Why does Swarm Simulator show Kitten Klicker and kitten pictures?

Updated

Swarm Simulator shows "Kitten Klicker" and kitten pictures because of an April Fools joke built into the game. The game temporarily renamed itself, swapped in kitten graphics, and then offered players a way to keep the joke or remove it. It is not a permanent rebrand, and the game is still Swarm Simulator.

What the joke changed

The in-game announcement explains the premise: insects were "too icky," so the game claimed it was changing its name and would now require graphics to play. It then presented itself as Kitten Klicker, with kitten images supplied by Placekitten.

The joke appeared as a dated announcement inside the game, labeled {{year}}/04/01 — April 1. A follow-up message dated {{year}}/04/02 confirms it: "I hope you enjoyed yesterday's April Fools joke!"

So if you see the Kitten Klicker name or kitten artwork, you are looking at a temporary, intentional joke state, not a different game or a sign that your save was altered.

Can you keep or remove the kitten pictures?

Yes. The follow-up announcement gives two options:

  • Keep the kitten pictures — a link is offered to retain the joke styling.
  • Remove them — go to the options screen and click "Clear all extra styling/graphics."

That options-screen control is the general way to strip the extra styling, so it also works if you simply want the standard look back.

What this does not affect

The joke is cosmetic and naming only. It does not change how the game saves progress. Separately, the game's own error messages note that Swarm Simulator needs cookies/localstorage to save your game, and that blocked third-party cookies can cause save-loading problems. If you hit a save error around the same time, treat it as a browser storage issue rather than a side effect of the April Fools change.

Quick reference

Question Answer
Is Kitten Klicker a real rename? No — it was an April Fools joke
When does it appear? Around April 1, per the in-game dated announcement
Can I keep the kittens? Yes, via the link in the follow-up message
Can I remove them? Yes — options screen → "Clear all extra styling/graphics"
Does it affect my save? No; save issues relate to browser cookie/localstorage permissions

If you are returning to the game and only want to confirm nothing is wrong: the kitten content is expected during the joke period, and clearing extra styling in the options screen restores the normal appearance.