Minami Lane Review – Right Up My Street

Guess what? Video game reviewers do actually buy their own games, and Minami Lane is the kind of game that you, too, should be spending your pennies on. Come on, most gamers have an affinity with Japan, so this should be right up your street. Lane.

Led by a tanuki, you’re blessed with decorating the curbs with bubble tea vendors, onsens, and Starbucks. The last one is a lie, thank god. But seriously, this game from Doot and Blibloop is an absolute dream and puts the wholesome in… erm, wholesome. Where do I begin?

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Minami Lane is a casual city builder where you’re given several tasks to help your community thrive. Initial objectives that are set in the campaign might be about an inclusive community of old fogies and young nippers, or perhaps attracting X number of cats through your eloquent placement of all things nice, or maybe having a killer ramen recipe that brings all the boys to the yard.

Minami Lane Review: Send Noods

I can’t quite reverse engineer how Minami Lane entered my radar, as it didn’t feature on any mailing lists, street corners, or even word of mouth. Nevertheless, it appeared on my wishlist for less than a week, and I snapped it up good and proper and encourage you to do the same.

The game is presented in an isometric viewpoint. You place a series of structures to establish a settlement. Building placement is rather linear: Anything new will be placed to the left of whatever you already have, with the street expanding the further you progress in the game.

It’s all about the aesthetics and feels, so on the one hand, Minami Lane tickles your competitive gene with tasks, while your OCD kicks in with building placement, upgrades and customisation. For example, ramen establishments, bubble tea and karaoke setups weave the way for custom recipes and playlists, and for your creative juices, you can change the colour of a building or its roof. It sounds lame, but really, it’s delish.

Life Is About Goals

So, on your path to community enlightenment, Minami Lane will expect goals to be completed in several days. Each day, you can tweak your vendor’s recipes/playlists, increase the population, and create a footprint that is pleasing to the eyes. Your residents will populate the streets with a desire to consume noodles, J-pop or buy a decent book, and it’s your job to read their thoughts and adjust accordingly.

Fortunately, no clairvoyance is involved, as thought bubbles appear about each inhabitant when they interact with an establishment, and then you jump in and tweak things. At the end of the working day, you’ll get a report on how well things are going with a rating based on price and how residents feel. All while this is going on, you’ll be manually clicking on trash to ensure your utopia looks the best.

There’s typically a deadline for hitting your goals, but as Minami Lane is a casual, you’re likely to hit them on the first or second try. It’s not about the difficulty but the way you feel while playing. That sounds like I’m quoting from the holistic almanac, but this game is just so damn fulfilling and I ended up blitzing it in a day. Wait – one day? What’s the point? Considering the genuine feel-good element of this game, plus the endless sandbox mode that gives you deep pockets and a street full of yokai, I can’t help but twist your wrist and point you toward the Steam page.

Minami Lane Review Summary

Sure, this is a relatively short review, but let’s not beat around the bush: this is essential for cosy, wholesome fun seekers who fancy a casual that makes them (fetch the sick bag) a genuine warm and fuzzy feeling from start to finish. And get this: it’s cheaper than bubble tea. Have no regrets in life: go buy Minami Lane – it truly is a lovely experience.