Momento

It might seem trivial, but there's a genuine small joy in arranging items and organizing objects. Finding the ideal spot for something, an effective way to store belongings, creating a visual identity and a theme through organization – all of this can be very calming. Witch Beam discovered this a few years ago with the charming Unpacking, and today, Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio are following suit with the equally heartwarming Momento.

The core of this game is essentially unpacking a series of boxes, finding clever ways to place the objects within a level that resembles a diorama. You could, in theory, rush through it and just toss everything on the floor like a wild monkey. However, if you allow yourself to be drawn into the game's concept and try to find suitable and practical locations for the various items, you can create beautiful rooms that feel truly lived-in, even though no one ever appears in the game.

So yes, you use a simple drag-and-drop control system (whether playing on PC or console) and must organize the rooms to progress to the next stage. To begin, you need to interact with key objects to understand the game's story and universe a little, before deciding which items you want to place in each room. This is how Momento establishes a branching narrative system and a choice-driven dynamic for the player. Specifically, you might be offered a choice between a microscope and a flower press, or perhaps a dinosaur plush toy or a unicorn. Your choice will determine the future of the person whose room you are furnishing, as the next room will be inspired by it in some way. It's a fairly minor mechanic when all is said and done, but if you lean towards flowers and herbology items, you might end up designing a room resembling a greenhouse. Conversely, those who gravitate more towards science and technology could well design an urban skyscraper apartment with a cyberpunk twist. What's interesting about this system is that once you reach the end of a narrative branch, you can go back, make different choices, and discover the other rooms.

But once you've made your choice, you must unpack boxes and chests, placing each object where it seems most appropriate. This could range from stacking books on a shelf, decorating a wall with paintings and posters, ensuring boots are placed side-by-side near the door, or even stacking wooden building blocks for a young child. There's a wide variety of objects to place and countless ways to arrange them. The cursor system works quite effectively, even with a controller. It might be a little clunky in places, but the magnet-like mechanism that snaps objects into place helps a lot.

Momento is truly a game where you have to make the most of it. In a way, it resembles a life simulation game: if you don't try to be creative and embrace the game's design philosophy, allowing yourself to be carried by the therapeutic, almost Feng Shui-like room decoration systems, you simply won't get much out of Momento. It's a fairly basic game where the story takes a backseat, and it's up to you to uncover and piece it together. This means Momento won't appeal to many players, as it can frankly seem too boring.

That being said, if you're looking for a soothing and relaxing game, one to play in small doses over a few evenings during the week, then Momento is undoubtedly an excellent choice. It combines superb graphics and beautiful level designs, relaxing music, clever secrets, and interactions to discover, all around very simple and basic gameplay mechanics. It's a charming and relaxing indie game that allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.