Mineko's Night Market
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Mineko's Night Market
Between muddled gameplay and conflicted writing, Mineko's Night Market can't decide on an identity to fully embrace.
Mineko’s Night Market has lovely art, but its boring chores and lifeless NPCs make it much harder to get caught up in its rhythm than it is in other life sims.
Mineko's Night Market has a great vibe and aesthetic, but its slow pace and tedious resource gathering make it hard to recommend.
There are other complaints, such as the front-loaded need to make money, which evaporates after Mineko acquires all the crafting tools and benches, immediately negating one of the few mechanics that kept anybody playing. But, ultimately, Mineko’s Night Market is a melding of boredom and frustration, and a lot of that frustration stems from the fact that the game could have been good. It had the graphics, music, story, and the makings of a gameplay loop that should have been thoroughly engaging. Instead, it just feels like nothing was pushed to its full potential, leaving both the game and the player wanting more.
Mineko’s Night Market has finally arrived. It lives up to everyone’s expectations, despite its limitations. It serves as a visually stunning tribute to Japanese folklore and culture, while also providing a humorous social simulation. And it’s a dream for those who have longed for a healthy and heartwarming relationship with your dad.
Mineko's Night Market is an adorable and exciting Simulation game following the titular character, Mineko, as she navigates her new life in Mt. Fugu with her father, and her search for the mysterious, legendary cat, Nikko. The game features highly-addictive crafting and mini-games, as well as small puzzles to solve in order to take down the Agents taking over the town. DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.
Mineko’s Night Market from developer Meowza Games is an adorable, relatable, and fun crafting adventure that pushes everything along with a story that runs perfectly parallel to the gameplay. While its main audience might be younger gamers, there might be enough here for older gamers to enjoy.
Despite a few flaws that harm the pacing, Mineko's Night Market is a truly impressive life sim that stands out among a sea of similar wholesome games thanks to its jaw-dropping visuals, unique emphasis on Japanese culture and arts and crafts, and a cute story at the center of it all filled with wonder. It's a terrific little game that can be enjoyed by those of all ages, plus, again, you get to pet hundreds of cats. Really, that alone should make it worth it.
