Valhalla Cats
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2013
- Employees
- 1-10
- Offices
- 1
About Valhalla Cats
Valhalla Cats is an independent Spanish video game development studio founded in late 2013 and based in the Region of Murcia. It develops and publishes games built around feline characters, narrative-driven adventures and traditional 2D animation. Animal welfare is central to its creative identity and business philosophy, connecting its stories about animals with support for shelter and rescue initiatives.
The studio’s visual approach draws on classical hand-drawn animation associated with twentieth-century Disney and Warner Bros. productions. Its work combines frame-by-frame paper animation, character design and handcrafted watercolor environments. These techniques give its platforming adventures a distinctive illustrated appearance, with an emphasis on expressive animal characters and carefully drawn backgrounds.
Games and creative direction
Its debut game, The Purring Quest, released in 2015, follows a cat named Kimchi through a lighthearted 2D adventure featuring encounters with well-known internet cats. The game established the studio’s recurring combination of feline protagonists, platforming and animal-focused storytelling.
Stars in the Trash followed on PC in December 2024, with a Nintendo Switch edition released in December 2025. This narrative-driven adventure platformer centers on Moka, a pampered cat who ventures into the wider world and encounters its hazards. Its presentation combines watercolor backdrops with frame-by-frame pencil animation produced by veteran artists, extending the studio’s commitment to traditional animation within interactive games.
In August 2025, Valhalla Cats released Kimchi: A Stars in the Trash Story, a compact puzzle-platformer spin-off exploring feline history. Together, these releases reflect a sustained focus on cat-led adventures across PC and console platforms.
The studio’s capabilities span full-cycle game development, animation, character design, game direction, narrative design and digital publishing. It operates with a distributed team and works with external creative collaborators, bringing specialist contributions into its independent production model.
More about Valhalla Cats
Leadership and origins
- José Ginés Picón López is the studio’s founder, director and lead developer. He previously worked as a telecommunications engineer in supercomputing in Murcia; the closure of his former workplace preceded his move into game development.
Working and production practices
- The studio describes its workplace as fully remote, with flexible arrangements and an explicit rejection of crunch culture.
- Stars in the Trash underwent years of self-funded production. The studio supplements its core team with freelance animation veterans and external sound composers.
- IndieArk collaborates as a third-party co-publisher for Asian markets and console releases.
Animal welfare initiatives
- Valhalla Cats pledges a permanent percentage of game sales to nonprofit animal shelters and rescue organizations. The supplied research reports more than €10,000 donated, with supported beneficiaries including ANAA, Felinos Bilbao and APAALM.
Recognition
- Stars in the Trash received Best Video Game Animation at the Quirino Awards in April 2026.
- The game was also nominated for Best Narrative Game at Andalucía Play Fest in July 2026.
Notable credits
3 creditsOffices
Where Valhalla Cats is based
- Calle Historiador Padre Cuenca, Nº 1, 30400 Caravaca de la Cruz, Región de Murcia, SpainRemote
Remote office
About this office
Registered corporate seat and legal domicile. The development team works remotely from home; this premises is not described as a public commercial studio.
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