The best thing from Steam Next Fest is a productivity-boosting Bongo Cat with unlockable hats

Do you struggle to stay motivated while sitting at your desk? Is there something lengthy you need to write but you lack the drive to do it? Well, this Bongo Cat desktop buddy might be here to save the day, and up your work output. 

Bongo Cat, a favorite 2018 meme that originated on Twitter and now has its very own music-making website, has been brought to the desktop by developer Marcel Zurawka, and published by Irox Games as part of February’s Steam Next Fest event. Downloading the demo allows you to have Bongo Cat wherever you like on the screen, and every time you push a button or click the mouse, Bongo Cat performs his trademark slap. 

As well as the basic adorable slappy animation, there’s a counter beneath Bongo Cat that goes up with every button you press. As this number goes up, you’ll gradually be rewarded with pop-up treasure chests containing hats for your Bongo Cat. 

This is, essentially, a productivity-boosting clicker, which is preferable to clickers that serve only to distract — such as the bizarre Banana that seemed to take over Steam at some point in 2024 and is somehow still maintaining a place within the top 10 most played games. 

I just don’t understand the appeal of clicker games. Clicking isn’t exactly the most thrilling of experiences, and yet people seem content to spend hours doing just that. I don’t get it.

Still, I have to admit that I’m kind of obsessed with this Bongo Cat desktop buddy. In the hour since I downloaded it, I’ve tapped out over 4,000 on the counter and unlocked two hats! 

And now, because I am apparently very easily pleased and excited by the prospect of hats, I’m trying my best to unlock more of them. I’m actively looking for ways to press more buttons, clicking aimlessly around the internet in the hopes of seeing the counter go up and more treasure chests appearing for me to open. 

According to the Steam page for Bongo Cat, any hats earned during the demo will not be transferable or marketable. This does suggest that hats earned in the full game might be, with a whole host of Bongo Cat hats springing up on the Steam Community Market when the game goes live in March.

Having Bongo Cat on my desktop is a surprisingly good motivator, and I’ll definitely be making the most of the Next Fest demo and then downloading the full game once it is released next month.