Brush Jjaemu The Viral Cat Brushing Game by @artbyeori

What is Brush Jjaemu?

Brush Jjaemu (also known as Brush Jaemu, or 쟈뭐 브러시 in Korean) is a viral browser game created by Korean artist @artbyeori (이오리). First published on itch.io in April 2026, the game exploded across Reddit, X (Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram — earning the title "the Dark Souls of cat grooming."

The game features an orange tabby cat named Jjaemu. Your goal is simple: brush the cat's fur by moving your mouse or finger. But Jjaemu is unpredictable — when the cat whips around to stare at you, you must freeze completely. Any movement while being watched means game over. It's essentially "Red Light, Green Light" meets cat grooming.

How to Play Brush Jjaemu

• Brush: Move your mouse (or swipe your finger on mobile) over the cat to groom its fur
• Watch for warnings: The cat's ears will twitch and its tail will flick faster before it turns
• FREEZE: When the cat turns to stare at you, stop ALL movement immediately
• Survive: Wait until the cat looks away, then resume brushing
• Score: Each successful brush stroke earns a point. The cat checks more frequently as your score rises

Brush Jjaemu Tips & Strategy

Score Guide

• 0-10 strokes: Beginner — you'll get the hang of it!
• 10-25 strokes: Average — you're learning Jjaemu's patterns
• 25-40 strokes: Good — you've got cat reflexes
• 40-60 strokes: Expert — Jjaemu respects you (a little)
• 60+ strokes: Master — are you sure you're not a cat yourself?

Why Did Brush Jjaemu Go Viral?

Brush Jjaemu hit the perfect viral formula: it's instantly understandable, deeply relatable (every cat owner knows the danger of over-petting), and produces shareable moments. The game's tension between gentle grooming and sudden cat attacks creates genuine jump-scare reactions that perform extremely well on short-form video platforms.

The game first gained traction on r/OneOrangeBraincell on Reddit (6,000+ upvotes), where the orange cat theme resonated with the community's love for unpredictable orange tabbies. From there, gaming outlets like Dexerto picked it up, TikTok creators started posting their reactions, and it snowballed into millions of plays within days.

About the Creator: @artbyeori

Brush Jjaemu was created by artbyeori (이오리), a Korean artist and indie game developer. The game was built using the Godot game engine and exported as HTML5 for browser play. The original is hosted on itch.io. Jjaemu is based on artbyeori's real orange tabby cat.

More Games Like Brush Jjaemu

Love Brush Jjaemu? Try these similar browser games:

• Brush the Cat — our take on the cat brushing challenge with unique art style
• Brush the Kitten — brush a tiny kitten without getting caught
• Brush the Puppy — can you groom a golden retriever without it running away?
• Brush the Bunny — brush a fluffy rabbit without scaring it
• Brush the Hamster — brush a sleeping hamster without waking it up
• Draw a Perfect Circle — test your freehand drawing precision
• Draw a Perfect Egg — can you draw the perfect egg shape?
• Reaction Time Test — test the reflexes you need for Brush Jjaemu