It’s been a while since I’ve played a puzzle game on par with Inbento. Not only is it adorable, as promised by the felines and food it advertises, but it ended up being much more challenging than I’d expected! I did have to use a guide for a few (and my boyfriend for others), but that was ultimately only a small blemish on my enjoyment.
Inbento’s selling point for me was definitely the presentation. The game is mascotted by two cute cats, who pack cute little boxes of bento full of different foods. How could you not love that? The art is flat and lineless - simple, but colorful and warm. It feels like a cartoon from your childhood.
The game’s UI is surprisingly smooth, too, despite Inbento’s overall warmth; its colors and rounded shapes really help to carry that over. One of my favorite details in the whole game is that all of the menus are ringed ‘cookbooks’!
Although I already knew that I liked the art style going in, I was pleasantly surprised by how dynamic the music was. Most of the songs are led by the beautiful, relaxing combination of piano and xylophone. A new track accompanies each two chapters; and this music is not only important in setting an atmosphere, but also in keeping the narrative flowing.
Our main characters are those two adorable cats - a new mother and her baby. We follow their lives through a series of photos (one earned for each chapter finished.) These serve as snapshots into their relationship with not only each other, but cooking as well.
It’s a simple story at the end of the day, far from anything groundbreaking; yet it’s also incredibly warm and pleasant (again, just like a childhood cartoon.) Since there’s limited photos to directly communicate, though, the music is a big factor in keeping the narrative pacing and vibe intact during the puzzle portions.
You could say that the worldbuilding is a bit lackluster because there are so few actual story moments. I mean, the only time you earn more than one photo at a time is during the beginning and end. Still, there are plenty of cute details and inclusions. Spoilers, but I thought it was funny and cute how the mother is seemingly a single parent, and her child later becomes one as well. Pretty accurate to cats.
As for the puzzles themselves, well… as I’ve said, they were way tougher than I expected! The goal is to match your bento box to the solution shown, with the pieces provided. Sounds simple enough - but it quickly becomes challenging as you work with bigger boxes and more complex pieces.
I did get stuck multiple times in later stages. Although I eventually figured out a lot of them, I needed help from a guide or my boyfriend for many others. If I’m being honest, it did get frustrating; there were a few times where I honestly felt like I would’ve never figured out the solution on my own. Once, I swear it wasn’t even my fault! There was a trick involved that I just didn’t know about and hadn’t used at all up to that point.
Still, I came away feeling that most of Inbento’s puzzles were very fun and inventive. The mechanics build off of each other so naturally, as you gradually unlock pieces that can move, swap, or clone your cubes. And as the puzzles start getting harder, there’s a great feeling of accomplishment when you finally beat one. I also appreciated the sheer number of puzzles included - 127 total! It’s a great amount of content, able to keep me entertained for hours.
So, if you’re looking for an adorable puzzle game that’ll also give mind-bending challenge, I’d definitely recommend Inbento! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, minus a few instances where I truly felt like I was hitting my head against a wall. Even then, the beautiful music and charming visuals easily balanced it out to keep me engaged; and the puzzles are so much fun, especially when you piece together a particularly difficult one all on your own.
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall Game Score: 3.5/5 [3.7/5]
If you’re reading this before January 4th, 2024, Inbento is on sale for 1.49 on Steam right now, which is an amazing deal!
Inbento’s selling point for me was definitely the presentation. The game is mascotted by two cute cats, who pack cute little boxes of bento full of different foods. How could you not love that? The art is flat and lineless - simple, but colorful and warm. It feels like a cartoon from your childhood.
The game’s UI is surprisingly smooth, too, despite Inbento’s overall warmth; its colors and rounded shapes really help to carry that over. One of my favorite details in the whole game is that all of the menus are ringed ‘cookbooks’!
Although I already knew that I liked the art style going in, I was pleasantly surprised by how dynamic the music was. Most of the songs are led by the beautiful, relaxing combination of piano and xylophone. A new track accompanies each two chapters; and this music is not only important in setting an atmosphere, but also in keeping the narrative flowing.
Our main characters are those two adorable cats - a new mother and her baby. We follow their lives through a series of photos (one earned for each chapter finished.) These serve as snapshots into their relationship with not only each other, but cooking as well.
It’s a simple story at the end of the day, far from anything groundbreaking; yet it’s also incredibly warm and pleasant (again, just like a childhood cartoon.) Since there’s limited photos to directly communicate, though, the music is a big factor in keeping the narrative pacing and vibe intact during the puzzle portions.
You could say that the worldbuilding is a bit lackluster because there are so few actual story moments. I mean, the only time you earn more than one photo at a time is during the beginning and end. Still, there are plenty of cute details and inclusions. Spoilers, but I thought it was funny and cute how the mother is seemingly a single parent, and her child later becomes one as well. Pretty accurate to cats.
As for the puzzles themselves, well… as I’ve said, they were way tougher than I expected! The goal is to match your bento box to the solution shown, with the pieces provided. Sounds simple enough - but it quickly becomes challenging as you work with bigger boxes and more complex pieces.
I did get stuck multiple times in later stages. Although I eventually figured out a lot of them, I needed help from a guide or my boyfriend for many others. If I’m being honest, it did get frustrating; there were a few times where I honestly felt like I would’ve never figured out the solution on my own. Once, I swear it wasn’t even my fault! There was a trick involved that I just didn’t know about and hadn’t used at all up to that point.
Still, I came away feeling that most of Inbento’s puzzles were very fun and inventive. The mechanics build off of each other so naturally, as you gradually unlock pieces that can move, swap, or clone your cubes. And as the puzzles start getting harder, there’s a great feeling of accomplishment when you finally beat one. I also appreciated the sheer number of puzzles included - 127 total! It’s a great amount of content, able to keep me entertained for hours.
So, if you’re looking for an adorable puzzle game that’ll also give mind-bending challenge, I’d definitely recommend Inbento! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, minus a few instances where I truly felt like I was hitting my head against a wall. Even then, the beautiful music and charming visuals easily balanced it out to keep me engaged; and the puzzles are so much fun, especially when you piece together a particularly difficult one all on your own.
Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4/5
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall Game Score: 3.5/5 [3.7/5]
If you’re reading this before January 4th, 2024, Inbento is on sale for 1.49 on Steam right now, which is an amazing deal!