Maneki Mania: Pet the Lucky Cat and Build a Fortune Shrine One Koban at a Time

A lucky cat waving from a shop window is a familiar sight. Maneki Mania, from Spanish solo developer Javier Lianes García of Lianes8 Studio, takes that little symbol of good fortune and turns it into a colourful incremental game. You begin by petting the cat, earn koban coins, charge a fortune meter, and gradually transform the shrine into a busier operation full of charms and helpers.

The developer submitted Maneki Mania to Coloured Static Press for First Signal with approved media and a public demo. The Windows, macOS and Linux version is heading into Steam Early Access on 3 December 2026, while the PC demo is already available during Steam Next Fest. An Android edition is separately available on Google Play.

Pet, collect, upgrade, repeat

Each interaction with the cat generates koban and advances the fortune meter. Once the meter fills, you can spin the shrine’s charm machine, with combinations of symbols awarding different quantities of the in-game currency. The winnings go back into upgrades that increase what subsequent interactions can earn.

It is an easily understood loop, but Lianes8 has built a surprisingly elaborate progression plan around it. The official page mentions lucky charms, machines and talents, with more than ninety upgrades planned for the complete PC game. As the shrine grows, new helpers join the cycle. A kitten helps boost earnings from petting, a kitsune charges the meter and other creatures lend their own bonuses.

Comfortable, with an arcade heartbeat

The setting is warm and approachable: lanterns, cherry blossoms, a beckoning cat and satisfying showers of golden coins. The developer also leans into the sounds and pacing of an arcade machine, with musical flourishes as the charm reels spin and rewards arrive. It brings a slightly different energy to a genre often built around plain spreadsheets and progress bars.

One important clarification: the charm machine uses in-game koban earned through play. The developer states that no real-money gambling is involved. That matters when a game’s aesthetic borrows elements from slot machines.

Why this deserves a closer look

The studio’s wider catalogue gives the project some interesting context. Lianes8 is also creating Pidgeon Pocket, another incremental game based on a completely different premise: an increasingly capable gang of pickpocketing pigeons. Both projects share an approachable surface, but their appeal will depend on the rhythm of their upgrades, the clarity of the interface and whether each step forward feels worthwhile.

We have not played Maneki Mania’s demo for this article, so we are holding back any judgement about pacing or balance. What we can say is that its pitch, visual identity and free demo make it an excellent First Signal discovery for players who enjoy cosy, numbers-go-up experiences.

Editorial note: Independent First Signal discovery based on a submission from Lianes8 Studio and official game materials. No scored review or hands-on claims are made. The developer authorised use of promotional imagery.