The Cat and the Coup
Released Jun 2011
In The Cat and the Coup, you play the cat of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran. During the summer of 1953, the CIA engineered a coup to bring about his downfall.
93% positive · 1,108 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to get it
Free on Steam
Evaluation
The Cat and the Coup is a short, free-to-play indie game originally released on June 15, 2011. The developers later remastered it in 4K — rebuilding the code, updating the sound and music, and significantly embellishing the art — and released this remastered version as a free update to all existing owners on March 26, 2019. This remaster represents the final, definitive state of the game. No further content has been announced, and there have been no developer communications since that March 2019 update. The game appears to be a finished, complete artistic work with no ongoing development.
Evidence
Developers released a full 4K remaster as a free update — recoded from scratch, updated audio, and embellished artwork. Originally sold briefly at $1.99, then made free for all owners. This is the last developer communication on record.
Store description presents the game as a complete, self-contained narrative experience with no mention of future updates, DLC, or ongoing content.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows, macOS
Controller
partial support
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
In The Cat and the Coup, you play the cat of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran. During the summer of 1953, the CIA engineered a coup to bring about his downfall. As a player, you coax Mossadegh back through significant events of his life by knocking objects off shelves, scattering his papers, and scratching him.
The game, situated within the traditions of Persian miniature art form and cold war foreign policy, asks players to consider their connection to Iranian history. The Cat and the Coup is both about the relationship between the Western video game player and Mossadegh and, by extension, the United States and Iran. It lays a foundation for today’s critical question -- how do the people know when their democracy is threatened?
The game, situated within the traditions of Persian miniature art form and cold war foreign policy, asks players to consider their connection to Iranian history. The Cat and the Coup is both about the relationship between the Western video game player and Mossadegh and, by extension, the United States and Iran. It lays a foundation for today’s critical question -- how do the people know when their democracy is threatened?
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 28, 2026
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