Mutazione

Quite early on and already in the first chapter of my first playthrough,
I realised that I had stumbled upon something very special and somehow unique. Nevertheless,
I had no idea how much I would fall in love with it and that Mutazione
would become something of a daily companion for me.
The story begins with a fine typical prologue and contains the first background information,
which also introduces us to Kai.
Gaia (Mother) "Call me when you get there, okay?"
Kai "Mum..."
Gaia "Look, you've got to allow me to worry, it's part of the job."
Kai "..."
Gaia "I'm so proud of you"
...
After that prologue, the game segues very appropriately into a cinematic opening credits-sequence,
which is fantastically well produced, the music to the opener is absolutely gorgeous
and every cut, every short scene is on point as it gets and really draws you in there.
After a few short in-game sequences and the title fading in, we finally arrive in Mutazione,
where Kai is supposed to spend the summer looking after her sick grandfather, whom she doesn't even know yet.
The game really touched me, everything is beautifully drawn and looks simply amazing in its very own way.
The story is relaxing and exciting at the same time, and I also love all the characters.
It also has charm, humour and a lot of warmth, paired with serious topics and a little drama here and there.
The entire soundtrack is extraordinary and is one of my highlights and favourites of the year,
if I hadn't found the soundtrack on Tidal I would have bought the DLC here without hesitation.
Thanks to the whole team at Die Gute Fabrik for such a wonderful game,
you have done a tremendous job there and should be more than proud of yourselves.

Mutazione is a soap opera presented in the form of a fusion of visual novel and walking simulator. (Here, soap opera is used as the name of a genre defined by being long-running, character-driven, ensemble-cast, slices of life; see also this deep dive by the narrative designer of Mutazione.) The whole story is set in a small town on an island, unfolding through your interactions with the local community.
Instead of its literary merits, this review will focus on Mutazione's gameplay mechanics. In this game, you have two main forms of agency:
1) walking around the village to talk to (or to eavesdrop on) the inhabitants, sharing slice-of-life moments with them;
2) collect seeds from different biomes and plant them in various garden.
Here is a breakdown.
* The story is segmented into 7 times (dawn, morning, lunch, afternoon, evening, night, and late night) of 8 days. Characters are mostly stationary during a time of day, minding their own business (which is closely related to the time, giving you a strong impression of a lively world of an ensemble cast) and waiting for you to interact with them.
* During a time of day, time does not advance until you have finished all the tasks for this time, listed in your journal (which serves as your in-game ToDo list and summarises past events). These tasks are mostly of the type “find and talk to XXX” or “plant Garden X”; the events and dialogues occurring in these tasks constitute the bread and butter (and unmissable) parts of the story.
* On the other hand, interactions with those characters not featuring in the tasks are completely optional. However, these missable dialogues often provide extra background story and strengthen the character building considerably.
* Dialogue choices have absolutely no consequence on the plots; their only effect is a few different lines. (It is said that the game is largely influenced by Kentucky Route Zero.) Actually, you are more like a passive observer of the soap opera than an active player.
* The gardening part is almost purely cosmetic. (Great news for those who love decorating: there is a standalone sandbox mode for gardening.)
What I enjoy in Mutazione:
+ Stunning 2D art & animation.
+ Atmospheric, immersive, great vibe.
+ Solid narrative design, world building, and character building.
+ Relaxing, occasionally heart-warming.
What I can tolerate but do not appreciate:
- In order not to miss any titbit, you have to make a complete sweep of the map during every time of day to hunt down every interactable character or other elements. It gives you motivation to get soaked in the atmosphere and beautiful sceneries, but also artificially slows down the pace and lengthens your gameplay. (Characters scatter over a large portion of the map, which takes a whole minute or two to traverse.)
- The story itself is, in general, a bit insipid.
- The game has a few missable achievements, requiring certain dialogue options to be chosen. For a narrative game without much replay value, such achievement design is usually questionable.
Conclusion:
Strongly recommended if you are into (slow-pacing) story-rich games, especially to experience its narrative design.

Absolutely one of the best, most beautiful and well-written, atmospheric games I've played in a long while. I fell head-over-heels in love with these characters and this island. And the music! Absolutely stunning. Mutazione is the kind of game that makes me feel delighted to be alive. I feel like these characters are real people that I'll get to go back and visit -- and that's a huge accomplishment for an artwork, I think. Bravo!

Mutazione is a cozy indie game with a chill story and interesting characters.
The writing is the game's main selling point and it creates a very atmospheric story.
The gameplay on the other hand is very minimal, which makes the game akin to visual novels but with extra steps.
-
The devs intented it this way, they ask the players to meander around the island and explore. The game can be completed in about 6 hours but you'd be skipping a lot. Best to take your time and invest into exploring and getting to know these characters.
At the end they all and their tiny community will grow on you.
Despite being mutants, they all are very humane and relatable.
The art is quite minimalistic but creates a very grounded and earthly vibe. The music and sound design are subtle and provide a nice background.
Personally I don't do well with visual novel type of games, thus it took me many short sessions to complete this game. But maybe that was the correct way to play it? Relaxed meandering through the days and immersing yourself in this world and community.
Overall, a beautifully human story! :D
Better than "Unpacking". (fk that game)

A super charming walking sim-type game with a beautiful and compelling atmosphere and characters that make the world feel so alive. The music and graphics are incredible, and I loved the character interactions. This game doesn't shy away from grief and loss, and embraces the messy emotional ups-and-downs of life in a very realistic way that gets you invested in the characters and makes you truly feel like you're integrating into a community. It's really what it says on the tin.
Though the game is mostly walking and point-and-click, I never felt myself getting bored. There is so much to look at, the soundtrack is great, and the story kept me hooked. I wish I could play it blind all over again.

so special. incredible artwork and music. the storyline is super engaging and the characters are so real. one of my favourite games ever

Mutazione is a slow-paced narrative adventure set in a mutant-inhabited town. You care for your sick grandfather while uncovering the personal stories of the town's residents.
The hand-drawn visuals, relaxing music, and meditative gameplay create a unique, emotional atmosphere. While it may not suit action-seekers, fans of character-driven stories will find it touching and memorable.
A calm, heartfelt experience with a truly special vibe.