Game: Very Very Valet
Genre: Action, Party
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer|Publisher: Toyful
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price: US $24.99 | UK £19.99 | EU € 24,99
Release Date: May 25th, 2021
Review code provided with many thanks to Renaissance PR
Get on the Couch
The Nintendo Switch continues to be the happy home of couch co-op madness and for today’s review we have a game that goes by the description ‘Overcooked with Muppets in a parking lot.’ An apt description indeed but that actually does a disservice to Very Very Valet’s own unique identity. If you’re looking for a cheery game to share with someone on the sofa then this game is well worth checking out.

Parking Crisis
You play as colourful puppet valets who are going to save the world from a severe parking crisis. The game can be played alone or with up to three additional players in co-op. You are dropped into 3D levels from the sky with the main objective being to take cars from waiting customers, park them literally anywhere you can then collect the cars later and drive them back to the customer. While it sounds kinda dull on paper I can reassure you Very Very Valet is very entertaining.
The cars come in pretty thick and fast and if you pay close attention to the customer’s speech bubble it does give you a small hint as to when they will return. With some indicating they are stopping for a long meal and some just picking up an online order. Or some just saying they will ‘be right back, yo!’ Each level often throws in new mechanics so you’re not always just stacking cars in a corner. Red zones appear forcing you to find alternate parking spots. You may need to wash the cars before delivering them and sometimes cars are delivered at multiple entrances and require delivery back to different exits.
The levels themselves also come in a wide variety. Sometimes you will have to avoid incoming trains or planes. The game also occasionally drops in challenge levels where you have to knock over bowling pins, pick up garbage or clean areas with a street sweeper. One thing is certain, you’re guaranteed to laugh at some stage.

Point and Drive
Controls have been kept appropriately simple to suit gamers of all skill levels. You start the level on foot and press a button to hop in a car. When you drive you use the direction buttons to move in the desired direction. If your car is facing forward and you point the analogue stick in the opposite direction the car will automatically reverse.
Since I have been so used to using trigger controls for driving this took a few moments to get used to. But this simplicity works really well, making the game easy to explain to someone not used to video games. In the car, you can also press a button to help you take tight turns which is not essential but often helps around tight corners. Sometimes I got cars stuck in pillars but I didn’t encounter anything particularly game-breaking.

Colourful and Fun
The characters you choose to play are these fuzzy Sesame Street, puppet fellas. Donning huge smiles, some of which look kinda weird and veering on creepy. Why are they so happy to be a valet? It’s an amusing contrast to the humans who drive the cars to your service which just look kinda plain and boring. The cars come in a variety of colours and you can damage the cars but the game doesn’t penalize you for doing this. Heck, you can deliver the cars upside down and it still adds to your score.
It’s a very colourful game overall, light-hearted and clearly designed to appeal to all audiences, just don’t expect the Sesame Street to teach your kids to count. A touch I really liked is when you finish a level, the game takes random clips of each of the characters performing in the level, allowing each player to vote on their favourite. It’s a chance to pause and laugh at some of the weird choices for clips like characters just idly standing still or seeing your character get hit by another player’s car. It’s a fun moment but a darn shame the game doesn’t allow you to save these clips to share online.

A Casual Ride
The overall difficulty is quite casual and stress-free. Even if you fail a level with zero stars the game still lets you progress to the next one. Only the last level in a section requires a set number of stars to unlock and even then it’s not too much.
The game offers a range of difficulties even letting you customize individual elements of the game to tailor the experience to suit all players, a nice touch indeed. Even on the hardest setting the game just felt like a lot of fun to play. If you opt to try this the game offers a separate star system to show off your achievements. But this is not required to unlock all game content. The game feels like something that is just as much fun to watch as it is to play, meaning this might be a game worth checking out on streaming services too.

Good but Short
There are around 20 levels, each of which will take minutes to complete. We got through the entire experience in two gaming sessions. There’s another character to unlock when you finish the main game and the main incentive to return is to try to 3 star prior levels. I guess the main niggle is the experience felt over a little too soon, we were certainly left wanting more. The game feels like it could have done with some form of endless or score attack mode. That said what is offered here is very entertaining. If you want to test the water there’s also a demo available on the e-shop.

Conclusion – A Good Service
Very Very Valet does an impressive job of creating a fun casual game that can be enjoyed by gamers of all skill levels. While playable alone this is a game best enjoyed with up to four other people, especially if someone needs cheering up. Improvements could be made to the content but it’s hard not to crack a smile at the silliness on display. A great start to a new IP.
What’s easy to say in this review is Very Very Valet is very very good.
Final Verdict: I Like It A Lot