Sushi Cat—Cute Animal-Food Hybrids in Video Games

Abstract

This article analyzes the functioning of cute animal-food hybrids as a specific form of animal representation in mobile games. It demonstrates that combining motifs that strongly activate the reward system—animalism, food, and the aesthetics of cuteness—promotes the popularity of these titles and fits into the broader visual language of consumption characteristic of digital culture. These hybrids are not merely a decorative stylistic device, but an element of a design strategy based on the accumulation of "safe" and pleasant stimuli, intended to strongly influence audiences. As a result, animality is instrumentalized and reduced to an attractive symbol, masking the problem of structural violence under a layer of visual pleasure. I situate this article at the intersection of game studies and critical animal studies, analyzing the aesthetic and ethical implications of these representations. The classic concept of kinderschema (Lorenz, 1943) proves insufficient to describe the complexity of these visual forms. The concept of whimsical cuteness (Nenkov i Scott, 2014) becomes a more adequate interpretive category.