Teacup

In a time when it seems like every problem in a video game must be solved with a gun of some kind, Teacup proves that there’s still room for wholesome narrative experiences in this medium. Additionally, this beautiful and short adventure features some of the most well-crafted dialogue we’ve seen in a puzzle game in a while.

Join Teacup as you explore the forest in search of tea leaves, meeting a cast of cute and funny animals along the way. Players looking for a short and wholesome game might get much more than they bargained for with this cute, animated treat.

Forest Frolics

Teacup is a shy and introverted frog who loves nothing more than drinking tea and reading a good book. She decides to host a tea party with all of her forest friends, but she notices that she’s all out of tea leaves. The only option she has left if she wants her tea party to be a success is to venture into the woods and find the herbs she needs.

This forest isn’t some spooky video game forest we’re so used to seeing in this type of game, on the contrary, the woods are inhabited by some colorful and helpful animals that all wish to help Teacup with her errands – as long as she helps them first.

In short, Teacup is a non-linear narrative experience where you have to help a young frog find the herbs she needs for her tea party. Interacting with the animals and the overall setting of the game is very reminiscent of another game starring a frog, namely The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game.

Solving Problems

Getting the herbs you need for the tea party might sound like an easy enough task, but to do so, you’ll first have to deal with the requests of your forest friends. While most of them are quite easy to do, some of them will require you to do a bit of backtracking, which can be a bit cumbersome in such a short game.

That said, the puzzles fit in exceptionally well with the rest of the game’s presentation, and they’re also never too demanding as to stop the narrative in its tracks. Most puzzles involve some sort of basic gameplay, like sorting food on a market stall or winning a swimming race.

If you get into Teacup expecting puzzles like those seen in games like the Professor Layton series, you’ll be sorely disappointed. However, the art style alone is more than enough to keep you invested in the game’s cute story.

Hand-drawn Cuteness

Considering that you can gather ingredients in any order you want, Teacup is a game that invites you to discover its beautiful locations at your own pace. Each locale has its own charm to them, made even better by the game’s wholesome art style.

Every frame of Teacup seems like it came straight out of a children’s coloring book. Character designs are impossibly cute, and the whimsical dialogue further drives home the fact that this is a game that is just too cute for some players.

Pros:

• Beautiful art style
• Wholesome dialogue and plot
• Non-linear narrative lets you explore the world at your own pace

Cons:

• The game’s over far too soon