About Kitsu
Kitsu is a short match-3 puzzle game with a box-pushing streak, about a little fox heading back to say goodbye to a friend. It's a small, gentle story told through a handful of pixel-art puzzle levels.
The puzzles borrow from two classic styles. You move pieces around a grid the way you would in a sokoban puzzle, and lining them up in threes is part of the trick. A level select screen sits under a red shrine gate at the start, so you can pick where to play.
It takes a few minutes from start to finish, and the bright retro art suits the cozy, slightly bittersweet mood. You can play Kitsu online here with only a keyboard.
How to Play Kitsu
- Click the game window so it takes your keyboard input.
- Choose a level with the left and right arrow keys.
- Press Z or C, the game's O button, to confirm.
- The game's X button is the X or V key.
- Move with the arrow keys, pushing pieces around and lining them up in threes to solve each level.
What to Expect in Kitsu
Expect a quick, heartfelt match-3 puzzle game rather than a long challenge. The story is small and sweet, and the puzzles carry it along without dragging.
The art leans on bright blues, reds and greens, with a shrine gate framing the menu, which gives it a warm, old-cartridge feel. Play Kitsu free when you have a few minutes and want something calm with a little emotion in it.
Tips for Kitsu
- Read each level before you move. In box-pushing puzzles, one wrong push can trap a piece against a wall.
- Think in threes. Plan where a match will happen before you start moving pieces toward it.
- Z and C both work as the O button, so use whichever feels better under your fingers.
- If a level goes wrong, pick it again from the level menu and start fresh rather than forcing a bad position.
- Play it in one sitting. It's short, and the story lands better without breaks.
Who Made Kitsu
Kitsu was made by Fáyer, Pato, who released it on itch.io. It was made in PICO-8 as an entry in A Game By Its Cover, a jam about imagined cartridge art, with code by Fáyer, art, words and level design by Pato, and game design shared between the two. FunClicker embeds the creator's own version so you can play it here without downloading anything. We did not make the game, and the credit for its design, code, and art belongs to its creator. You can find the original on the Kitsu page on itch.io.
FAQ
Is Kitsu free?
Yes. Kitsu is free to play in your browser here, with nothing to install and no account to make. Click the game, choose a level and press Z or C to start. The whole story takes a few minutes, so it's easy to play from start to finish in one go.
How do you play Kitsu?
Use the arrow keys to move and to pick levels. Z or C acts as the O button for confirming, and X or V acts as the X button. In each level you push pieces around a grid and line them up in threes to solve it and move the little fox along.
What is Kitsu about?
Kitsu is a very short story about saying goodbye. You help a little fox named Kitsu make his way back so he can say farewell to a friend. The puzzles carry the story along, and it wraps up in a few minutes.
Who made Kitsu?
Kitsu was made by Fáyer and Pato, who released it on itch.io. Fáyer wrote the code, Pato handled the art, words and level design, and the two shared the game design. It was built in PICO-8 for a game jam. FunClicker did not make the game, and the Who Made section links to the original.
Can I play Kitsu on a Chromebook or phone?
Kitsu works well on a Chromebook, laptop or desktop, since it needs only the arrow keys and a couple of letter keys. A phone may load the game, but without a keyboard the controls are awkward, so a computer is the better way to play.
Is Kitsu unblocked at school?
Kitsu needs only a browser tab, with no download or plugin. Whether it opens on a school or work network depends on that network's filter, which we do not control. If the game loads, it plays the same way it does anywhere else.
How long is Kitsu?
Kitsu takes only a few minutes to play through. It's a deliberately short story game, built for a game jam, so it fits easily into a break. If a level trips you up, you can pick it again from the level menu and have another go.
What keys does Kitsu use?
Kitsu uses the arrow keys to move and to select levels. Z and C both act as the game's O button, while X and V both act as its X button. Click inside the game window first so your key presses reach it.
