Developer Something We Made struck gold with Toem: A Photo Adventure in 2021. There’s something to be said for games that aren’t too ambitious — developers who have one idea and stick to it rather than letting themselves get carried away during development. Like a restaurant with a limited menu, the chefs will be masters of that cuisine, and they’re not going to waste their time serving food they’re not as skilled at cooking.
Toem 2, the 2026 sequel to the camera-focused indie game, has exactly the same premise as the first game with a near-identical structure, but even more polish. You are a young photographer on a journey to witness ‘toem,’ a magical phenomenon that you absolutely must capture through your lens. Designed entirely in black-and-white, this sequel is another four-hour-long adventure with some of the most personable characters and adorable animals you’ll ever see, and your camera is your sidekick.
Toem 2 perfects the formula
Toem 2 is a puzzle game, but with none of the friction or frustration that pure puzzle games often create when you can’t figure out the solution. On your way to experience toem, you must befriend various folks and solve their conundrums in three new locations, with each area introducing a new mechanic to your camera. For example, pointing the lens at loose nails will let you hammer them in for an apprentice construction worker, then you must help them repair fallen buildings throughout the region. Or there’s a plumber in another town, who requires your camera to help them turn screws and fix leaks in the pipes.
Each region also has its own charm. Cropten is essentially an enormous farm, with animals everywhere, including some pigs that have gotten far too muddy after running away during bathtime. Taletorp, on the other hand, is a mystical village in a dark forest, which has a very Dungeons & Dragons-inspired vibe. Then there’s Deltburg, which is the city area: a huge aquarium is the focal point, alongside various stores and houses.
This sequel manages to improve upon the original in both the mechanics, which are unique to each area, and in its size. It doesn’t have a much longer runtime, but there are more interior areas to explore in Toem 2, including a couple that are considerably larger than in the first game. This results in more secrets to find, more photo quests to complete, and more characters to interact with. Oh, and there’s finally an in-game minimap, so you’re less likely to get lost.
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My only gripe with Toem 2 is that it was so short. Part of Toem’s charm is its approachability — it’s suitable for younger players or a non-gamer audience due to how straightforward the puzzling and exploration is — but I could happily wander around a dozen more regions with increasingly more complex quests. I waited five years for a sequel that I beat in a single afternoon, and the itch caused by the lack of Toem in my life doesn’t truly feel like it’s been scratched.
This isn’t a cozy game — there are none of the farming or life-sim elements that are usually associated with that genre — but it is a game that is best played when you’re cozy. It’s wholesome, whimsical, and wonderfully funny. It’ll make you think outside the box, but not too hard; just the right amount to make you go “aha!” when you solve the final puzzle in an area and collect the last stamp. I just need more of it in my life.
Toem 2 will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
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