Teacup Review

Game: Teacup
Genre: Exploration, Adventure, Side Scroller, Indie
System: Steam
Developers | Publishers: Smarto Club | Whitethorn Digital
Controller Support: Full Support
Price: US $9.99 | UK £7.19 | EU € 8,19
Release Date: September 23rd, 2021

Review code used, with many thanks to Indie Bros

Teacup is a cute narrative adventure game that has a focus on exploration by developers Smarto Club and published by Whitethorn Digital.

Teacup the Frog

In this short adventure game, you play the role of the titular Teacup. Teacup is a shy frog who loves nothing better than reading a good book and drinking her favourite beverage Tea. A tea party has been arranged at Teacup’s house, unfortunately, the day before the party is to take place Teacup realises she has a crisis on her webbed hands, she has run out of tea!

Teacup sets out on an adventure through the surrounding area’s to find the herbs and ingredients she needs for her tea party to be a success. On Teacup’s journey, you’ll explore a beautifully illustrated world, that looks and feels like you’re playing a storybook. You go through the forest, the plaza and market with its quaint market stall. You’ll meet lots of animal characters, some will have minor quests to complete and others who won’t have much to say for themselves.

Tea Encyclopedia

Armed with her trusty tea encyclopedia to find all the herbs and ingredients for her tea party, you’ll have to talk to everyone to find everything. Once you do find one of the herbs from a page in the encyclopedia, the corresponding page in the encyclopedia turns from beige into glorious colour. It’s a nice touch and a good indication when you look at the encyclopedia you know you have found that herb.

You’ll take part in a few mini-games along the way. The mini-games are pretty simple and easy to complete. You’ll be asked to put the cogs back in the correct position and even take part in a short river swim against another frog. The puzzles are fun but not frustrating, and they fit in perfectly with Teacup’s expedition. Most of the puzzles are accessible to all ages, though young children might need a helping hand with a few of them.

Gorgeous Artwork

The artwork for Teacup’s adventure is gorgeous, with a storybook look and feel to the game. A delightful story wrapped up in a cosy package. It is the kind of game to settle down with for a few hours of play in front of a raging fire on a cold evening. Teacup reminds me of a bedtime storybook in a way that you would read to your child. It is not a long game though, with a few hours of gameplay that can be completed in one sitting.

Controls

The games Steam page indicates that you can play Teacup with a controller. I tried to play the game with my controller and the cursor hopped all over the screen like it was having a fit. Not a big deal. As the keyboard controls are kept to a minimum. The space bar is used for interacting and the arrow keys are used to move Teacup around. The game performed well and ran as it should without any crashes or framerate problems.

Conclusion

Teacup is a very relaxing and wholesome game to play. Going on Teacup’s adventure with her is a delightful experience. You’ll meet a charming cast of animals to interact with, and live a sweet story about tea and friends. The whole game gives off whimsical vibes and is a pleasure to play. Go on, treat yourself to a warm hug by playing Teacup!

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up