The original Toem was one of the best games I played in 2021. It’s also a game I’ve thought about ever since, thanks to its simple but perfected premise: talking to people, snapping photos, and completing puzzles. I said that even the smallest games can leave the biggest impact, and after playing Toem 2, that idea holds even now.
I was apprehensive about the sequel because the first was so close to perfect. How could developer Something We Made expand on the premise without weighing it down? Well, as it turns out, by doubling down on what made the original so good and polishing it.
Toem 2 Is A Delight
The sequel is more of what made the original so good. Whether you want to play it is totally up to you. The premise is that the protagonist must once again head out to witness a new Toem—an event so rare, no one can even begin to describe it. So how does the sequel fare? It’s an excellent follow-up, with the same simple visuals and a bigger world with more freedom. The downside is that it’s essentially more of the same that you’ve played before.
Using black-and-white imagery, Toem 2 has you explore various areas, talk to people, and complete tasks before heading back on the bus to the next location. To get your bus ticket to the next location, you only need to solve a certain number of puzzles in each area, though it’s easy to stay and complete them all since it doesn’t take long. Honestly, I recommend completing each area before moving on.
Every level is populated with various creatures, and photographing them adds to your compendium, like making friends and finding a gnome. You collect stamps needed to move on. As a result, the game takes a bit longer, and since the creatures and requests are so lovely, it’s worth searching for them. You can also collect costumes and outfits, which you mostly find as you explore and solve puzzles. I always enjoyed putting them on, so I’m pleased that they are included.
Many of the locations you’ll visit are excellent and memorable, just like the first game. You’ll complete quests, many of which have you fetch items or take a photo of something specific. I’m normally not into these sorts of missions, but because it’s a cozy title and they aren’t filler to the point of being benign, they’re fine given how quickly they wrap up.
Each region you visit is whimsical and has someone you’ll primarily help. Cropten is a farmers’ haven with an assortment of farm animals, or Taletorp, where I’m sure a lot of mutuals would love to live, since it’s straight out of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The areas improve on Toem in almost every way.
Fill That Stamp Book
It’s such a basic game, but the charm is off the charts, and regardless of what I have to do in-game, it always ends up putting a smile on my face. Most characters you meet will leave you smiling, or they’ll make you want to help them.
The world is also more detailed than its predecessor. While Toem had plenty of open spaces in nature and a few towns along the way, this time you’re exploring much more varied locations, both inside and out. That means even the character models look better, especially indoors.
You have access to tools in many areas, like scissors to cut items, a drone to take better photos, or a hammer to break items. You’ll eventually even use these when returning to locations you’ve previously visited to finish up your stamp collection. A lot of these gimmicks are cute, but I can see how not everyone wants them. They’re clearly there to add some variety to the mix, but I’m not sure the payoff works here.
Verdict
Toem 2 is a stellar game. You can clear it in a weekend, and you’ll come out the other end feeling great about your time. It’s a bigger sequel, yes, but it also keeps the simplicity that made the first Toem such a must-play. Something We Made knows they’ve crafted a winning formula, and the result is a pair of games that I believe everybody must play.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch 2
Toem 2 Review — A Journey Worth Taking
Summary
Toem 2 is a stellar game. You can clear it in a weekend, and you'll come out the other end feeling great about your time. It's a bigger sequel, yes, but it also keeps the simplicity that made the first Toem such a must-play. Something We Made knows they've crafted a winning formula, and the result is a pair of games that I believe everybody must play.
