Chuchel

It's a pity that the cattle from russia spoil the statistics of great games by Amanita Design with their negative reviews because their paradigm has broken, for the Czechs have chosen an adequate position.
This is a great studio, and I love their creations, they are very atmospheric and fascinating, it's literally a part of my childhood.
Go cry, you offended children.

Another adorably endearing game from Amanita although not my favorite of theirs so far.
You're a goofy little fuzz ball with an acorn hat who is trying to get a cherry while this other little creature dude is also trying to get the cherry while some omnipresent hand keeps plucking the thing up and away from you both. So you go through each level in this sort of tug-of-war dynamic while slapstick shenanigans unfold.
As always from Amanita, the BGM and SFX are unique, peculiar, and very aligned. The art design is super quirky and distinctive, reminiscent of J. Otto Seibold or The Stinky Cheese Man but everything is bright, colorful, and cheery. I mean, if you aren't set to a good mood after this I don't know what will get you there.
BUT there just really isn't much gameplay. Largely you will just click on things to move the sets along and there are only a handful of levels that actually require you to figure anything out or "play" something. Like the art design comparisons I mentioned, it felt more like an interactive children's illustration.
It is very short (about 2.5-3 hours) and a few of the achievements are a little obscure but you get a handy chapter select so you can easily go back and scoop any up if you want.
I did get a little frustrated by a few of the levels due to the pacing and abstract logic. I did smile a whole lot. I do recommend this one on sale or in a bundle but for those that enjoy the trash polka style and charm of Amanita games I still recommend it but only barely.
3 out of 5 cherries

Gotta love Amanita Design's weird ass little games. CHUCHEL is a short, quirky game following the eponymous Chuchel, a fuzzy little creature with big dreams of eating cherries. Of course, those dreams are interrupted when a giant hand steal his cherry, not to mention Kekel, a little rat thing that also wants the cherry. The game will take Chuchel and Kekel into several absurd situations, reminiscent of short cartoons you'd sometimes catch on TV.
The art design is nice; what you'd expect from Amanita Design if you're already familiar with their games, and the same goes for the soundtrack. Honestly, I can't write a lot about this game given how short and abstract it is. All I can say is that, for its short lenght, it's a rather fun, absurdist experience, and one that I enjoyed. Getting all achievements is relatively easy as well, so this is an easy recommendation from me.

CHUCHEL is an interesting puzzle game, following the style of previous Amanita Design games. It has especially similiar art style to Botanicula, which makes sense since the same game designer, Jaromír Plachý, is behind both games.
You follow an orange creature as he's chasing a cherry. While the puzzles and environments feels familiar, there is something that does feel off about the game - it's not as open and non-linear as previous titles. Each challenge is enclosed to its own level and there is no world that you move around in, once you're done you get automatically teleported to the next. But this is a small change and honestly? A bit relieving at times, as I recall getting lost quite a bit in both Botanicula and the Samorost games.
Overall, a fun puzzle game with logical and not too hard puzzles and challenges. A lot of fun mini games that does add a big variation to the game, it's not just point n click. A few of them are even homage to older video games - you'll find out once you play!

a fun and short puzzle game. cute design. spent the whole game running after one cherry and i love it 10/10

It is one of those games that just makes you smile the entire time. The puzzles are delightfully quirky and the humor is offbeat in the best possible way. The art style is charming and the animations are ridiculous yet oddly satisfying. It’s short, but every minute is memorable. If you’re into lighthearted puzzle games with a lot of personality, this one’s definitely worth a go.

PROS:
+ unique aesthetic
+ quite funny (for kids?)
+ cool mini-games
+ great on the Steam Deck
CONS:
- no gamepad support
- nightmare fuel (for kids?)
Comment:
Gameplay is all you want it to be when it comes to mini-games. You get arkanoid, sort of tetris, pac-man, flappy bird, maze puzzle, robot boxing, slingshot and many others. It is amazing how it switches up all these activities without missing a beat. I found all of it interesting although some will seem hard for smaller children. Whether in the reflex department or logic, some parts seem more aimed at older youths or adults.
Which is why it seems a bit jarring that the humor is unapologetically for kids. Lots of screaming and physicality designed for the little ones. Adults can enjoy some of it for sure, maybe all, but to be honest it was not my cup of tea. I did laugh at certain scenes but I mostly enjoyed the whole thing through my son who had was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
Used to be black dust bunny with red mouth and an orange hat. It is color-swapped now and to be honest, it does not really matter. Kids will not give a flip about it. Adults should not either. Do I like the OG design slightly more? Yep. Does the change require a culture war and review bombing? Absolutely not. The devs made their choice and to be honest the color swap changed NOTHING for either the story or the gameplay. Get the game for cheap if it bothers you. Or move on people, enjoy life instead of focusing on what you hate.
For some reason this game does not support gamepads. But it DOES work flawlessly on the Steam Deck. The settings are not plentiful but I did not have any issue on the PC either.
Overall, me and my son had a really fun time together with this game. And my advice is, even without kids have someone over for this wonderful mess. The enjoyment of going "WTF?!" with someone else while playing elevates the experience. Get it on sale!
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