Game: Town of Zoz
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG.
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Studio Pixanoh | Balor Games
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Playable
Price: US $19.99 | UK £16.75 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: April 9th, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to Balor Games.
Town of Zoz – A Charming World With Rough Edges
Town of Zoz feels like an indie hidden gem. It carries that familiar sense of creativity and ambition that smaller studios often bring, even if the experience sometimes shows a few rough edges along the way.
The game mixes several ideas together. There’s farming, cooking, exploration, dungeon crawling and action RPG combat all sitting side by side. Not every part works, but the overall result is surprisingly engaging.
Despite its flaws, this was one of those games that kept pulling me back. Something about its world, characters and unusual style made me want to keep exploring and see what was waiting around the next corner.
A World Built On Old And New
The story follows Ito, a young shaman chef who returns home to help his parents run the family farm and restaurant. What starts as a simple return home quickly reveals deeper mysteries about the town and its past.
The world itself is particularly interesting. The setting feels like a civilisation in transition. You can see signs of a modern society beginning to emerge, with vehicles and new technology appearing, yet relics of the past still surround the town.
Ancient structures poke out of the landscape while people continue their daily lives around them. It creates the sense that this modern community is living in the shadow of something much older.
The game slowly reveals more of its lore as you progress. The storytelling is mostly delivered through text conversations and light cutscenes, and while the latter can feel a little choppy at times, the world-building itself is surprisingly strong.
Likeable Characters And Family Dynamics
One of the things that stood out to me most was the characters. Ito himself feels like a believable young protagonist. He can be arrogant or impatient at times, which fits someone his age trying to figure out his place in the world. Alongside him is a small ghost-like companion who follows him through the adventure. The two have a fun dynamic, often bouncing off each other in conversations.
Then there’s Ito’s parents. His mother is warm, kind and supportive, while his father is far more reserved. He often appears distant, arms crossed and unwilling to show much emotion. Yet as the story unfolds, you begin to sense there’s something deeper behind that tough exterior. It’s a small detail, but it makes the family dynamic feel relatable and warm.
A Unique Visual Style
Visually, Town of Zoz has a very distinctive look. The game uses colourful cel-shaded graphics that almost resemble stop-motion animation at times. Character movements feel slightly staggered, giving the whole world a quirky, handmade feel.
The creature designs are also very creative. Many enemies are inspired by familiar animals or plants but with strange little twists added. Some mushroom creatures wear boxing gloves, while certain rat-like enemies wander around with tiny backpacks. It gives the impression that this world has its own strange ecosystem, which adds to the charm of exploring it.
The game plays great on the Steam Deck; however, during review, the prompts on screen were keyboard-only, making it confusing to follow tutorials. This is not a problem using the controller on the desktop.
Farming, Cooking, and Exploration
A large part of the gameplay revolves around completing objectives around the town and the surrounding areas. Tasks are clearly displayed on screen, often sending you out to gather ingredients, speak with townsfolk or explore new locations. The game also features a day and night cycle.
At the start of each day you might cook breakfast to gain useful buffs, tend to your crops on the farm and then head out into the world to continue your adventures. The farming itself is fairly straightforward. You plant seeds, water them and eventually harvest the crops. It doesn’t have the depth of some dedicated farming games, but it works well enough as part of the daily routine.
Exploration often leads you into small dungeon-like areas filled with puzzles and enemies. Interestingly, I found the puzzle elements far more enjoyable than the combat itself. Your ghost companion can possess certain objects or enemies, which becomes useful when solving environmental puzzles. For example, you can possess bomb plants so they can be safely carried and placed near cracked walls before triggering an explosion. If you’re creative, you can make use of this in combat too.
Barter
Another feature I really enjoyed was the trading system. Instead of relying purely on money, the game allows you to barter with vendors using items from your inventory. Crops, crafting materials and other collected objects all have different values. You can combine them to match the value of the item you want to buy. It’s a small mechanic, but it makes visiting shops feel more interesting. The town is full of different vendors, so there’s always something new to browse or trade for.
Combat That Doesn’t Quite Land
Unfortunately, the combat system is where the game struggles the most. At first, it feels serviceable. Ito fights using a machete and dodge with a roll move, while his ghost companion can possess enemies or assist during battles. Over time, however, the combat begins to feel slow and somewhat stiff. Attacks lack the fluidity you might expect from an action RPG, and battles can start to feel repetitive.
Enemies can also deal quite a lot of damage, meaning you’ll often rely on food items to keep your health up during fights. After several hours, I found myself enjoying the exploration and puzzle-solving far more than the actual combat encounters. They became more of an obstacle than something I looked forward to.
Conclusion: Time For Bed
Town of Zoz is a game full of creative ideas. It blends farming, cooking, exploration and storytelling into a colourful indie adventure that clearly had a lot of passion behind it. The combat doesn’t quite match the strength of the rest of the experience, and the pacing can feel slow at times, but there’s still a lot to appreciate here.
The world-building is intriguing, the characters are memorable, and the game’s unique visual style gives it a strong sense of personality.
It’s definitely a game with rough edges, but it’s also one that has a lot of charm. For players who enjoy exploring unusual indie projects and don’t mind a few imperfections, Town of Zoz offers a surprisingly engaging adventure.
I highly recommend trying the free demo on Steam.
Final Verdict: I Like It
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