approaching this as someone who has tried and bounced off of each farming sim that i've tried in the past had me unsure. the art design, world building, and general atmosphere looked stellar so i decided to give it a go anyways and i'm glad i did because i had a wonderful experience.

at a glance there's not a lot here but as i spent more time with this i was struck by how strong the sense of place was. familiarizing myself with the maps and establishing relationships with my neighbors while getting a deeper understanding of the game's universe scratched the same itch that a large chunk of my other favorites did. just something about centralized locations that become increasingly familiar does it for me and this was a masterful example.

farming sim elements end up taking a bit of a backseat which might have been the point to an extent. either way it wasn't a massive issue for me as it allowed me to grind away at depositing money early on before eventually settling into something of a routine where i barely bothered with farming at all.

after finding a high value item i blew past the moon ticket price and i still lingered around for weeks because i wanted to make sure i saw most of the events and conversations. i almost didn't leave at all which speaks to the strength of what the devs accomplished here.

something about a place that wasn't the ideal or originally in mind becoming more meaningful due to community or otherwise really spoke to me. genuinely one of the most impactful games i've ever played.

Finally played this, no idea why it doesn't get more buzz - great story, outstanding music and beautiful art and animation; I'm glad there's a garden mode that lets you play with the generative musical gardens as much as you want because I honestly might just use it as background ambience in my day to day life.

I did feel like I was running around like a headless chicken a lot of the time when the game asks to find people but doesn't tell you where they are, and I realise this is to encourage you to talk to people around town but I'm too antisocial and that does not appeal to me. Also the second half of the game is in desperate need of a sprint button.

Nevertheless, the way character stories and backgrounds unfold over the course of the game, the places you go and see, and the themes of measuring personal accountability, environmentalism, community and responsibility are excellently executed.

Loved it

Played from – to: (2021-09-14 – 2021-09-22) - Beaten on PC via keyboard.
‣ 9/10 – I wish I could grow plants with drums.
‣ Game Audio / Soundtrack - 10/10
‣ Graphics – 9/10
‣ Atmosphere – 10/10
‣ Main Story / Characters – 9/10
‣ Movement – 8/10
‣ Final notes: Mutazione is one of those games that many players will probably never play. Reason for this is that this game is very small and kind of hidden. Only mainstream attention can make this game known to more players. However, with all that said I think that this game is a hidden gem in the Indie department. At first, I was skeptical and did not really know what I was getting myself into. But every time I stopped playing, I felt the urge to continue the story. I kept thinking about Mutazione and how it will end. Personally, the story in this game is rather slow paced but that is a good thing. The slow pace of the story allows you to meet and get to know all the characters and the environment around you. I should also mention that Mutazione heavily focuses on the narrative and the story, so gameplay comes second and is rather simple, reminds me of Night in the Woods, so if that is your style of a game that you will most likely enjoy Mutazione. But with all that said I still think this game is great even if all you do is point and click, walk around the same town five or so days in a row, talk to the villagers and water some plants. Overall, I know that this is something that not everyone is going to enjoy, but if you really put in some time into this games rather slow start, you will love the characters and the story it is trying to tell.

I don’t really have an itch for any adventure games or point and click games for that matter. So Mutazione surprised me pleasantly. I would call Mutazione a strictly story game and it definitely succeeds on that part. If you're playing this game for the gameplay though, probably don’t. Most tasks/quests are just go x or talk to x or grow x. Growing or gardening is pleasant enough to do. There are no puzzles at all, I figured there would be but there weren’t any.
Mutazione excels on its cosy atmosphere and great ambience (music is fantastic). It’s warm art style definitely helps as well.
Only problem I have with it is that the epilogue makes you wait real life time to read new letters.

You play as Kai. A girl is sent away to a strange village in a post-apocalyptic world to re-connect with her extended family. You spend the entire game walking around to the various dozen or so screens, collecting seeds, planting gardens, and learning more about your past and the ties between the village and your family.

I have to give credit to the developers for their tight and well-written dialogue. The characters have, well, character. For the short time you spend in the games (under 4 hours), you really get to know these people, and the dialogue is written in a way that feels organic and like you're listening in on a conversation. Talk of relationship issues, depression, carelessness, death, suicide, and many other emotions that we face in ourselves and amongst our own families. There's an atmosphere that's both uncomfortable and familiar. You will plant your own life in this game and strategize relating to certain characters or hating them. It's just so well done.

As for the rest of the game, there's something to be desired. As you walk around the screens, you will see a hand icon over anything you can pick up. These are usually plants, and you need the seeds to plant gardens to advance the story. There are eye icons for objects that Kai will comment on and a clock icon for an interaction that will advance the story. You never really get lost. Kai's journal gives hints on who to talk to and what area you need to be in. Using a little common sense and learning the screens and where everyone resides helps a lot. As you pick up seeds, you learn songs that help you grow the garden. Each seed grows based on its song, so it's recommended to plant seeds of that type. You can place the seeds with an outline of the plant that will tell you if there's enough space for it. Sing the song a few times, plant enough seeds, and your garden grows. You can then harvest the plant for what you need to advance the story.

Don't get this confused with something akin to Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. This isn't a farming simulator at all. The planting and gardening are rudimentary at best and mostly uninteresting. I just threw seeds around until I filled up the meter, spammed the correct song, harvested, and off I went. I was more interested in the characters and the story. There's a mystery behind the village that I couldn't wait to unravel, and unfortunately, gardening got in the way. I did love the music; it's amazing and good enough to listen to outside of the game.

The art style is well done. It's bright and colorful, but it can be really dark when needed. The characters have unique humanoid designs that seem familiar but are still alien, and the paper cut-out look just fits so well. I just wish the story was a bit longer, as I wanted to get to know the characters more. I can't really complain about gameplay, as you do move around constantly and patterns change and mix up, so it never really gets boring. This is a great little adventure game that can kill an evening, and you might have a new favorite OST.