BAST: NINE LIVES
A free cat platformer you play straight in your browser. Seven sacred worlds, 63 levels, one mystic black cat with everything to lose.
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What is BAST: Nine Lives?
BAST: Nine Lives is a 2D action platformer in the classic run-and-jump tradition, built for the browser and playable on a phone. You play Bast, a black cat drawn from Egyptian myth, and you run, double-jump, dash and dive-stomp your way through seven worlds of increasingly hostile terrain.
Every cat is said to carry nine lives. In this story, the ninth is not a spare — it is a soul-flame, and Dr. Seth Sekhem is harvesting them with a device called the Soul Lantern. Bast races to stop him. The chase ends underground against Apep, the chaos-serpent that, in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the great cat kills every single night. That image is the whole premise of the game, taken literally.
There is nothing to install and no account to make. It runs in the browser tab you already have open.
The seven worlds
Each world runs seven core levels plus two bonus stages, and every seventh level is a boss fight.
How to play
On a computer
- Arrow keys or A / D — run
- Z or Space — jump (press twice to double-jump)
- X — dash, a quick forward strike
- Down + jump — dive-stomp
- P or Esc — pause · M — world map
On a phone or tablet
- Left thumb — the joystick zone moves Bast
- Right thumb — JUMP, DASH and DIVE
- Controls can be swapped to the other side in the pause menu
- Add it to your home screen to play without browser bars
Collect the golden cans in each level and reach the goal post before the clock runs out. Milk restores you. Catnip triggers Zoomies — Bast speeds up and so does the music.
Play the beta
BAST: Nine Lives is in open beta, which means every one of the 63 levels is unlocked from the start — you can jump straight to any world and play it in any order. Nothing is gated.
If you hit a bug, a level that feels unfair, or anything that simply is not fun, that report is genuinely useful. Testers who send one get their name on the Testers Wall.
Open the Beta Board and report something →
Frequently asked questions
Is BAST: Nine Lives really free?
Yes — completely free, with no download, no install, no sign-up and no payment of any kind.
Can I play it on my phone?
Yes. It is built phone-first with on-screen touch controls, and you can add it to your home screen so it opens like an app.
How many levels are there?
63 — 49 core levels across seven worlds, plus 14 bonus levels. The seventh level of each world is a boss.
Do I need an account? Where does my progress go?
No account. Progress is stored locally in your own browser, so clearing site data will reset it.
Who is Bast?
Bast, or Bastet, is the cat goddess of ancient Egypt — protector of the home and of the sun god Ra. Read the full guide to Bastet →
The Cat Codex
Alongside the game there is The Cat Codex — a reference library about real cats, written in the game's own language.
Cat breeds
65 breeds written as character-select files, with real care, grooming and lifespan information underneath the stat bars.
Cat names
Over 1,400 names across 35 themed lists, plus a name generator.
Cat mythology
Where the story comes from: Bastet, the nine lives myth, maneki-neko and more.
Ready?
Seven worlds. Sixty-three levels. One black cat.