Man, cozy games hit the sweet spot every time. I opted to talk about Kamaeru for the demo and just kept on going with this week’s game. Just sitting at the desk with borderline no thoughts and easily achievable objectives makes for a fun week. This week we are revitalizing a street for the betterment of all. This week is Minami Lane.

Minami Lane is a cozy management game from Doot and Blibloop. The game was released in February for the PC. It retails for a measly $5.

The city is in shambles. Tourism is at an all-time low. Nobody wants to live or shop on Minami Lane any longer. You are chosen by a tanuki with a hat on to rebuild the street and create a tourist area for all to enjoy again.

The plot isn’t that dramatic, but it suits the game.

When the game opens up there are a few challenges to complete, a sandbox or you can tackle the story. Regardless of mode, you are thrown right in with a main and optional task to complete. The isometric view of the street is in full view and it prompts to upgrade or construction of a new building. Modern homes and ramen/boba shops are a few to choose from in the beginning but it can go up to twelve buildings by the final story level.

The UI is incredibly easy to navigate as, most of the time, there are only a few buildings to choose from.

When purchasing a building the player can choose from a few customizations to make the building what you want and you can change the name to boot. In most cases, the player can choose a

The day then starts right after upgrading/purchasing buildings and it’s cozy from then on. Little people walk up and down the street experiencing the new revitalized street, eating, and taking in the beauty. They will let you know by day end what they liked about the shops whether it be the price, how the product is prepared, what music and what books to stock.

There’s a nice little summary given to the player at the end of each day to give the player some hints on what to do the next day.

Some missions include random occurrences for each day that really mix up the gameplay. Buildings may be cheaper/expensive, and people may spend less money or have different tastes.

Minami Lane is a cute game. Lots of pastels create a game that is easy on the eyes. The city folk are so cute. The distinction between the young and the old is hair color. They walk around, eat some food, or drink some tea bounce with happiness, and move on. It is all so adorable.

Minami Lane is a cheap, cozy video game. You can just sit down and lose yourself in the minor management gameplay. Learning what the people like and dislike, how they like their boba, what music they enjoy, and what books they like to read. It works well enough for about five hours. The main story is fun and the challenges add even more to fun to the mix.

Minami Lane is fun, cute, and worth way more than $5.

8/10