Toem is about capturing the moment,
and the game manages to cram a ton of such moments into its tiny spaces.
Armed with a camera and album, you can make these worlds better places
by paying attention to the environment and getting the right shot.
Its lack of color, short length, and simplicity might deter some,
but Toem’s expressive areas never waste a minute of your time.
On your way to photograph a natural phenomenon you’ve never seen before,
you explore a string of locations from your hometown to snowy mountains in the east.
You earn bus fare by helping the locals at each stop,
and these favors usually involve snapping something in particular
or using your lens to point at something in the distance.
It’s easy to scratch each errand off the list as you go zone by zone,
but the later areas have missions that send you zig-zagging
through multiple interconnected maps.
While exploring in third-person, you can only run and activate switches,
but when your camera’s up you have a bunch of options.
You can choose to put snapshots in your album, flip the angle to take a selfie,
and honk at subjects to get different reactions.
Most of the elements in each scene are 2D,
and the switch from third-person to first-person is smooth.
Objects can get kind of blurry when they’re too close,
and some of the flat bits can criss-cross in weird ways, but
the simple shades and patterns help you line up some satisfying pictures.
Certain secrets, like a series of casual cats,
are only logged when you locate them and get the shot.
Some of the most curious objects lie in the distance, or above you,
or only emerge during the right conditions.
Others have animation patterns you have to read
or other elements you need to patiently observe to capture them at just the right second.
There’s a visual guide that confirms you’re aiming at something the game recognizes, but
there’s value in grabbing a shot of the horizon just because it’s pretty.
Toem maintains a steady balance of quest-completion
and pure, mindful recreation, depending on what mood you’re in.
The further you travel, the more there is to find and do,
but you only need to complete a fraction of each area’s errands
to earn enough for a ticket to the next town.
If you stick to the main path, the game only lasts a few hours, but
this works out both ways.
If you’re looking for a quick adventure that’ll make you chuckle, it’s definitely that.
However, if you’re a completionist that wants to dig up every part of each map,
there are enough cute secrets to keep you busy for quite a bit longer.
To help you finish quests, and improve your style, you unlock costume pieces.
Some come with an ability like a sock that doubles your running speed,
or sunglasses that let you see ghosts.
Toem remains vibrant despite its black and white look.
Different weather effects make the later zones stand out,
and the characters you meet have no trouble expressing themselves.
The music, while often changing style and energy,
maintains a consistent, chill vibe that connects the different zones.
There’s a music player if you want to change tracks while you play,
and your character dons headphones whenever something new comes on.
There’s a fair amount of looping and backtracking as you search for new quests or finish old ones,
but the brevity of dialogue and ease of character movement keep the pace up.
Like each of the hundred or more photos you’re likely to take in one playthrough,
Toem is exactly what it appears to be:
an eye-catching but short adventure about exploring and puzzle-solving.
Your photo targets range from loud and obvious to near-invisible,
so everyone should find something fun to hunt.
The textures don’t always hold up from every angle, and the trip ends far too soon,
but there are definitely memories here worth keeping.
Final score: 8 out of 10.
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