challenges rely on perfectly timed jumps, too, but the game just feels a little off most of the time. Holding down the jump button instantly triggers another jump the moment your character’s feet touch the ground, which just doesn’t feel natural and makes areas where you have to perform multiple jumps in a row feel like a chore.

You have health points that deplete every time you die. Once you completely run out of health, you can either start the level over or spend coins that you earn by clearing stages to refill your health meter and continue from the last checkpoint you reached. Coins can also be used to purchase outfits. Honestly, though, these rewards hardly seem worth saving up coins for.

It’ll take you about an hour to clear the 10 levels in She Wants Me Dead, so the game isn’t the biggest time investment. But even then, it’s not exactly worth playing when there are so many better options out there. Not to mention, the asking price on Switch is $10, which is steep considering the quality of the game. If you catch it on sale for, say, two bucks, then maybe it’s worth checking out. Maybe.

Visually, She Wants Me Dead seems inspired by games like Limbo and Inside. That said, it just lacks a lot of the heart and soul that made those games visually interesting. The jazzy music is at least catchy, but it can get annoying after a while, too.

On the surface, She Wants Me Dead looks like it could be something silly and fun with a dark touch to it. Sadly, the game is hardly entertaining. It lacks polish, it’s uninteresting, and it can be annoying to deal with. If you need a challenging 2D platformer, there’s an abundance of better games out there.

Score: 3 out of 10

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