‘Minami Lane’ Review
The Cutest Street Ever!
I decided to treat myself to something in the steam sales and when I saw this game, I instantly wanted to play it. This game reminded me of a game I used to play on Games2Girls online, where you would manage a street to make money and complete objectives. I have absolutely yearned for a management sim like that for years, and this game has finally filled that hole in my heart. Get ready to take a trip down the cutest street ever and dive into my review on Minami Lane. Slight spoilers ahead as always!
The game loads up and you are greeted by a tanuki wearing a bin lid and upon starting the first mission, the tanuki explains how Minami Lane is so sad and empty, and he suggests how a Boba Shop might attract more people. This is the main objective of the game where your goal is to give new life to Minami Lane across 5 different missions where each mission has a different objective as well as an optional objective to complete. Each mission is made up of a day cycle, where you can watch residents go about their lives on the street, click on them to get their thoughts and after they have visited a shop, they give you feedback about their experiences, such as if they want more pork in their noodles, or more cream on their boba tea. This helps to complete the objectives that have been set out and can help you earn more money (as common feedback I got was my prices were too low). You can also pick up rubbish, pet cats, click on cyclists and look for special objects to earn additional money, to help you build more buildings.
When playing each mission, you also have 4 major stats, which are the resident’s satisfaction, money, how many residents there are and how beautiful the street is, as well as an end of day stat, that breaks down how well you’ve done during the day. These can also play a role in the objectives you have to complete, such as having a more beautiful street to attract more cats.
The design of the game focuses on pastel colours and minimal designs, with the lane positioned in a diagonal angel, making it easier to see the lane as you add more facilities. The lane is also floating in a luscious blue sky, with clouds that are gently passing by, giving the game an additional cosy feel. The music of the game feels like jazzy elevator music, which strangely adds to the cosiness of the game.
I honestly loved playing this game and my only criticism is that it wasn’t longer. I didn’t realise that the game was only 5 missions long and I would absolutely love, if the developer could add DLC or some other content to the game, as I would easily throw more money at it to play more. I bought this game on sale for £3.43 but even at its original price of £4.29, it is absolutely worth every penny. I can see myself returning to this, when I just want a chill, cosy game to play on a quiet afternoon.
