TOEM: A Photo Adventure

Toem may be short clocking in at around three hours but those hours are absolutely delightful. Each area feels distinct and offers its own charm, giving players a fresh experience every time they hop on the bus. There’s a surprising amount to photograph, and before long, I found myself instinctively snapping shots of objects and moments that turned out to be tied to quests, even when I wasn’t sure. For the most part, Toem makes it clear when you should interact or take photos, keeping the flow of exploration smooth and satisfying. The biggest drawback, though, is its brief runtime. I was honestly surprised when the credits rolled so soon I would’ve loved one or two more regions to explore, especially since wandering around taking pictures and meeting quirky characters never stopped being fun. There are a few small design quirks, like the limited quest log space and how it’s tied to the bus pass, but nothing that seriously hurts the experience. The monochrome art style is a huge standout it’s rare to see it done this well, and it gives the game a cozy, storybook like atmosphere. The soundtrack complements each area beautifully, and the ability to choose your own tunes adds a nice personal touch. If you’re unsure because of the price to playtime ratio, I’d suggest waiting for a sale. Otherwise, Toem is a short but heartwarming adventure that’s well worth taking and one I’d gladly revisit again.

a cozy christmas pick up you must have!
TOEM honestly captured my 7 hours of attention to 100% my game of the year journal (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Once you beat this game, you'll speak of it as some kind of former wife whom you loved with your soul but died spontaneously or something like that (im crushed in the best way possible)

A short (4h for 100% completion), but very sweet and wholesome puzzle game. Creative, innovative and truly engaging. A nice little break from everyday chaos.

Very charming game that can be loved by players of any age and type. For those who do not take a moment to look at media in monochrome colors, I hope they would pick up this one too because art can be beautiful in grayscale.

- Search-and-find gameplay
- Searching complexity reminded me a lighter version of Tunic's second half of the game
- Plot is very down-to-earth. A protagonist goes out and takes photos. That's mainly it, but the simplicity gives the game experience time for the player to take their time to explore and enjoy photography
- Loved the camera features such as zoom and the filtering styles
- Comedy was in my alley, light and refreshing
- Great game for young children to play too, as long as they have reading comprehension
- Detailed animation: favorites were the weather conditions and the water/snowflakes landing on the lenses, the street crossing scene, and the subtle hints to find the requested photo
- Includes post-game content
- Didn't observe motion sickness

There was only one instance, when I wanted to screen-record, and my Steam Deck went kaputt and the screen went black, but the mousepad was returning a haptic response. Once I force restarted the game and hesitantly screen-recorded a different scene, it worked. I didn't record as often however. (the scene that crashed my Steam Deck was the one where the ghost was playing a shuffle cup and guessing game)

I only played the main storyline, but at 90% completion, I was pretty content -- and impressed that I reached that high, I usually don't aim for 100%.

TOEM tells the story of a small, sheep-like creature who dreams of experiencing the “TOEM” (comparable to the Aurora Borealis) once, and sets off on a long journey to make that little dream come true.
It's a short cozy game set in a monochrome 2.5D world where you use a camera to capture everything interesting you find along the way. You'll meet a lot of quirky characters who send you on small quests through five different locations. The story is told with a lot of love, the world is rich in detail and also hides many little secrets, while the OST creates a relaxing background atmosphere.
Including the free DLC, it took me about 10 hours to complete 100%, but I really took my time and simply, just enjoyed the atmosphere.
Overall, TOEM is a handsome combination of adventure-, cozy-, hidden object- and puzzle game that is definitely worth the price of 20€.

Numerous other reviews have already mentioned qualities like graphics, audio, music, the writing, or how cute TOEM is in general, so instead I'd like to highlight how well designed it is.
Levels are easy to navigate, yet interesting.
Environments feel fresh, because the setting consistently changes before an area overstays it's welcome.
The quests are simple, but the reward is always worth the effort.
Core gameplay is limited in scope, though remains engaging throughout the game's runtime.
This game ticks all the boxes, and is a masterclass on how to properly realise a vision on a limited budget.
TOEM is an excellent game, and well worth your time.