TOEM Review

Game: TOEM
Genre: Indie, Adventure, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also available on PC and PS5)
Developer | Publisher: Something We Made | Popagenda PR
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: UK £16.19 | US $17.99 | EU € 17,99
Release Date: September 17, 2021

Review code used, with many thanks to Popagenda PR 

TOEM is a unique puzzle adventure game where players have to take pictures of the world around them in order to solve puzzles. This game is not only different to play but also has quite an off-the-beaten-path art style as well. Let’s get into the details.

The Story and Gameplay

TOEM is about a young adventurer going out to not only see the world but to catch a glimpse of the magical and mysterious TOEM. What is the TOEM exactly? The game doesn’t tell you immediately, but that’s part of the adventure of finding out. After leaving home, the main character has to do good deeds around each new location to pay for their ticket to the next location on their tour.

Good deeds are completed by using a camera. You will take photos for a hotel’s marketing materials, show a ghost what he looked like when he was alive, and even save a pair of wet socks from a game of “Find the Socks.” Players can also take photos of all the living creatures they come across to fill up their compendium and earn additional achievements.

The controls are fairly basic; move and interact are the only non-camera buttons players will have to use. The camera has a few settings, though, that allow you to zoom in, take a selfie, use a tripod, move the camera, and more.

There is also a laundry list of goals to complete in each town, and that is accessed through the menu that also holds an album of all the photos taken. There is limited space in the camera for photos, but it didn’t seem to be much of an issue when I played through it.

The Pros of TOEM

This game is so cute! Many of the characters are animals, and they all live peacefully alongside the humans and ghosts. The main character is a sheep and players get to collect clothing for them to wear. With the black and white art style and the clothing collection, this game feels a lot like the beginning levels of Chicory, an artistic puzzle game that I love deeply.

A fun little detail that is included in TOEM is music titles. As the music changes in the game, the title of the music and the band name is displayed at the bottom of the screen. It’s not in the way of gameplay and not intrusive, but it’s a great little detail that makes TOEM just that tiny bit better than it would otherwise be.

The interactions in the game are humorous; TOEM has a few memes and Easter eggs thrown in that reference pop culture. The towns are massive and the puzzles are unique and challenging. It’s a cute and fun game for the whole family to enjoy. It’s a game that made me want to complete and see everything it had to offer.

The Cons of TOEM

I actually can’t really think of anything bad to say about it. The only reason someone wouldn’t love this game is that they dislike black and white games or they don’t like relaxing titles without combat. This game is fabulous, and I cannot think of anything negative to say about it.

Conclusion

I love this game. I love TOEM so much. It’s sweet, adorable, funny and full of fun and interesting NPCs to meet and take photos of. The world may be in black and white, but it’s lovingly detailed and wonderfully rendered. The music is wonderful and there are a lot of thoughtful details to make players love it even more. Two thumbs up for TOEM!

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: