Quick Review: TOEM

There’s one game I have been itching to talk about all year, but it was at the end of the set of Quick Reviews. Now is the time!

A creation of Something We Made released on September 17th, 2021, TOEM is a hand-drawn, black and white photography game. You control an unnamed child embarking on a quest to see the titular TOEM, which is at the end of a road trip full of photography quests. That’s about all there is to it, really; no world-destroying threats, no dangerous enemies, nothing of the sort. Just photos, exploration, and puzzles.

Playing hide and seek, I have found a scout!

You start at home, and are informed of this world's system: As a child, you can ride the bus for free, but the attendant will ask you to collect a number of stamps in an area in order to earn the free bus ride to the next area. A stamp is gained by completing a quest: Taking photos for someone, showing pictures you’ve taken, going around the map and looking for things to snap that others might not see. You’ll eventually gain a few tools to aid on your quest, such as a tripod, which you can set and move away in order to take a picture of something that hides from your sight, or a honk, which can make some animals run away or cause effects. You’ll also gather items of clothing, some of which will see use in some scenarios (like a scuba helmet to go underwater, or a scarf to stay warm in the cold).

That's sweet, I'm collecting those!

Don't mind me, with my umbrella open
in sunny weather.

Aside from the main 65 quests of the base game, there are additional challenges to look for: Taking a picture of every animal to fill a compendium, with 54 in the base game; look for every single secret; unlock all of the achievements; get every song for your portable player, the Hikelady; or take perfect portraits of the people you’ve helped. The game is somewhat short if you only aim to reach the end and see the titular TOEM, but a handful of quests can be a fair bit longer. That said, most puzzles aren’t too difficult, aside from the occasional tricky wording turning them into riddles.

Every area also has a major landmark!

Even crossing the street feels relaxing
in this place!

All this, served in a lovely style. I already mentioned the hand-drawn, black and white look of the game? Well, add to this a Paper Mario feel: All of the characters and most decorative elements are in 2D while most 3D elements are basic, like cubes. The end result is great and befitting the child-friendly tone and comedy throughout. The writing is great, and contributes to making this a great game for kids, but enjoyable for all ages. I really enjoyed my time in it, taking photos of all kinds of stuff, or with various characters. The camera can be used in selfie mode and you can even include effects or filters. 

"Look ma, I'm gonna be a yeti!"
I like having this tripod. It's very useful!

Woo, free vacation!

It’s one of the most adorable and charming games I have ever played, and its casual, no-pressure feel coupled with its style, writing, and difficulty makes it one of the most relaxing titles I’ve covered this year. It feels good to have games like this, you know what I mean? Further proving that TOEM was a labor of love, the development team at Something We Made released an additional chapter on September 16th 2022, entirely for free, taking place at an island resort. The chapter is accessible after seeing TOEM, and packs an extra 20 missions to complete, using new mechanics such as a day/night cycle, the ability to throw water balloons, longer quests, and more.

Memories to be held on forever.

But what or who is TOEM? Ah, you’ll have to find out on your own. Seriously, this game is worth your money, it’s a great experience.

TOEM is available on Steam for 19.99$ USD.