Here’s the thing about me – I see an adorable tanuki, I’m gonna wanna know more. And then when I see that I get to manage my very own street in a world of cute graphics, I’m hooked. There’s no going back. As such, I jumped at the chance to play Minami Lane when it recently released for Switch. It originally came out on Steam, but has finally made its console debut. I’m gonna share my thoughts in this Minami Lane review!
At its core, this is a cosy management sim with influences from Japanese folklore. It’s designed to be simple and easy to learn, making it accessible to pretty much anyone. It’s also very short, with an estimated playtime of 2-4 hours according to the publishers. There’s something to be said for indies which you can complete in a dedicated session or two, and I’m not one to be put off by a shorter game. But is this particular title worth it? Let’s find out!
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Story – Let’s Get to Beautifying!
Although it’s not entirely clear how we came to be in charge of this street, what is abundantly clear is that all the responsibility falls on us. At the start, we’re introduced to a tanuki (Japanese raccoon-type creature) who gives us our missions. Minami Lane has fallen into disrepair, and it’s our job to restore it to its former glory. We do this by constructing buildings, making upgrades, and bringing in new people and animals. I also really love getting to explore different cultures through gaming.
Once we have the basics of how to edit a street, the goals become more varied. We have to reintroduce cats to the neighbourhood, which are attracted by beauty. We also need to bring more cyclists, to create a more bustling environment. The ultimate goal is to encourage Yokai (Japanese spirits/ supernatural entities) to move in.
Although the game isn’t very story heavy, with very little dialogue, it does still feel immersive. When you click on the NPCs, they’ll say a little line or two about how they’re feeling. It’s cute seeing their inner thoughts, and makes them feel more real. Some of their phrases are humorous, and others are rather sweet, such as when they praise “whoever is in charge of this street”.
Gameplay – A Soft Introduction to Management
Some management sims get bogged down in the details, but not Minami Lane. This is very much a ‘baby’s first management sim’ kind of game, but that’s not a bad thing! It really leans into the cosy nature of the genre, and allows you to just relax and have fun with it. Everything is very clearly explained, and although there’s technically no tutorial, the first mission is basically just that.
There are multiple types of buildings that you can construct. Some, such as the Konbini or Bookstore serve a purpose to generate income for your street. Others, such as the Park or Onsen generate beauty, an important asset for bringing cats and cyclists. And then some buildings such as the Florist or Boba shop do both. You can also build houses to bring in new residents, or even buildings that run useful services such as trash collection. It’s important to find a good balance of buildings to run your street in the most efficient way.
As well as just constructing buildings, you also need to pay attention during the day. It’s your job to click on trash to pick it up, and to find the hidden tanuki each day. You also need to stroke cats and greet cyclists, which both give you extra income. When customers come out of shops, they’ll have thoughts about their purchase. Click on them to see what they have to say, so that you can get the perfect recipe/ selection for maximum happiness. Young and old people have different preferences, so don’t try to please both at once. I really like how there’s that element of strategy in making the shops as effective as possible.
Missions
Instead of just having one street that you’re continually adding to, the game is played through missions. Every time you complete a mission, the street will reset, and you’ll have to build new buildings to achieve new goals. This is kind of bittersweet, since it’s fun to start afresh, but you also grow attached to the street you’ve just created.
Each mission will have mandatory objectives and an optional objective. I always strive for the optional one since I’m a perfectionist, but it’s not necessary to progress. I like that they make those objectives optional, as it takes the stress out of the game whilst still providing a reward for players who like the extra challenge. The extra objectives are often time-based (complete the mission in X days), but sometimes depend on your interactions with the street (such as one where you had to stroke a total of 20 cats).
I like that the missions introduced a bit of variety, and encouraged you to try different playstyles. My favourite mission was the one about the cats, as the focus was on beauty instead of making money. However, there are only 5 missions in the entire game, which is a bit of a shame. I think having 7-10 missions would’ve been better, and they could’ve introduced extra elements such as getting your NPCs married, or an adoption centre for all the cats.
Sandbox Mode
As I mentioned, Minami Lane is an exceptionally short game since it only has 5 missions, and you’ll finish pretty quickly. To allow for some replayability, the game has a sandbox mode. You can choose whether to start with limited money, or to have a lot of money and more freedom to build what you like without having to hit specific targets to unlock certain buildings. I still wanted a challenge, so I chose to have limited money.
However, I found myself getting bored pretty quickly. I liked having something to work towards with the missions in the main campaign. Take that away, and you’re left with a rather repetitive game with limited buildings and customisation options. After about an hour, I was done, and had no real interest in playing further.
You do get an ‘event’ each day, in the form of a newspaper headline which introduces a unique modifier, such as upgrades being cheaper, people dropping more litter than usual, or the NPC’s favourite recipes changing. This was introduced towards the end of the main campaign missions as well. It adds extra interest to the game, and I’m very glad they included it, but by itself it’s simply not enough to make sandbox mode fun in the long term.
Audio and Visuals
The main thing that attracted me to Minami Lane in the first place were the gorgeous visuals. If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for anything cute and colourful, and this title definitely fits the bill. The game is quite minimalist in its hand-drawn art style, but the soft lines and complementary colours do the heavy lifting here. Due to the small scope of the game, there weren’t too many assets for the developers to have to create, meaning that each one has been crafted with love and care.
I do wish there were more customisation options, though. Each building has three roof shapes to choose from, and then you can customise the roof colour and the main building colour. Even with those choices, there are only about 5-7 colours to choose from per building, with lots of overlap between buildings, meaning the street always looks quite samey. The colours aren’t bad by any means, and they fit well with the vibe of the game. I just would’ve liked more control over the look of my street. I wish they’d added more colours, and more things we could change, such as the door shape.
The music was catchy and upbeat, and I enjoyed listening to it throughout my playthrough. I want to give a special shout-out to the sound effects, as they were implemented very cleverly. It would make a meow sound when a cat appeared, or a bell chime when there’s a bike. One of the hardest parts of the game is always being alert for new things coming on to your street, so having the sound effects is super useful as it lets you know what to look for and when.
Verdict
I hope this Minami Lane review has given you insight into what to expect from this game. It certainly has a lot of promise, and the mechanics involved are well-implemented. It’s also easy to immerse yourself in, as you tell yourself “just one more (in-game) day”. At one point, I was playing this on the train, and I got so invested that I accidentally missed my stop! You should’ve seen me trying to bundle my Switch into my bag as I rushed for the doors!
Unfortunately, it’s let down by its short length, and the lack of varied mechanics. I wish that the developers had spent a bit more time on creating more missions. Different customisation options would’ve been great too. Still, if you’re looking for a quick and simple game to bide your time, this fits the bill.
What did you think of this Minami Lane review? Is it the kind of title you’d want to play? Join the discussion over in our Facebook community, or tweet us over on Twitter!
Minami Lane (Switch)
£4.49
Pros
- Cute hand-drawn art style
- Reasonably priced
- Fun missions with varied objectives
- Easy to learn how to play
Cons
- Limited customisation options
- Very short with only 5 missions
- Little replayability as it gets boring quickly
