Here Comes Niko!
- August 3, 2021
- Frog Vibes
- 10h median play time
Get on Steam"Here Comes Niko!" is a charming 2D platformer where you play as Niko, a brave frog on a journey to save his home from an evil force. With smooth controls and challenging levels, you'll jump, swim, and fight your way through various environments to confront the villainous Than. Collect power-ups, discover hidden secrets, and enjoy the delightful pixel art style in this nostalgic adventure.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features an adorable art style and charming characters that create a delightful atmosphere.
- Gameplay is simple and relaxing, making it a great choice for casual players looking to unwind.
- The writing is humorous and engaging, with many funny interactions and memorable dialogue.
- The game is quite short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
- There are noticeable bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as getting stuck in the environment or issues with collectibles not registering correctly.
- The gameplay can become repetitive, as many tasks and challenges are reused across different levels, which may lead to boredom.
- story175 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized as simple yet relatable, focusing on the protagonist Niko's journey to become a "professional friend" while subtly addressing deeper themes of family issues and personal struggles. While the main narrative is brief and often conveyed through collectible messages, many players find it charming and emotionally resonant, despite some critiques regarding its lack of depth and repetitive quests. Overall, the story serves as a cozy backdrop to the gameplay, appealing to those seeking a light-hearted experience with a touch of emotional weight.
“Is it even allowed to make a game this cute while also having a story that is surprisingly relatable to me right now?”
“The story is quite simple but was something I really needed currently.”
“Under the cutesy exterior, however, the game tells you a subtle story of Niko's rocky relationship with his family through collectible bottled letters, which helps you become invested in Niko's character.”
“The story is rather basic: travel through the islands to reach a company HQ where you get a job as a professional friend.”
“The story is too vague, and the final level's 'finale' is incredibly underwhelming.”
“The story, while honest and relatable for some, is pretty weird.”
- graphics114 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Here Comes Niko" are widely praised for their charming and adorable art style, which combines 2D character designs with a 3D environment, creating a vibrant and cozy atmosphere. Players appreciate the colorful visuals and unique character designs, often comparing the aesthetic to beloved titles like Animal Crossing and Paper Mario. However, some reviews note occasional graphical glitches and depth perception issues that can detract from the overall experience.
“This game is a bit of a gem - while very easy and simplistic, there is quite a bit of variety and the beautiful graphics and sound design are pretty mesmerizing.”
“The art style nails the hand-drawn look and mixes 2D and 3D in a delightful way.”
“The art style is absolutely gorgeous and the characters have a lot of charm!”
“I'm still surprised a game with these requirements and such simple graphics managed to lag on a 5500U.”
“Visuals while pretty, I feel don't lend themselves to finding secrets, since you're in a 3D field, and collectibles are 2D sprites; you can miss them simply from too high of a camera angle, be it looking up or down.”
“Now with the bad: graphically, the game has a lot of errors that are pretty easy to ignore.”
- gameplay94 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Here Comes Niko!" is characterized by its simplicity and charm, drawing comparisons to classic 3D platformers while offering a relaxing experience with intuitive controls. However, many players find it repetitive and lacking in variety, with numerous fetch quests and minimal challenge, leading to a sense of boredom over time. While the art style and atmosphere are praised, the overall gameplay mechanics are seen as basic and sometimes buggy, detracting from the enjoyment for those seeking more engaging content.
“The gameplay is like a throwback to the 3D platformers found on PlayStation and N64, from the size of the levels to what you do in them.”
“I think the variations between maps were fun—even though it's just a tiny change to the core gameplay mechanic, it radically alters how you have to approach the game and tests how you work with the environment around you.”
“Here Comes Niko has a soft and cute art style, and excellent platforming challenges and mechanics!”
“The gameplay is often so easy that it's basically effortless and pointless; the collectibles and chores are not compelling at all while offering no real sense of progression or meaning.”
“This game is supposed to be 'cozy,' which is the excuse the developers use for how bland and bare bones the gameplay is, yet this is one of the most infuriating gameplay experiences I've had in recent memory.”
“Unfortunately, within the first fifteen minutes of gameplay, I was already finding myself doing repetitive tasks.”
- music77 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its relaxing and catchy qualities. While some found the soundtrack to be less memorable, it generally complements the game's cute art style and whimsical vibe, contributing to a cozy gaming experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, adding to the enjoyment of the gameplay despite some criticisms regarding its repetitiveness and occasional lack of presence.
“The music in the game is perfect for the setting and really hooks you into the world.”
“The music is cute, catchy, and nice to listen to.”
“The music is fantastic and so is the art style.”
“However, the lack of a clear objective and a subpar soundtrack diminish the overall gaming experience, leaving me feeling like I am just collecting tapes and apples without knowing why.”
“The soundtrack is also neat albeit without any melodies you're likely to remember a week after finishing the game.”
“It also doesn't help that there's a lot of silence between areas to do stuff in; I get this is a vibe relax game but the music is pretty decent and is relaxing as is, having silence while you're moving through nothing just doesn't help it be less boring.”
- humor62 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -3 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and lightheartedness, featuring witty dialogue, quirky characters, and amusing scenarios, such as the memorable "handsome frog" interactions. Players appreciate the blend of cute art style and funny writing, which often elicits genuine laughter, although some find certain jokes repetitive or less impactful. Overall, the game delivers a delightful comedic experience that resonates well with its audience, despite some criticisms regarding the depth of humor and gameplay simplicity.
“I adored torturing my boyfriend with the handsome frog; I'd tell him, 'Talk to that frog over there, he has something to say,' and when he'd see the name, he'd groan and laugh and read what awful funny pickup line he'd get this time.”
“The art style of the game is quite cute, and the dialogue that you come across is endearing and funny.”
“The writing is charming and often funny; the characters are all very cute.”
“Some of the jokes were okay, but many were generic and not funny at all. I didn't even chuckle once, and a few of them get repeated in every area as part of the same mission, which makes it feel tedious and unfun.”
“The humor fell flat for me; it felt forced and lacked originality. I found myself rolling my eyes more than laughing.”
“While there were a few amusing moments, the overall humor was disappointing. It relied too heavily on clichés and predictable punchlines.”
- emotional49 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming nature, providing players with a comforting experience that can help alleviate stress and emotional turmoil. While many players appreciate the cute characters and relaxing gameplay, some express surprise at the deeper, more poignant themes woven into the narrative, such as Niko's struggles with family and identity, which can evoke unexpected feelings. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to deliver both lighthearted fun and moments of genuine emotional depth.
“This game has helped me through a breakup that has been tolling on me emotionally and mentally.”
“Relaxing, adorable, and might hit you harder emotionally than you thought it would.”
“Something else that messed with me in this game is while it markets itself on being a wholesome experience, Niko’s backstory is pretty real and kind of a major downer with Niko having a fight with their parents and running away from home, and through level transitions listens to voicemails from their mother saying that there’s a doctor that will fix them, and why can’t they be like normal kids.”
“The emotional depth of the story is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I felt no emotional investment in the plot; it was predictable and uninspiring.”
“The game tries to evoke feelings but ends up feeling hollow and unengaging.”
- stability31 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been widely reported as buggy, with numerous visual glitches and some gameplay issues that detract from the overall experience. While many players found these bugs to be minor and not game-breaking, they noted that the game's stability feels unfinished, especially at launch. Despite the glitches, the charm and enjoyment of the game often shine through, leading to a generally positive reception.
“For how short this game is, it genuinely amazes me how simple, repetitive, and buggy it is.”
“Visual glitches, things not behaving correctly, stuff not being saved right, collectible counts incorrect, etc. Clipping just from pausing, pausing not actually pausing the game, things not fitting on certain resolutions (anything 720p and below), FPS being weird, stuff floating around somehow. It's not unplayable, you can beat the game just fine, but it really shows how unfinished it is at launch.”
“There are way too many bugs and glitches, even for its first few days of release.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its charm, cozy feel, and appealing visual design, creating a relaxing experience for players. However, some reviewers noted inconsistencies, with certain areas feeling repetitive and a few expressing frustration that detracted from the intended vibe. Overall, while many found the atmosphere delightful and engaging, a minority felt it fell short of expectations.
“The atmosphere and level designs are really good and there are some pretty unique gameplay executions like suddenly switching to a side-scrolling 2D platformer.”
“It's a very relaxing collect-a-thon and like any good one, the atmosphere is amazing and you just want to spend forever finding everything.”
“Great visuals and cozy atmosphere.”
“All but two atmospheres, Salmon Creek Forest and the bathhouse, feel very samey, which I personally dislike.”
“I did not feel very relaxed or vibey while playing though, especially with how frustrated I got with a certain part that is pretty much RNG dependent, and not fun at all. I don't think they nailed the atmosphere down at all, which is a shame considering what it's supposed to be and what it's marketed as.”
“The recurring chore where players have to collect live insects so they can be mass-murdered by a vacuous carnivore is distinctly out of character with the rest of the lighthearted atmosphere.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of variety in tasks and the design of collectible locations. While some grinding is optional and not mandatory for progression, many reviewers express frustration with the repetitive nature of mini-games and the challenges of locating hidden items, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the cozy atmosphere and the potential for extended gameplay without feeling overly grindy.
“Cozy game shouldn't be an excuse for repetitive and tedious area design.”
“However, lack of level variety, tedious gameplay, and noticeable bugs create a subpar experience.”
“The main problem I had was that towards the end, while going for 100%, it became very tedious and repetitive dealing with the same NPCs and same quests with the exact same gameplay with basically no variety.”
- character development12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its adorable and memorable designs, which contribute to a joyful and relaxing experience. Players appreciate the vibrant art style and charming aesthetics, noting that the characters add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. Overall, the character designs are seen as a significant strength, enhancing the game's appeal and emotional impact.
“The aesthetics are colorful and soft, the character design is adorable (my favorites are Nina and Niko), there are a few decent jokes cracked by the characters you'll meet, and just jumping across the levels does feel satisfying.”
“I must say, the game has everything going for it in service of this 'a game for tired people' hook - the artstyle is welcoming, pleasing to the eye and of course very cute, the character designs are all very memorable and yet again: cute (you'll recognize a lot, if not all of your weird and wonderful friends as they reappear throughout your journey) and the soundtrack consists of very soothing and sometimes ambient tracks that really bring the colorful environments to life.”
“It has beautiful artwork and amazing character designs.”
“(A Tamagotchi-style snail could liven this up a bit, but was pretty basic and boring to me.) The 'paper' character design makes precise platforming a bit difficult sometimes.”
“Character design, art style, (the small) storyline, the game feel, even the music, all of this just feels like it fits perfectly fine and it’s perfectly balanced most of the time.”
“The character designs are very cute and charming.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with most players noting that once the story is completed and achievements are unlocked, there is little incentive to replay. While some appreciate the initial experience, the short length and lack of polished content contribute to a perception of low replay value, making it feel expensive for what it offers.
“And there is replay value in the game!”
“This game is merely 300MB but has more playable content than many gigabyte-sized games.”
“However, once you finish the story and get all the achievements, there is little to no replay value in the game, aside from deleting your save game to enjoy the game all over again.”
“It has next to no replay value; it's short, and the ~4 hours of content there is relatively unpolished.”
“It's a bit expensive at its current price point ($35.95 Australian) for what is a fairly short game without much replay value once you've completed everything.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing stable performance in titles like Dishonored, while others report significant performance issues, including poor CPU utilization and inconsistent frame rates, even on capable hardware. Additionally, minor bugs have been noted, contributing to an overall sense that the game's performance does not meet modern standards.
“I can play Dishonored with more stable performance or GTA 5 with performance on par with high-end settings.”
“I saw a few minor bugs, but overall the performance is impressive.”
“I can play Dishonored with more stable performance or GTA 5 with performance on par with bathhouse level.”
“I saw a few minor bugs, and got a major performance bug.”
“CPU performance is poor in places; this game looks like it should run on a PS2, but I can only get a consistent 50 FPS on a quad-core.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is well-executed, featuring effective advertising that complements its calming nature, making it appealing for players seeking relaxation.
