FROM MOBILE DEVELOPERS TO VR HITMAKER

I Am Cat

Becoming a Top 10 bestseller in its first week

The idea that transformed a studio

What if you could play as a cat in VR?

This playful thought from a team meeting inspired New Folder Games' breakout title I Am Cat. With 15 team members and nine Quest titles, this small studio's feline simulator quickly became a viral sensation, recouping a year's worth of development costs in just four months.

It was super fast. It was unbelievable. We invested a year in development, and we recouped those costs in just four months.

Sardor Salamov

New Folder Games

Within hours of launch, social platforms were flooded with player videos. The game's premise resonated immediately with players embodying a mischievous cat, knocking items off shelves, scratching furniture, and terrorizing an unsuspecting granny in immersive VR. This phenomenon drove sales, set a new bar for organic growth, and transformed the team’s creative approach.

Successfully pivoting from mobile to VR

New Folder Games and HyperVR, both co-founded by mobile gaming company Estoty, brought valuable experience from mobile hit titles like Knife Hit and Johnny Trigger. Years of analyzing mobile player behavior taught them to create instantly gratifying experiences that keep players coming back.

Both New Folder Games and HyperVR found valuable support in Meta's partner teams, including the Start program, during their transition to VR development. These partnerships provided insights about successful VR games and offered support from concept to store release, knowledge that benefited New Folder Games in developing their own VR titles.

But the team needed more than insights. They needed a repeatable process to turn promising concepts into blockbuster experiences.

The three-week prototype method that changed everything

The studio's approach to development might seem counterintuitive at first glance, but it became their secret weapon. With I Am Cat, New Folder Games leveraged a remarkably efficient prototyping process where teams as small as two programmers/designers and two artists developed a single concept.

The teams iterated quickly over the course of 3-4 weeks, skipping visual polish and peripheral features to answer two simple questions: did the core mechanic work and was it fun?

When you test several ideas simultaneously, you can see which one works better because you tried it on yourself in-headset.

Sardor Salamov

New Folder Games

This laser focus let them quickly determine if a concept felt good in VR, and with I Am Cat, the team's reaction was immediate and unanimous. The simple joy of knocking objects off shelves as a virtual cat passed the gut-check test with flying colors.

But creating a great prototype was just the beginning. The real challenge was finding the right audience at the right moment.

Targeting the right players at the right time

New Folder Games deliberately focused on TAYA (Teens, Adolescents and Young Adults)—a market segment that craves silly and playful immersive experiences. By launching in Early Access before summer break and timing the full release around Thanksgiving, they captured their audience when they had the most free time.

Pricing I Am Cat at $14.99 for Early Access (later raised to $19.99 at full release) made it both an easy purchase for players and profitable for the studio. This pricing strategy, combined with kid-friendly content and timing, created perfect conditions for viral adoption. To further maximize success, the team leveraged Meta’s Developer Dashboard for quick, data-driven decisions that optimized the game based on real user behavior. The results were remarkable—I Am Cat was consistently a top 15 paid app for younger audiences using their headset daily, even a month after Early Access launch.

But what truly set I Am Cat apart wasn't just smart timing or pricing—it was a fundamental rethinking of what makes games shareable in the first place.

Games designed for sharing

I Am Cat's viral nature wasn't accidental—it stemmed from enabling player freedom. By allowing players to create their own narratives, whether stalking the virtual granny or methodically destroying houseplants, New Folder Games transformed players into directors of mischievous stories they were eager to share online.

If people can make good content on the game, they can use their imagination and make their content viral. That is the best marketing.”

Katrina Fjodorova

New Folder Games

The studio also responded to Early Access player feedback by adding character customization options in the full release. This seemingly small addition had a major impact—giving content creators fresh material while boosting revenue, with add-on packs accounting for over 10% of total payments within a month of release.

But the true genius of New Folder Games’ approach was turning their player base into something more valuable than just customers.

Unleashing player creativity

By filling I Am Cat with interactive objects and physics-based possibilities, New Folder Games created a canvas for player expression rather than a scripted adventure. Within 24 hours of launch, social platforms filled with player-created stories that generated marketing no budget could match.

The team supported this creative ecosystem by providing content creators with press kits and thumbnail assets. Some creators found such rich storytelling potential that they built entire channels around I Am Cat, with one YouTuber producing over 300 videos in a single year.

Beyond individual creators, New Folder Games has cultivated a thriving Discord community where the developer-player relationship feels genuine. Bug reports have become conversations rather than transactions. Questions receive thoughtful responses. And when players share particularly funny moments, the developers are right there appreciating them alongside the community.

First you must think as a gamer, not as a developer or marketer. You should ask: am I having fun? Can I make content with this?”

Sardor Salamov

New Folder Games

This community-first approach paid dividends in player loyalty too. At the time of writing, I Am Cat continues to see over 70% of players returning a week after purchase—placing it in the top 20 percentile of apps for retention

For developers looking to follow New Folder Game's path, the formula is deceptively simple: create intuitive and fast-to-fun experiences, build genuine community relationships, and design games that players naturally want to share. This is proof that sometimes the most straightforward concepts, executed with precision, yield powerful results.

Keys to Success

Actionable Insights for Developers

Design for play and watchability: Create experiences that are enjoyable both to play and to watch. Focus on mechanics that generate memorable, shareable moments that players will want to post on social media.

Enable creative expression: Incorporate interactive elements that give players freedom to express their personalities. Providing a playground for creativity leads to unique player-generated content that drives organic growth.

Be a player first, developer second: Always test your game from a player's perspective. Regularly play your own creation and honestly assess if it's fun and engaging before considering technical aspects.

Test concepts quickly: Implement rapid three-week prototyping cycles with small, focused teams. Test multiple ideas simultaneously to identify promising concepts without overinvesting in any single idea.

Time your launches strategically: Plan your release schedule around your target audience's availability. For younger audiences, consider school breaks when players have maximum free time to discover and share your game.

Join Meta's Start program: Access ecosystem knowledge and publishing support through Meta's Start program. You'll receive critical industry insights and technical guidance that can significantly streamline your VR development process.

Ready to bring your mobile development expertise to VR?

Join the Start program today and get the support you need to make your vision a reality. With access to industry expertise, technical guidance, and a community of successful developers, you'll have all the resources needed to create your own Meta Quest hit.