Unfortunately, the obscure nature of the puzzle solutions lowered my enjoyment a lot. The graphics and sound design were spot-on for the tone of the game, instilling a subtle sense of unease all the way through. While the story was a little strange, it was also fun and interesting without being too long. It comes across as a quirky, slightly dark, and fun little point-and-click game. I enjoy being able to sit and figure out a puzzle in a sensible way, rather than being faced with an obscure and bizarre solution. I suspect that some people will have no problem allowing for the illogical nature of the puzzles, and may even find it enjoyable, but personally it was just frustrating. I spent a long time staring at one particular puzzle, in which the hints appeared to contradict each other slightly, only for my partner to lean over and say “It sounds silly, but have you tried…” Lo and behold, it worked. Unfortunately, this wasn’t due to a genuine level of challenge to puzzles, but rather the utterly illogical nature of many of them. Plus, in handheld the text was easier to see than I’m used to, which is a lovely thing! Difficulty We’ve all had days like that.
The game presented itself very well in both docked and handheld modes, with no noticeable performance issues. I have to admit though, it worked extremely well with the melancholic vibe the graphics and story set up, rounding out the experience without ruining the delicate balance the rest of the game struck. The sound design throughout the entire of Memoranda was subtle, with small delicate sounds providing a backdrop as opposed to some epic score. The whole game has a gloomy but pretty overtone, from the sweet but run-down buildings to the peaceful yet unsettling fields, giving the entire experience a paradoxical sense of being cheerful but sad. It feels almost like the pages of an old-school fairytale have come to life, embracing the 2D and using to its advantage. I loved the almost hand-drawn art style of Memoranda. Graphics, Sound, and Performance Aw, I’d notice Mizuki! They feel more like a poorly-considered add-on to a whimsical and unusual point-and-click novel than a core mechanic in their own right, and I found that quite disappointing. The puzzles are often completely illogical, meaning that they take ages to figure out and you’re left with a sense of frustrated relief at the end rather than satisfaction. This is where I take issue with the game. There’s a wide variety, although the actual number of puzzles is relatively small. Puzzles and environmental interactions form a large part of Memoranda.
Navigational points can be double-tapped for instant transition even if you’re on the opposite side of the screen, and are indicated by a green icon when using the highlighter so it’s hard to get lost. Both touch and button controls feel nice and fluid, with very short transition times and some helpful little QoL features such as an objective highlighter. Memoranda is a very well-executed point-and-click game. Gameplay Please say I’m not the only one who thinks that’s creepy!
The game is best described as short and bittersweet, as while charming it generated a sense of unease that left me with a furrowed brow by the time I was done. The overall tone of Memoranda is definitely melancholic, and a little dark, with references to topics such as suicide and depression sprinkled liberally throughout the various stories. This leads to the most unusual and illogical sequence of events I’ve ever seen in a game, from helping a wheelchair-bound man escape his restrictive mother to helping the florist worm out of a holiday she doesn’t want to go on. One day, out of the blue, she starts having trouble remembering her name. One occupant of this bizarre place is Mizuki, a young woman with a rather nasty case of insomnia thanks to the persistent dogging of a peculiar and primarily invisible old sailor.
It’s a town where the normal rules of logic don’t apply, where it’s completely normal to meet humanimals – people who are transitioning between a human and an animal, or vice versa – and people who are utterly obsessed with the most mundane of things, such as making spaghetti. Memoranda takes place in a quaint seaside town with no name, occupied by a whole host of quirky individuals. Review code used, with many thanks to CarbonFire Studio! Story and Characters I really appreciate you smoking in my apartment when I just want to sleep, honest… Developer|Publisher: Bit Byterz | CarbonFire Studio
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