Toem Nintendo Switch Review

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Fast Facts

Toem is a game brought to us by Swedish Developer, Something We Made. This elegant little game has stolen the hearts of writers here at Rapid Reviews and I have plenty of positives to spill.

An adorable adventure

Your adventure begins as you leave home to finally explore the town of Toem. With your trusty camera by your side, handed down to you by your devoting dad, it’s time to make every snap count.

The overall aspect of the game as you travel around this world, meeting new people, you are given tasks to complete. Examples include finding the old mans sock, collecting the missing ingredients for the scout leader and reuniting lost brothers. All of which are completed just by the click of your camera. Every task in the game is about using it to its best ability and reporting what you have found back to said person.

It’s really as simple as that! A simple point and click game and I am completely obsessed with it.

This adorable adventure will have you meeting sweet old ladies who want to sing and dance while petting dogs and listening to hummingbirds. You will be saving boats caught in a tornado, and doing favours for ghosts caught in time. Every single task is wholesome and when they are completed, the individual who set the task will cherish you for your time.

Unique Aesthetics

You will instantly notice that this game is in black and white. This style is absolutely perfect. This ever so simple game is still so vibrant without the use of any colour. In fact, I think if the developers had added in colour this would have taken your concentration away from how much of a beautiful game this is. By using black and white, it allows the player, to really focus on what is in front of them, and that is one character, on his way to help out one friend at a time.

To support the use of black and white, the sounds and music used in-game provide a clean space for your mind to wander and encourage imagination to paint its own palette of colours. One touch I particularly enjoyed with this game, is the use of a tape deck. As you make your way around Toem and into the different towns, residents offer you tracks to play. While exploring you can collect new music to listen to and photos of creatures you encounter. For each new world, there is a new sound that will reflect the type of area you are in. When you wander to the forest, you are graced with a calming forest noise backing track, filled with the gentle sound of trees swaying, and squirrels chatting.

As seen in the image above, there are also collections you can complete. This includes types of scenery, such as photos of trees and plants. You can also complete the collection for animals and specific characters. I really enjoyed this element as it encouraged me to look more into the world I am in. Once you are looking through the camera you get a better view through first-person. The camera view picks up more detail than when you are looking at the overview of the world.

A picture perfect game

I haven’t played many games quite like Toem. But then again, not many games, bring such a calming atmosphere and tranquil new world to explore, all from the comfort of your own home. This game makes me feel content. In a world, where we are constantly on the move from A to B, and where we are surrounded by bad news stories or danger, it is a nice reminder, that sometimes you need to stop and smell the flowers. Or in Toem’s case, appreciate the flowers and their beauty. Take a photo that lasts forever and can be continuously cherished. That is how I will view Toem. A game that can continuously be cherished and thoroughly deserves a 5-star rating.

5 out of 5

5

You can purchase Toem on Nintendo Switch in the eShop here.