Character-infused indie games,
concocted to bring out the zoomies
in even the coolest cats.
Our debut indie game
Play, race and hang with your feline friends in this online platformer party game! Purrfect your pussycat parkour as you sprint, jump, bounce, swing, skid and slide through a collection of collaborative and competitive mini-games set in a grandiose cartoon mansion.
Get jumpin', jazz cats!
Signed with an unannounced publisher, we are currently developing our Beta build!
about us
When choosing a name for our studio, we wanted to distill the essence of who we are, and what our vision is. This is why we would like to tell you a little about the three words that make up Le Catnip Collective.
Le – our cheeky nod to Montreal
Our small, nascent studio was founded in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a unique bilingual and cultural melting pot. Passionate about our adoptive city, we are willing participants in its delightfully quirky tradition of mixing English and French. “Franglais” is more than a curiosity: it’s a way of life!
Montreal also has a proud reputation as both an exciting indie game hub and, more broadly, as a society that champions diversity. With this in mind, we hope to recruit locally, to nurture up-and-coming talent and, ultimately, to give back to the progressive Québécois town we love.
Catnip – our energetic, original vision
Creating exceptional, original, character-infused games is our raison d’être. We approach this mission with humility, knowing that it is achieved by putting the art in front of the ego. Throw in oodles of energy and an unwavering commitment to that vision, and there you have it: our catnip recipe for high quality indie games.
Collective – our fusion of talent, passion and respect
The beauty of a team is when the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. To seek that synergy, we build on solid foundations of respect, we place people above profit, and we dig deep into our pooled talent and shared creative passions. By working together, we forge a very small but mighty studio: Le Catnip Collective.
The Team
Daniel Harris
director, cofounder
(he/him)
Animator with 20 years' professional experience in games (Next level Games, Rare, THQ) and animated feature films (Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Warner Brothers).
Arun Sol
sound designer, cofounder
(he/him)
Amateur musician since childhood, then guitarist, singer-songwriter and lyricist in bands The Acousma and Sol & Wynter, and now midi-composer for indie games.
Marianne Kake
project manager, 3D environment artist, designer
(she/her)
Artist passionate about indie games, Unreal Engine teacher, project management consultant, D&D player and cottagecore fan.
Marie-Pier Bouffard
3D environment and character artist
(she/her)
3D artist with over 6 years in the indie game industry who has a deep love for cats, Disney, competitive games and Formula 1!
Louis Lamontagne
technical director
(he/him)
Programmer with a love of maths, development tools and player experience. He loves to share his passion for game engines through teaching and consulting.
Audrey Langlois
Unreal programmer
(she/her)
Programmer eager to learn and improve. She loves playing TTRPGs, cosplaying, discovering new video games and art, and, of course, enjoying the company of cats.
Our partners
?
an unannounced publisher!
We're very proud to have signed with a major publisher bringing extensive marketing, QA, localization, and Indie game expertise to the table!
Cosmo Gatto
concept art, design and 3D art
Cosmo Gatto is a Vancouver-based company that recently released their first game, Aka. They are in charge of the visual development of Jumpin' Jazz Cats, but also help with the animation and texturing. After 10+ years of experience in the animation industry (clients including Illumination, Sony, DreamWorks etc.) we hope to bring our passion for drawing and classic animated movies into the video game world!
Past contributors
Ghyslain Maheux
Unreal programmer
(he/him)
Gameplay programmer with over 5 years of experience. Born with a controller in hands, and a cat on his shoulder!
Maxime Vézina
senior game/level designer
(he/him)
Designer with over 8 years of experience in the industry. Worked on all scales of production, from AAA, AA, indie to one-man army. In his spare time, he directs & mentors student projects and offers consultancy services. Absolutely crazy about cats, as well as a huge puzzle and escape room enthusiast.
Runze Zhu
Unreal programmer
(he/him)
Recently graduated Computer Science student passionate about video games and game development, music nerd and swiftie.
Salty panda studios
specialist consultants
Cedric Neukirchen · Céleste Neukirchen · Marcel Damm
Cedric is the author of the Multiplayer Network Compendium
The cats
Nina
So what's my credit on this game? Divine inspiration?
Coco
I like to use the litterbox when dad is trying to clean it.
Pixelle
I enjoy stealing food from mom's plate whenever I can.
Linkie
Lying in the sun is my happy place.
Edgy
I'm the reason why there are child locks everywhere because I keep opening doors and cupboards.
Athena
I'm a pastry chef: I'm making bread on my mother's thigh religiously every single evening.
Nani
NANI?!
Lucy
I absolutely love humans, but don't let another cat too close to me!
