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This review contains spoilers.

What would you do if you were told that you only had a month left to live?

Some might want to go and visit every country on earth. Others might want to experience everything on their bucket list before they lose the chance to do so. Maybe bungee jumping or skydiving. There would probably be some other people who have made peace and choose to live out the rest of their days as normal. And others might run a cafe.

Kemono Teatime is I'd say mostly a visual novel styled game, the tea blending stuff does make it more interactive but it's mostly a visual novel at its core. Dealing with such a heavy topic isn't exactly new (refer to "I sold my life for 10000 yen per year" or "Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata" for other mediums that explore a similar topic) but Kemono Teatime does it especially well. We all can relate to the setting of a world ravaged by a global pandemic, after all, the world is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, and many of us have lost loved ones during this time. This game offers a more unique perspective: with the knowledge that Tarte's time together with Macaron is limited, she is determined to make the most of it.

The world-building, characters, charming art style and subtle details come together to create a compelling narrative that would seem like any other cozy tea-serving game. However, beneath the cute and cozy exterior, the player is slowly exposed to the harsh reality that is the virus, with a world that is barely coping with mechanisms such as referring to death as a "journey". Several aspects of this game are pretty heartbreaking, for example most of the characters are teenagers or young adults, who could have lived long and fulfilling lives if not for the virus, especially when you realise that Macaron is only 12 and has a month left to live, witnesses Mallow's death firsthand, and still forces herself to be happy until the end. I also noticed that when a character goes on their journey, when you select that character in the characters log, Tarte's voice takes a more serious, solemn tone when saying their name. Very minor, but it shows that the devs really paid close attention to such minor details.

The audio work by Snail's House is also done very nicely here, I quite like their music even before playing this game (their albums Sno and L'ete) but they've knocked it out of the park. The music complements the scenes, cozy and comforting tracks set the mood for most of the regular setting at the cafe, but when the music takes a more jarring tone, you know that ♥♥♥♥'s about to go down.

I do have some gripes with the gameplay though: I'm not really a fan of how obtaining new tea leaves and herbs is mostly up to RNG, sometimes Quiche doesn't give you the option for a particular tea leaf and you end up needing it the next day. I've never been able to get a single one of Jam's orders right either, maybe I'm just dumb but I have no idea what her usual blend is lol. But otherwise, its mostly for extra dialogue and achievements, and screwing up orders doesn't affect the main story.

Kemono Teatime doesn't pull its punches, and it really reflects the nature of life; one day someone might be around, and the next day they might suddenly just be gone, forever. But that makes it all the more important to cherish the time you have together. A quote comes to mind: "It is better to have loved and lost, instead of having never loved at all."

Overall, Kemono Teatime is a great game that explores a more serious topic. It's a game that will make you reflect on your own life and your own relationships, and perhaps, after playing this game, you'll cherish the time with your loved ones even more.

gooner bait but im the gooner

hidden gem of a game

90% of gamblers

initially starts off easy but don't let that fool you; this game has a steep difficulty curve especially on the later levels. however the puzzles are quite doable after some trial and error and overall was a very enjoyable experience

fun

atreez nuts

very refreshing experience for a vn, coming from other vns. though i only finished ao's route as of writing this review, i think key really made a masterpiece with this one

turns grown men into babies

timeless classic. ive replayed it multiple times on other platforms, saw it on sale on steam and so i decided to revisit the experience again. there will never be another game quite like firewatch