Kemono Teatime

"For now, we smile and bear it. May that smile follow us on our journeys." "Minor" Spoilers ahead. Stuff that's implied within the first hour of gameplay and some story themes. [h1] My Experience [/h1] Kemono Teatime is a teashop themed visual novel, that has a very bright, moe and chill presentation but a dim world behind it, and a bittersweet story. It's a visual novel really, since I found that the teashop elements don't really do much to actually affect the course of the story and aren't as big of a gameplay element as some might think The game has pretty solid and amazing pixel art, for both characters and the tea shop. I found that I never got bored of seeing them in the shop even when it was where we spent almost the whole game in. It has a really nice and cozy atmosphere that helps to relax you. I really couldn't help myself at some point that I went ahead and got coffee and some sweet snacks to enjoy while I was playing the game hahaha. I'm not really into the ASMR component though. Personal preference. Also, maybe it's due to me mainly playing some high intensity action games, but hearing a voice ground around behind me from one side to the other has repeatedly kicked my senses into high alert. Yes I disabled the voices before making it to the 60 minute mark, how could you tell? There's not a lot of voicelines anyways, most of what little is there is for onomatopeia. Another piece of personal preference, but I'm just not into the moe aesthetic. The art is fantastic, but the style doesn't do anything for me... At least that's what I felt for most of the game except for a certain portion of the story. I don't like all these bright colors and cutesy stuff, it can make some things feel offputting, distracting, etc... But yeah, feel free to ignore this as it is just my preference. When it comes to gameplay, there really isn't much. Characters come into the shop, ask for tea of specific characteristics and you'll have to pick the right tea and herb blend for them. It's hard to get wrong since the wording is very direct. If someone asks for something that heals fatigue, you use the herb that is specifically described to heal fatigue. There really isn't a puzzle or economy or management element to it. At most you spend money to unlock items to unlock different desserts and at the end of most days you get to make a pick of 3 items from an RNG pool. If you give the character the right tea and herb blend they ask for, you build up your bond with them, but this only seems to have an effect on post-ending scenes where you get to see a special message each character has left. I felt that a lot of the dialogue came off as pretty natural and in-character, if that makes sense. I loved the funny moments and dynamics between them. All their interactions felt real too. Naturally as a visual novel, half of it, perhaps the most important part of it is its story. Implications of the world are established very quickly within the first hour of the game, and there's even a glossary that clarifies a bunch of things. Be warned, this is the slightly spoilery bit. It establishes that approximately a year ago, a pandemic had spread that killed off a portion of humanity, and turned many others into kemomimi. However, kemonofication is a terminal disease. Everyone knows that first comes the ears, and when the tail comes, they have about a month left. So, that's the core theme of the game. Spending time with those who know their time is nearly up, seeing how they and loved ones around them cope with it, and what comes after... I think it hit me especially hard as I'm at a point in my life in which I see my very own parents aging and aching. It should be telling to you that I had to pause and think things through. Making peace with the death of your loved ones... [h2] Conclusion [/h2] I didn't like the moe aesthetic and what felt like toxic levels of positivity, but by the end of the story I understood the reasoning behind it, I understood why the game was presented the way it was, and I found myself appreciating it a lot. For its short length, it's been impactful. I would not recommend this as a game where you run a teashop, but I would recommend it as a great visual novel with food for thought. It's pretty much a very bittersweet cozy game. Also why is everyone named after some kind of sweet? Guys, please, I'm on a diet! On a totally unrelated sidenote, I think Flipline needs to make a Papa's teashoperia. [i]Please remember to check other reviews to make a properly informed decision about purchasing this game. I am but one man speaking from my own experience and with my own preferences.[/i]