The Good Life

Majora's Mask, but it's just the sidequests.
Obviously, there's a lot of Deadly Premonition in here, too, but mostly the part where you're retrieving Arnold for George, or helping Emily with her cooking. The mystery angle is present, but it very much takes a backseat to running errands for the quirky townsfolk and trying not to get killed by badgers and foxes in the process.
To clarify my Majora's Mask comparison, The Good Life features days of the week, moon phases, a day/night cycle, and NPCs that operate on strict schedules. Depending on these factors, you may only have a short, hours-long window each in-game week to progress some of your quests, and if you miss it? Well, better luck next time, find something else to do.
Fortunately, there's quite a lot else to do. Every time I've run into a dead end on a quest, it's pretty easy to just shift gears and focus on doing something else for a while. Much like Pathologic (a comparison I didn't expect to make), you'll spend a lot of your time raiding trash cans, boxes, bushes, and generally just picking up items off the ground as you go about your business.
On this point, I'd like to clarify the frustration some other reviews have expressed around how "grindy" the item gathering and quests are. The upgrades and quests in question are clearly intended to be long-term goals. House and clothing upgrades are significant, as they drastically improve your quality of life, and understandably, they're meant to be difficult to acquire. The materials in question will simply accumulate over time if you're diligent, and given that collecting trash is an entire third of the gameplay, I can't imagine why you wouldn't be doing it.
While I could see people with a low tolerance for frustration and repetition bouncing off of this pretty quickly, those people probably shouldn't be playing SWERY's games to begin with, as copious jank is simply part of the package. To that end, The Good Life feels very much like a PS2 game, from the clunky combat, bad camera, and awkward controls to the frustratingly inadequate inventory management, poor quest tracking, and long delays between switching animal forms, so...
... be aware, this is absolutely a niche recommendation, this game simply will not be to everyone's tastes, and that's fine. The gameplay here primarily consists of talking to NPCs, picking up trash, and exploring the open world.
I'm going to narrow the criteria for recommendation down a bit more than other reviews and say that if you were very specifically into the side missions and open world of Deadly Premonition, you should check this out. If you feel like you could've enjoyed Majora's Mask doing only the various mask sidequests, with none of the combat or dungeons, I'd also say you should check this out. And of course, if you found some kind of sick thrill in participating in the hobo economy of Pathologic 1/2, you, too, will likely find something to love here.

Whatever problem I have with this game can be found in a lot of other reviews, so let's focus on the positives:
Despite its shortcomings, after 30+ hours this game somehow makeup for all of that and as the credit rolls, I- an avid lover of cozy life sim/RPGs like the Story of Seasons series, Rune Factory and Stardew Valley- have to begrudgingly admit that this game is one of the most fun and unique cozy life sim I have ever played.
The dev created a vibrant, charming English countryside with some quirky, edgy creative spices. I love that I can go into the pubs and order English food/drinks, and learn to cook all of them after a while.. I love that I can challenge the local vicar to a drinking game. I love that there's a homeless violinist who talks with his violin. I love running around the country roads with the open sky all around me.
Things I hate, hate, HATE and WANT TO BURN IN A FIRE:
-I almost refunded the game solely because of how annoying the protagonist and some side characters was. The writing trope of repeating a catchphrase for comedic effect is one that I hope Japanese game devs never go back to again. I feel like I was playing Pokemon Sword & Shield again, having to listen to Leon talk about his Charizard.
-I sincerely believe this game would be more fun if we remove the shapeshifting animation. having to wait 3 secs just to jump a wall, then another 3 sec to turn back to human, and another 3 sec to use another digging ability is just...annoying.
-A huge map that doesn't allow you to zoom in, doesn't mark resources for you, or let you mark it yourself. Didn't expect this from a game released in 2021.
-Does not warn player about locking out questlines if they progress with the endgame. Sigh.
Overall, very fun game that make you frustrated and want to refund, but in the end you will go 'one more side quest and i'll sleep'.
Edit: after spending more than 40+ hours in postgame, and reading more into the kickstarter, my conclusion is that the game is a textbook case of wasted potential. Beginning with a fun and unique premise, but was badly implemented, lacking lots of QoL that throw the entire gameplay loop out of balance, and a lot of things in the kickstarter couldn't be added or was modified, and the story don't even have a good payoff. It's still pretty fun to me, but I mourn what it could have been, a British countryside life sim that have a murder mystery theme sounds right up my alley...

This is one of my favorite games! I feel like the atypical gamer who hates any sort of combat or challenge. I hate getting stuck and frustrating tasks that I find in so many games even on story or easy modes. This game is very enjoyable, it's easy and relaxing but I find the world beautiful, the characters interesting. The quests are fun and I like the story!

Its, good . Love the characters , Naomi's great, the story.I'm suprised how there's very little known about this game, it's a new take on the life sim genre that i wish more people explored.
I have some complaints as someone whose trying to achieve everything,
My main issue:
Aluminum Chunks. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Aluminum Chunks.
You need Aluminum Cans to process aluminum nuggets to aluminum chunks, and if you go through with going to each bin in the town maybe you'd get 12, they require 3 days to spawn.
This wouldn't be an issue if IT REQUIRED 10 ALUMINUM CANS to make A SINGLE ALUMINUM NUGGET
AND 5 NUGGETS TO MAKE A CHUNK
YOU'D NEED 50 CANS TO MAKE A CHUNK, SO MAYBE 2 WEEKS OF IN GAME NON STOP SEARCHING FOR CANS.
This wouldn't be an issue, if aluminum chunks weren't important to a LOT of stuff you'd need to buy.
A lot of the clothing items require aluminum cans, very early on in the game you'd get a quest that require you to make vacational decorations, needing 4 aluminum chunks, 200 ALUMINUM CANS.
i just realized i turned this into a praise into a tangent about aluminum cans. sorry. anyways buy the game

I think this is Swery at his best. It's just dumb jokes, a semi Animal Crossing debt simulator, and an absurd and hooking storyline. Super chill.

The Good Life is one of the strangest and most charming life simulation games released in recent years, blending photography mechanics, open-world exploration, murder mystery storytelling, and supernatural transformations into an experience that constantly shifts between cozy rural adventure and bizarre psychological mystery. Created by Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, the game carries the same eccentric personality found in his earlier projects, delivering a world filled with awkward humor, memorable characters, surreal twists, and unconventional design choices. It is a game that often feels rough and chaotic, yet its overwhelming personality and creativity make it difficult to forget once the journey begins.
The story follows Naomi Hayward, a struggling New York photographer drowning in debt who travels to the rural English town of Rainy Woods after receiving a mysterious assignment. The village is advertised as “the happiest town in the world,” but Naomi quickly discovers that the peaceful countryside hides deeply unusual secrets beneath its welcoming atmosphere. What initially appears to be a quirky investigative story gradually evolves into something far stranger involving murder mysteries, supernatural curses, hidden conspiracies, and bizarre transformations that constantly challenge player expectations.
Naomi herself is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Unlike many idealized protagonists found in life simulators, she is sarcastic, selfish, impatient, and often openly frustrated with the strange situation surrounding her. Her constant complaints and cynical observations give the story a great deal of personality, especially when contrasted against the eccentric optimism of the townspeople. Naomi feels more like an ordinary person trapped in absurd circumstances than a traditional heroic lead, which helps make her interactions feel surprisingly natural and entertaining.
Photography serves as the core gameplay mechanic and becomes highly addictive once the systems fully open up. Naomi earns money by taking pictures of wildlife, town events, strange occurrences, and daily life around Rainy Woods before uploading them online to gain followers and income. The photography system encourages exploration because players are constantly searching for interesting moments, hidden secrets, and valuable subjects to capture. Trending hashtags and photo popularity create a satisfying progression loop where exploration directly contributes toward both story progression and financial survival.
One of the game’s most memorable features is Naomi’s ability to transform into both a cat and a dog. These transformations are not simple visual gimmicks but major gameplay systems that dramatically affect exploration and interaction. Cat form allows players to climb rooftops, squeeze through hidden paths, and navigate the environment with agility, while dog form focuses more heavily on scent tracking, treasure hunting, and movement speed. These mechanics make exploration far more engaging because players are encouraged to constantly switch forms depending on the situation. The animal transformations also reinforce the surreal tone of the game, making Rainy Woods feel increasingly detached from reality as the story progresses.
The world itself becomes one of the game’s strongest accomplishments. Rainy Woods feels genuinely alive because every resident follows daily routines, moving through the town, visiting shops, socializing, and reacting to events naturally. Exploring the countryside, farms, forests, pubs, and small streets gradually becomes comforting despite the darker mystery elements lurking beneath the surface. The atmosphere constantly balances warmth and unease, creating a world that feels simultaneously relaxing and unsettling.
The side activities add enormous variety to the experience. Beyond solving mysteries and taking photographs, players can cook meals, grow crops, complete side quests, craft items, upgrade their home, ride sheep across the countryside, and build relationships with the villagers. The sheer number of mechanics gives the game a strange but enjoyable unpredictability because there is almost always something unusual to discover or pursue. At times it feels less like a focused open-world game and more like a collection of bizarre ideas somehow stitched together into a single experience.
Visually, The Good Life embraces a stylized cartoon-like presentation that prioritizes atmosphere and personality over technical realism. Character models and animations are occasionally awkward, but the colorful countryside environments and cozy village aesthetic give the world a unique charm. Rainy Woods itself feels memorable because of its visual identity, blending peaceful rural scenery with subtle supernatural strangeness. The soundtrack contributes heavily to this atmosphere through calm countryside music and softer ambient themes that make wandering through the town feel strangely relaxing.
The narrative constantly escalates into increasingly absurd territory. Swery’s writing style thrives on tonal whiplash, shifting rapidly between comedy, emotional drama, horror, and surreal fantasy. Some story twists are genuinely shocking simply because the game feels willing to go absolutely anywhere narratively. Players familiar with Deadly Premonition will immediately recognize the same combination of awkward sincerity and complete unpredictability running throughout the experience.
However, The Good Life is also undeniably flawed. Many gameplay systems feel rough around the edges, and the controls occasionally lack precision. Movement can feel clumsy, menus are sometimes awkward to navigate, and several mechanics are poorly explained. Certain quests provide vague objectives that can leave players wandering aimlessly while trying to determine how to progress. The game’s ambitious structure occasionally works against itself because there are simply too many overlapping systems competing for attention.
Technical issues are another noticeable weakness. Performance inconsistencies, awkward animations, visual glitches, and occasional bugs frequently interrupt the experience. The pacing can also become grind-heavy because earning money and progressing certain story sections often requires repetitive photography or side activities. Some players may find the balance between open-world freedom and narrative momentum uneven, especially during slower stretches where the story temporarily loses focus.
Yet despite all these problems, The Good Life succeeds because of how much personality it possesses. Very few games are willing to be this eccentric, experimental, and unapologetically strange. The game constantly feels handcrafted by creators more interested in making something memorable than perfectly polished. That ambition results in occasional frustration, but it also creates moments unlike anything else in the genre.
What ultimately makes The Good Life special is the emotional attachment players gradually form with Rainy Woods and its bizarre residents. The town becomes oddly comforting despite its chaos, and the combination of cozy daily routines with supernatural mystery creates a tone that feels uniquely its own. Even when the mechanics stumble, the atmosphere and characters continue pulling the player deeper into the world.
The Good Life is messy, unconventional, and technically rough, but it is also imaginative, heartfelt, and filled with unforgettable moments. Its combination of photography gameplay, life simulation systems, supernatural transformations, and eccentric storytelling creates an experience that feels unlike almost anything else on Steam. Players willing to embrace its flaws and strange pacing will discover a deeply original adventure overflowing with charm, mystery, and personality.
Rating: 7/10

I played the demo then went straight into the game (because I bought it). Don't do that lol. I had to start over and absolutely LOVE this game!!! It's not linear and allows you to pick and choose what to do next. There are a few "urgent quests" that require you to complete them immediately and often with a timer, but otherwise, it's whenever. You do have to keep your stats up and have a time progression and have to watch the moon cycles, etc., but it is NOT complicated!! I quit so many games because they're just too complex, and this one is the perfect balance! The graphics are great. The storyline and gameplay creative (such as following scents as a dog and climbing as a cat, etc.). The VO's are very well done. The MC is fare from likeable, but not enough to turn me away. I especially like the photo part, going around looking for the right shot. That was what originally drew me to it. Online help is sparse (walkthrough, fan wiki, etc.) but enough to help when needed, as this apparently didn't get the reviews I personally think it deserves.