Assemble with Care
- September 19, 2019
- ustwo games
- 3h median play time
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
Get on Steam"Assemble With Care" is a narrative-driven game about restoring antiques and healing relationships in a sun-soaked town. Players, as globetrotting restorer Maria, complete meaningful puzzles to restore objects, meeting townsfolk and helping them reconnect through tactile gameplay, vibrant visuals, and powerful writing. The game features nostalgic charm with objects and music inspired by decades past.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- Charming art style and beautiful visuals that enhance the overall experience.
- Heartwarming story that explores themes of family and connection, making players feel emotionally invested.
- Relaxing gameplay with satisfying mechanics of disassembling and reassembling objects.
- Very short game, typically completed in under 2 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
- Controls can be finicky and frustrating, leading to accidental misclicks and interruptions in gameplay.
- The narrative can feel heavy-handed and predictable, lacking depth in character development.
- story3,304 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in "Assemble with Care" is a heartwarming narrative centered around a traveling repairwoman named Maria, who helps various characters in a small town by fixing their cherished items, which in turn reveals their personal stories and emotional struggles. While the gameplay consists of simple puzzles, the focus is primarily on the touching and often sentimental storylines that explore themes of family, connection, and healing. Although some players found the story predictable or cliché, many appreciated its charm and the beautiful art style that complements the narrative.
“Very quick, cozy game with an enjoyable story about conflict resolution and empathy.”
“As a visual novel, it tells a nice story with full voice acting, a visual aesthetic that matches the tone, and repair puzzle mini-games that actually further the plot.”
“The story is touching and I did get a little teary at the last repair for Joseph.”
“The story is just as boring as heck.”
“The majority of your time in this game is just going to be spent reading the story, which I personally found boring. The attempt at making an emotional story feels forced and comes off as disingenuous.”
“The story isn't exactly groundbreaking; it feels like something I'd read in my mom's short story subscription magazine, but the game does a good job of presenting and selling it.”
- gameplay946 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Assemble with Care" is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, focusing on disassembling and repairing various objects through straightforward mechanics. While many players find the experience relaxing and satisfying, the gameplay is often described as minimal and lacking in challenge, with a significant portion of the game dedicated to narrative rather than interactive elements. Overall, it offers a cozy, story-driven experience that may appeal more to those seeking a light, casual game rather than a complex puzzle challenge.
“The gameplay mechanics offer a satisfying experience as you carefully take apart and repair a variety of items.”
“The mechanics of the game are intuitive, and each time a new mechanic is introduced, it is done in either a clear and understandable manner or through a fairly small challenge of reflection.”
“The gameplay itself is simple but fun and satisfying.”
“The gameplay is incredibly short (under 2 hours) and gives the impression of an unfinished product lacking finishing touches.”
“The actual gameplay is on the level of a walking sim: click screw one, click screw two, replace lightbulb, replace screw two, replace screw one.”
“The gameplay, as everyone else has already pointed out, is mostly a visual novel with brief puzzles that never feel challenging enough.”
- graphics772 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Assemble with Care" are widely praised for their charming and beautiful art style, which features a pastel, hand-drawn aesthetic that enhances the game's cozy atmosphere. Many reviewers noted the visuals as a highlight, describing them as soothing and reminiscent of a storybook, complemented by excellent voice acting and a fitting soundtrack. While some players found the graphics delightful, a few expressed disappointment in the simplicity of the gameplay mechanics and the overall short length of the game.
“The beautiful art style and visually pleasing design make it a joy to look at, and the sound design is fantastic, subtly evoking the 80s without being over the top.”
“The visuals are soothing, paired with outstanding voice acting and lovely background music that immerses you in the charm of the town and its people.”
“The art style is breathtaking and the voice acting is wonderful.”
“Assemble with Care impressed me with its trailer promising vaporwave aesthetics and nuanced, realistic electronics repair puzzles, but the actual game delivers on neither.”
“Also, the quality of graphics on Steam Deck is quite bad, whatever graphic settings I choose.”
“While the art style is cute, the story is cliché and didn't feel that impactful.”
- music766 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in "Assemble with Care" is widely praised for its calming and soothing qualities, enhancing the game's cozy atmosphere and emotional storytelling. Reviewers highlight the beautiful soundtrack and excellent voice acting, which together create an immersive experience that complements the charming visuals and light puzzle mechanics. While some found the music occasionally repetitive, the overall consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's relaxing and heartwarming vibe.
“The music is soothing, the voice acting is phenomenal, and the story is really wholesome and beautiful.”
“The soundtrack and background is soothing, almost to the point of scratching an emotional itch you didn’t know existed.”
“The entire experience is warm and inviting, from the charming art style to the soothing music and sound effects, and the stories are simply heartwarming.”
“The music is cute and inoffensive, but forgettable.”
“The background music was nothing special, a lot of it felt like it was created in a sound design class.”
“The music was boring and repetitive, the graphics are nice and the story is non-essential and not interesting but takes up way too much time of the game.”
- emotional668 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Assemble with Care" is characterized by its heartwarming and touching narrative, which explores themes of family, relationships, and the sentimental value of objects. While some players found the story to be overly simplistic or predictable, many were moved to tears by its relatable characters and the emotional connections formed through the act of repairing items. Overall, the game successfully combines cozy gameplay with a meaningful story, making it a delightful experience for those seeking a wholesome and emotional journey.
“Assemble with Care is a delightful little game that really shines with its sweet, heartfelt stories.”
“The story is touching, relatable, and well-paced, and the characters are cool!”
“The entire experience is warm and inviting, from the charming art style to the soothing music and sound effects, and the stories are simply heartwarming.”
“I wish I could recommend it, but it's just too short. You only get a dozen fixes to do and are forced to listen through a relatively boring story.”
“However, the lack of content, the fact that the majority of the current content is boring and buggy, and the dull story all lead to an ultimately lackluster experience certainly not worth $8.”
- atmosphere102 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its calming and cozy qualities, enhanced by excellent sound design, beautiful art, and soothing music. Players appreciate the warm, wholesome vibe that complements the light puzzle mechanics and heartwarming story, making it an ideal choice for relaxation and unwinding. Overall, the game successfully creates an immersive and pleasant environment that resonates with those seeking a tranquil gaming experience.
“The game's soothing atmosphere and charming visuals make it a perfect cozy escape for unwinding after a long day.”
“The art style is lovely, and the overall atmosphere of the game is very cozy and relaxing.”
“The atmosphere, the voice acting, story, everything, a complete package of what I'd want in a game.”
“The puzzles are far too easy, the controls are unintuitive and the story is uninspired, but the cute graphics and relaxing atmosphere make up for it.”
“It's nothing groundbreaking but, like everything else in this game, is simply serving the purpose of establishing atmosphere.”
“The game is relatively short and not terribly difficult - as a result, the game has a very calm/low-pressure atmosphere.”
- replayability93 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 32 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many players noting that it offers a brief, one-time experience that can be completed in under two hours. While some appreciate the game's relaxing nature and may revisit it for its emotional impact, the consensus is that there is little incentive to replay due to the straightforward puzzles and predictable story. Many reviewers recommend purchasing it on sale, as its short length and minimal replay value do not justify the full price.
“It will be a game I revisit time and time again, not because it's replayable, but just to feel the sense of peace it gives.”
“There isn't much in the way of replayability, but the story is sweet and it felt like a hug.”
“Although it is brief, the game lends itself to replayability well because of how satisfying the mechanics are.”
“There's no replay value; I feel like this game is a one-time experience that could lose some of its weight if you wanted to play it more than once.”
“The main issue is game length, as it can be beaten in under 2 hours even if you take your time to enjoy it, and has no replayability value.”
“It is simply too short and has no replay value whatsoever.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 68 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with many expressing that the gameplay is bogged down by repetitive tasks and an overabundance of story content that detracts from interactive elements. While some appreciate the charm of the game, the overwhelming sentiment is that the mechanics and controls can feel frustratingly simplistic and monotonous, leading to a lack of engagement.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I liked this game up till level 6 and it just got incredibly tedious.”
“It's not challenging, just tedious.”
- stability20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with several users reporting bugs and glitches that occasionally disrupt gameplay, particularly towards the end. While some players experienced no major issues and found it ran well on platforms like the Steam Deck, others noted frustrating problems with controls and missing dialogue. Overall, while the game is generally playable, it suffers from enough technical issues to detract from the experience.
“Runs great on a Steam Deck.”
“Plays great, looks great, runs great.”
“Bug-free experience.”
“Experienced a few glitches towards the end where I had to restart in order to fix, but it was a cute little game to pass the time.”
“- Glitches, including one that cut off the final line in each chapter so I couldn't see or hear what was said to conclude them.”
“The game would have been even shorter had it not been for the buggy controls that made it difficult to place and rotate parts without mucking up the entire repair job.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed reviews; while many praised its charming art, emotive voice acting, and smooth performance, others noted significant performance issues and clunky controls, particularly when transitioning from touch screens to mouse input. Despite these drawbacks, the game's engaging puzzles and heartwarming story were highlighted as strong points.
“An absolutely wonderful game with beautifully painted, emotive art and an all-around fantastic performance from every voice actor.”
“The actors did a great job, creating a sense of warmth and emotion through their performance that just made the game a pleasure to experience.”
“Other than these very minor complaints, the game runs smoothly and the puzzles were engaging and fun.”
“Clunky and not optimized, annoying controls override any calmness.”
“The one other complaint I have is the controls were definitely optimized for touch screens, and had some issues translating over to mouse.”
- character development12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its depth and charm, with players appreciating how the characters reflect their personalities through their designs and storytelling. Despite the game's short duration, many reviewers found the character arcs to be more impactful than those in some films, contributing to a soothing and engaging experience. However, a few users felt that the narratives were somewhat familiar and lacked originality compared to other titles.
“The story line was sweet and short; I found it quite soothing with the characters reminiscing and reflecting on themselves, and the character development of all the characters.”
“I thought the storytelling and art were beautiful, with more character development than some movies ever get.”
“The characters are very sweet, and even though the experience only lasted for an hour or so, the story arc and character developments make this a very charming short game.”
“I feel like it's missing something, as all their stories you have heard a thousand times before with better character development.”
“The characters are very sweet and even though the experience only lasted for an hour or so, the story arc and character developments make this a very charming short game.”
“It's short but sweet and I love the character development; we encountered a few little bugs but they honestly just made us laugh!”
- humor8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often derived from relatable character interactions, such as an annoyed repairman, and the absurdity of the repair scenarios, particularly in the context of real-world brands like Apple. While some players found the comedic elements enjoyable, they noted that the writing sometimes felt simplistic and reminiscent of a brief sitcom episode. Overall, the humor adds charm to the experience, despite the game's short length.
“I found myself getting into the real-life character of an annoyed repairman yelling at the people to stop talking while I try to fix their stuff, and that was honestly kind of funny in retrospect.”
“Game with beautiful art, story, and really funny moments, but sadly it's really short; you can finish it within 2 hours or less if you are fast.”
“Although I was disappointed by its short length, and the writing fitting for a half-hour Disney sitcom episode sans humor, I enjoyed the short time I had with Assemble with Care.”
“The humor in this game feels forced and often falls flat, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off, leaving me more confused than amused.”
“The attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they detract from the overall experience, rather than enhancing it.”
- monetization7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising, which suggests a focus on assembling and puzzle-solving, while the actual gameplay leans more towards a visual novel format. Players feel that the game is presented as a more engaging experience than it truly is, resembling free mobile games that rely on ads. Overall, the disconnect between expectations set by the advertisements and the actual content has left users feeling disappointed.
“I agree with other reviews that the advertising is misleading.”
“The game feels different than what is portrayed in the advertising and what you'd expect.”
“The concept was cool, where you get to repair the item... but you can find it in a phone game and it's free with ads.”
