Irox Games · Irox Games
Price: Free to play · updated Oct 19, 2026
At a glance
- Price
- Free
- Released
- Mar 5, 2025
- Developer
- Irox Games
- Steam rating
- Overwhelmingly Positive · 97% (112,898)
- Recent rating (30d)
- 97% (112,898)
- Players online now
- 122,907 (7d peak: 169,360)
- DLC
- 5
Data: Steam · Updated Oct 19, 2026
What is Bongo Cat?
Bongo Cat is a free-to-play desktop companion and idle simulation game from the developer Irox Games, released on Steam in March 2025. It grew out of the Bongo Cat internet meme, which shows a cartoon cat drumming along to whatever rhythm is playing. In the game, that cat perches on top of the player's screen and punches the taskbar in time with every keystroke and mouse click made anywhere on the computer, whether the player is working, browsing, or running another game in a separate window. The core loop is almost entirely passive: ordinary computer use generates points, and those points are spent on cosmetic hats drawn from five rarity tiers, ranging from common caps to legendary items that drop only rarely. Collected hats can be equipped, shown off through a built-in photo mode, and in some cases traded or sold on the Steam Marketplace. There is no combat, no story, and no fixed session length, since the game is designed to run quietly in the background rather than demand focused play. A later update added a cooperative feature nicknamed "meowtiplayer," letting players display up to one hundred of their Steam friends' cats on their own desktop, each tapping along to its own owner's typing, and tying a small set of team-based cosmetic rewards to that shared feature. Bongo Cat is built primarily around single-player use, with its optional co-op layer functioning as a lighthearted add-on rather than a persistent multiplayer world. It suits casual players and anyone who wants a low-effort, screen-side companion rather than a game that requires deliberate sessions; much of its popularity on Steam has come from how little attention it demands while still giving players something to collect over time.
Media
System requirements
Windows
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
| Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 10 / 11 | OS: Windows 10 / 11 |
| Processor: Intel i5 5200 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | Processor: Intel i5 10500 or AMD Ryzen 7 |
| Memory: 1 GB RAM | Memory: 2 GB RAM |
| Graphics: Any | Graphics: Any |
| Network: Broadband Internet connection | Network: Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage: 100 MB available space | Storage: 100 MB available space |
MacOS
| Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: 11.0 | OS: 13.0 |
| Processor: Intel 64-Bit or Apple silicon | Processor: Intel 64-Bit or Apple silicon |
| Memory: 1 GB RAM | Memory: 1 GB RAM |
| Graphics: - | Graphics: - |
| Network: Broadband Internet connection | Network: Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage: 700 MB available space | Storage: 700 MB available space |
Our coverage
Our review: 8.2/10 — Bongo Cat Review: The Internet's Favorite Desktop Punching Bag Earns Its Keep
FAQ
- How much is Bongo Cat?
- Bongo Cat is free to play on Steam.
- Can my PC run Bongo Cat?
- Minimum: Processor: Intel i5 5200 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Memory: 1 GB RAM, Graphics: Any, Storage: 100 MB available space. Recommended: Processor: Intel i5 10500 or AMD Ryzen 7, Memory: 2 GB RAM, Graphics: Any, Storage: 100 MB available space.
- Who made Bongo Cat?
- Developed by Irox Games. Released March 5, 2025.
- Is Bongo Cat single-player?
- Yes, Bongo Cat has a single-player mode and also supports Multiplayer and Co-op.
- Is Bongo Cat still in Early Access?
- No, Bongo Cat is a full release, not in Early Access.
- Is Bongo Cat worth it in 2026?
- Our verdict: 8.2/10 — Buy. Read our full review
- Which languages?
- Interface: English, German, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Portuguese - Portugal, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Ukrainian, French, Italian, Spanish - Spain, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Romanian, Spanish - Latin America, Swedish, Turkish.
Similar games
TBH: Task Bar Hero
Free · 54% Steam
Official description
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
Source: Steam store page.
Data: Steam. Updated Oct 19, 2026. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.