TOEM

Not in million years I would expect that a game about taking photos would bring me so much joy. Something We Made made something truly special.

One of the comfiest games I've ever played, and one of the few 10/10 pieces of media I've experienced. Peak chill, good feels, and wholesomeness. Delightful characters, sweet moments, cute art, fun gameplay, wonderful music, zen atmosphere. The whole experience is neither too short nor too long. Didn't experience a single bug, and we got achievements and cloud saves off the bat. There's really nothing to fault here, except I wish the experience could have gone on forever! I highly recommend it if you like sweet and comfy games.

Toem is a simple but delightful game. You talk to people and complete quests. Most quests involve taking specific photographs, some of them involve carrying certai items to their rightful destination. There's a bestiary for cataloguing all of the animals in the game, there are filters and a tripod to unlock, and there are items to wear for specific effects (run faster, resist cold, climb ropes etc.) or just aesthetics. The game looks great and runs well, it's well polished and excellently put together. The gameplay mostly consists in carefully looking around, and it's always a pleasure to do so. Each area is big enough to have a decent amount of content while staying sizable enough that making the rounds doesn't become a pain. The only flaw I could level at it is that some of the hints for certain quests are a bit vague and unclear. A couple of quests unlocked in the second area (the first "real" area) can't be completed until you get towards the end of the game, and it's not terribly clear that it should be the case. It's a considerable slip up when most of the game is about simple tasks contained within the areas they're found it, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a deal breaker.

‘TOEM: A Photo Adventure’ is a special game. It abounds in spirit of adventure and discovery, exudes kind-heartedness, and radiates positivity. There are no villains to defeat, no clocks to beat, and no world-ending threat to neutralize; you’re simply a young photographer on a rite of passage to witness and photograph a phenomenon called a Toem. Along the way, you’ll visit various locales and help people and creatures in need with your camera and photographs. And that’s it. ‘TOEM’ is a simple adventure game full of simple to mildly challenging puzzles or quests to complete. A few are mandatory to move the story along; many are optional if you just want to scurry the site of the Toem. But, I recommend taking your sweet time exploring and interacting with all the in-game characters because that’s the true joy of the game. It offers a leisurely, delightful, and uncomplicated adventure gaming experience. As a bonus, you’ll get to go on an in-game vacation with more photography puzzle-solving fun after finishing the base game. This new level adds depth to the original gameplay by introducing a day-and-night mechanic. By the end of it, I wish there were more to play even though I was completely satisfied by what I experienced. It’s refreshing to have a game like ‘TOEM’ in the vast ocean of video games. When you need a break from adrenaline-pumping, stress-inducing, and unnecessarily difficult or frustrating titles, THIS is the game that you should play for a spiritual reset.