Catthew

Catthew is a red cat NPC in Timesville who gates the entire fishing side chain. Agree to his hide-and-seek game, find him across three rounds, and he rewards the Fishing License — the item you must show (not merely own) to the diver on the beach dock before the rod works. Catthew also invites you to the aquarium at night, which starts the path to the Telescope and overlaps with Beartha’s later quests in the same hub.

Most players meet Catthew after recovering Eyes from the graveyard hole. You can talk to him earlier, but the full Timesville social loop — license → dock → six fish → party → owl — assumes you are exploring Chapter 1 with all three senses restored (Hands, Mouth, Eyes).

Where to Find Catthew

Catthew wanders near the Timesville entrance and apartment building. After each hide-and-seek round he reappears in the hub so you can start the next search. If dialogue options stall, walk toward the beach arch or re-enter the apartment lobby — community guides report Catthew’s prompt returning once you leave and return to his last known area.

Full area context: Timesville · Green Hills.

Hide-and-Seek — All Three Rounds

Talk to Catthew and accept the game. Each round sends you to a new hiding spot around town.

Round	Location	How to spot him
1	Right of the mysterious cabin	The small locked shed/cabin just before the beach — Catthew hides on the right side of the structure
2	Left of the village prison	The jail building west of the apartment complex — check behind it on the left
3	Graveyard fake-out	See chase sequence below

Rounds 1 and 2 are straightforward spatial searches. Round 3 is a scripted set piece — do not assume the graveyard cat is real until the chase resolves.

Round 3 — Bridge, House, and Monster Chase

After the second find, Catthew warns the last round will be harder.

1. Return toward the beach — a new bridge beside the shed opens
2. Cross into the long house beyond the bridge; move room to room through short bear vignettes
3. Climb the extremely long staircase until the screen goes nearly dark, then turn around and walk back down
4. Exit and follow footprints back across the bridge toward the graveyard
5. A figure that looks like Catthew hides behind a tombstone — interact with it
6. A monster spawns — run uphill through the village toward the shed area
7. The real Catthew appears and gives the Fishing License

Patch 1.05 fixed several Timesville ambience softlocks tied to long exploration chains (Patch Notes). If Mellow renders under the bridge after the house sequence, re-enter the shack area from Timesville — a known 1.02 workaround still cited in guides.

Fishing License — What It Actually Does

Owning the license in inventory is not enough. Walk to the beach dock, approach the diver blocking the rod, and show the Fishing License from your inventory/examine flow. He steps aside and fishing unlocks.

From there:

• Story minimum: 6 fish across time periods → aquarium fox → party invitation
• Achievement: all 18 fish across six clock states → I Want To Be A Fisherman (Achievements)
• Stay secret: 18 fish + Metal Detector fish paper → Lost Key / Fish Paper Key chain

Detailed clock table, controls, and completion tips: Timesville Fishing puzzle.

Aquarium and Telescope Chain

After hide-and-seek, Catthew asks you to visit the aquarium at night. Cycle day/night by entering and exiting buildings until the clock reaches a night period, then go to the aquarium near town entrance. Catthew and the fox explain the display needs 6+ fish.

Deliver fish → party invitation → apartment upstairs (far-right room) → password Yellow → reassure the owl → receive Telescope.

The telescope is mandatory for the Office Stay secret (Stay Secrets). Efficient Chapter I routing pairs Catthew’s chain with Beartha’s PGD quest and the metal-detector beach digs on one save.

Connections

• Timesville Fishing — Rod controls, 18-fish table, Lost Key
• Beartha — Parallel Timesville quest giver
• Telescope · Metal Detector — Stay ending tools
• Achievements — I Want To Be A Fisherman, Water Break (Rat room)
• Walkthrough — Recommended Circus → Office → Timesville order

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I have the license but cannot fish. A: Show it to the diver on the dock, not only Catthew. The rod stays blocked until he sees proof.

Q: Do I need 18 fish for story progress? A: No — 6 fish unlocks the aquarium and party. Eighteen are for the achievement and Stay fish-paper secret.

Q: The graveyard cat killed me — what went wrong? A: Round 3 is intentional. Run uphill toward the village/shed after the monster appears; the real Catthew waits after the chase.