How old is Sonic the Hedgehog?

If you were to ask my family what it is I like, there are a few main things they will tell you about. Video games is obviously number one, but they'd also reveal that I like plants, blankets, and snowmans! (Snowmen?) I'm not sure why, but I've always like snowmen. I enjoyed building them in the winter, and my mom always decorated the house with them during Christmas time. So maybe it is because of her I love them so much? But either way, I'm always drawn towards the same types of decorations when I see them. Our living room is decked out in snowmen every single year, and I'm always adding more to the collection.

So when a little indie developer known as Odencat announced their narrative adventure game Snowman Story was coming to Nintendo Switch, I had to reach out to them to express my interest in it. How could I not? It is a video game about a snowman! Well, the kind people over at Odencat wished me a Merry Christmas and provided me with a review copy of the game, and now here we are! Of course I didn't fully know what to expect going into this one, but I can say I was pleasantly surprised. 

There's no denying how short of an experience this is, but this is a perfect example of length not controlling the quality. Just like the half an hour long Christmas TV specials I will watch year after year, Snowman Story is a short little holiday adventure I can see myself returning to time and time again.

The Story:

Snowman Story has a very simple premise. We begin the game by hearing the legend of how all snowmen will eventually melt and go to a "snowman paradise" by spring. It is a tale a father tells his son in an attempt to make him feel better when they fade away. After hearing this story the young boy goes outside and builds a snowman of his very own, and then proceeds to spend his days talking to and playing with his new friend he has named "Chris."

The intro to the story establishes Chris as the main character, and gives us insight to both his life as a snowman, and the young boy who is his only friend in the world. Right from the get go their "bond" is touching, and you never want to see it end... But Spring is coming, and the young boy knows that Chris cannot be there forever.

After a sad scene where the boy tells Chris he is free to go when the time is right, Chris decides to do just that. When the humans go to sleep Chris goes on the move, and decides to head "north" to a place with an everlasting Winter.

This journey is not just about Chris however.

Along the way Chris meets multiple animal friends as well as a "strange man" who gifts him with the power to see memories. These memories come from objects Chris finds laying on the ground, and each gives him a glimpse into the life of the snowmen that came before him. Each of these mini stories are only a few minutes long, but they do a great job of getting you attached to both the people and snowmen involved. Some of them are truly heartbreaking, and make you hope this "paradise" is in fact a real place. But even then, that doesn't help the humans of the story. Like the story of the wedding ring that was lost in the snow! How does their story end? Well...

The Gameplay:

The gameplay in Snowman Story is very simple. You walk from screen to screen, you talk to animals or people, and you investigate objects to trigger memories. There really isn't much exploration, and most of the game is spent reading; however, there are some puzzles that pop up from time to time as well.

Puzzles are your classic "sliding ice" puzzles which anyone who is familiar with classic Pokemon games will be at home with. You step on a patch of ice,  you slide across it, and you bounce off of objects to turn direction and reach the exit. Most of them are very straight forward, but the later puzzles add new elements to them to change it up. Even then the puzzles aren't too challenging, and you can obtain hints or even skip the entire thing if you get lost. Doing them all without hints will reward you with little pieces of artwork however, so the game does give you incentive to actually try your best.

This is really all there is to the game though. It is 80% reading and watching with a little exploration and puzzle solving mixed in. And that is perfectly fine.

Should you play it?

It is important to understand what Snowman Story is. I compared the game to a Christmas TV Special, and that really is the best way to describe it. This isn't a game you will spend hours playing, but rather, a game you'll pick up and play through for the cozy heartwarming tale. It could easily be something you play once a year during the holidays, or replay just to show friends or family. It is a quick read, with a handful of puzzles for those who enjoy them. Its content justifies the low asking price, which ultimately makes purchasing the title a little easier. This story is only a couple hours long, but it is one you will always remember.

If you are looking for a short cozy game about a snowman, you really can't go wrong with this! On the other hand if you are looking for some grand adventure? You will not find that here. 

Snowman Story is about the life of snowmen, the humans who build them, and an attempt to escape Spring. There are some surprisingly touching moments, and that ending completely caught me off guard. And I loved it!