Cat carried Butterfly

Cat carried Butterfly is a Chinese folklore-inspired narrative mystery game, told through the lens of Shanghai dialect, retelling strange tales from a century ago.

Raised in an orphanage, Lüpíng returns to her childhood home. While uncovering her past, she unravels a mystery entwined with old customs and new ideas.

Drawn from authentic historical backgrounds of early 20th-century Shanghai—a time when the remnants of feudalism clashed with modern thought—this is the tale of a girl searching for her identity, and of ordinary lives hidden in the alleys, burdened with sorrow and fleeting joy. The tide of history struck each individual like a great wave; may fate pass us by.

Players will follow Lüpíng’s perspective as she returns to her former residence, Luchang Lane. Within the overlap of reality and illusion, she reunites with the bygone souls of the house.

A cat, a rat, humans, spirits, and specters—each harboring riddles of their own. The courtyard and alleys hold the scars and obsessions of everyone who once lived there.

Featuring hand-drawn, retro pixel art. From the intoxicating glamour of “Greater Shanghai” to the shadows of its slums, the game paints an authentic portrait of the city’s historic past.

Performed by local Shanghai actors, the dialect’s lilting tones echo like whispers from the depths of the courtyards, sketching fragments of bygone tales.

Puzzles are like piecing together lost fragments. Through searching old belongings and listening to hushed voices, the story quietly takes shape. No demanding brain-teasers—just a haunting journey into the uncanny past.