Mineko's Night Market

Mineko’s Night Market is one of the most sweet and whimsical games that I have played, plus it has cats! It is full of personality and has a lot of different activities you can do to keep you coming back for more!

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In "Mineko's Night Market," players guide Mineko, a curious girl exploring a Japanese-inspired island and its legend of the Sun Cat, Nikko. The game features a heartwarming story, cultural celebration, and managing daily activities to prepare for the weekly Night Market. Crafting, puzzle-solving, and competing in minigames are just a few of the many activities players can enjoy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 221 reviews

story34 positive mentions

grinding53 negative mentions

The art style is charming and beautifully designed, creating a cozy atmosphere.
The game features a heartwarming story with engaging characters and humorous dialogue.
There are many activities to enjoy, such as crafting, collecting, and interacting with adorable cats.

The game is plagued by bugs and crashes, leading to frustrating experiences and lost progress.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with limited options for saving and navigating menus.
Some mechanics, like the inventory system and resource gathering, are poorly designed and can hinder the overall experience.

story
139 mentions
24 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally described as cute, heartwarming, and cozy, with a charming art style that enhances the experience. However, many players note that the narrative can feel slow-paced and repetitive, often overshadowed by grindy gameplay and fetch quests. While the main storyline is engaging enough to keep players invested, some express disappointment over plot holes, lack of depth in NPC interactions, and the occasional disconnect between story events and daily gameplay.
- “The story is wholesome and heartwarming.”
- “The story is so heartfelt, and the characters are so silly!”
- “The story is lovely and the puzzles were interesting, especially at the end, but I can't recommend this game.”
- “There are too many repetitive tasks and not enough story.”
- “Some parts of the story seem to conflict with the day-to-day gameplay: e.g. one of the NPCs goes missing in the narrative but is still there in the village each day asking for stuff.”
- “At some point, the story actually gets in the way of gameplay; in order to gain access to new materials and crafts to sell on the night market, you need to progress the story, but the story is not engaging.”
graphics
62 mentions
60 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and charming art style, which many reviewers describe as beautiful and reminiscent of hand-drawn aesthetics. However, despite the appealing visuals, several players noted significant technical issues, including bugs and lack of polish, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are a standout feature, the execution leaves much to be desired.
- “The art style is so cute and so sweet; you can tell that the artists, writers, and developers of the game put their all into it.”
- “This is a charming game with adorable graphics, great writing, and a variety of cute mini-games at the night market.”
- “Not only is the art style gorgeous, but it's well-suited to the fantastical Ghibli-esque world.”
- “And that’s not to mention the bugs, clipping, sound tearing, and graphical errors that also come with it.”
- “I think that the gameplay itself is wonderfully charming and cute, but the loading times are unbearable, particularly for a game with 2D, low fidelity graphics.”
- “I could possibly excuse the hollow story and tedious gameplay as the art style is very cute and there is some funny dialogue, but the bugs turn it from an okay game to an incredibly frustrating one.”
gameplay
55 mentions
22 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this game is characterized by a repetitive yet engaging loop of resource gathering, crafting, and selling, reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley. While many players appreciate the cozy atmosphere, charming art, and character interactions, frustrations arise from bugs, tedious mechanics (especially fishing), and a lack of innovation, leading to a grindy experience that can detract from enjoyment. Overall, it offers a relaxing experience for those who enjoy casual gameplay, but its shortcomings may leave some players wanting more depth and polish.
- “Very cozy game with cats and crafting and engaging gameplay that changes as you progress!”
- “I personally really enjoyed the 'forage, craft, complete quests' loop the game has going on for gameplay.”
- “The design, the gameplay, and the overall presentation is absolutely gorgeous and well thought out.”
- “Please add a manual save option or fix your shit so it doesn't crash or freeze in the middle of the gameplay without the game autosaving... it's so frustrating I almost refunded this game twice.”
- “One thing that really irks me is the fishing mechanic; it's incredibly uninspired and tedious and really just takes me out of the game. I wish it was more interactive.”
- “The gameplay can be incredibly annoying too.”
grinding
53 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Mineko's Night Market" has received mixed feedback from players. While some enjoy the resource gathering and find it relaxing, others find it tedious and overly repetitive, particularly criticizing the fishing mechanic and the need to grind for materials to progress. Overall, the game is described as cute and charming, but its grindy nature can detract from the experience for some players.
- “The game’s bugs and grindy gameplay can be a source of frustration, overshadowing its cute concept.”
- “It was cute overall, but there are odd plot holes that aren't explained and grinding for materials gets tedious.”
- “Mineko's night market is beautiful in presentation, but the game loop is grindy and the social system is undeveloped.”
music
33 mentions
55 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and cozy qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a charming and varied soundtrack that complements the art style and characters. Many players find the music soothing, often describing it as peaceful and even meditative, making it a highlight of the game despite some criticisms of gameplay pacing. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's cute and engaging atmosphere.
- “The music is so peaceful and the dialogue is pretty funny.”
- “I was particularly blown away by the music and how comfy and unique it makes each area feel.”
- “If you're like me and you're lucky enough to have the expendable income to pick a game with soothing music and 100 stumps to chop that sends you to sleep at bedtime, this is the one.”
- “For some, maybe it can be a form of meditation while they listen to a podcast or music, but for me, I look for engagement in my games and grind just pushes me away.”
- “The music and art style make me smile, the writing genuinely makes me laugh out loud, and the overall vibe of the game reminds me of some sort of slice of life anime.”
humor
31 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky and charming nature, with many players highlighting the funny dialogue and interactions that enhance the overall experience. While some find the humor to be exaggerated or subtle, it consistently adds a lighthearted vibe to the gameplay, making it enjoyable despite some technical issues. Overall, the combination of witty writing, hilarious characters, and a cute art style contributes to a cozy and entertaining atmosphere.
- “The writing can be quite funny.”
- “The characters are hilarious, and the art style is absolutely gorgeous.”
- “It's warm with humor and charm, and in theory it's a great game for early autumn cozy times.”
stability
24 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly as they progress. Common issues include freezing, inventory problems, and sound glitches, leading to frustration for some users. While a few players experienced smoother gameplay, the overall consensus is that the game launched in a buggy state, impacting the enjoyment and flow of the experience.
- “For what it is, it played great with no glitches.”
- “It runs great besides some loading screen times and occasional glitches.”
- “Loved the art style, music, characters, but dang this game is a slow, buggy mess that has absolutely no respect for your time.”
- “Sadly it has a few bugs and glitches, like items that don't leave your inventory after you sold them, your character being off-screen or just being unable to move sometimes.”
- “It released in a buggy, somewhat unplayable state.”
emotional
17 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming story, featuring goofy yet endearing characters that contribute to a cozy atmosphere. Players appreciate the game's cute narrative and varied gameplay, although some feel there could be more depth in character interactions. Overall, the game is celebrated for its touching and adorable qualities, making it a delightful experience.
- “The story is wholesome and heartwarming.”
- “I love this game so much; it's a little bit cheeky, a little bit heartfelt, with varied gameplay, great characters, and gorgeous artwork.”
- “The story is so heartfelt, and the characters are so silly!”
optimization
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, glitches, and a clunky user interface that detracts from the overall experience. Despite some improvements noted after completing the main storyline, many users still find the game unplayable in its current state and are hopeful for future patches to address these concerns. Overall, the lack of optimization is seen as a major drawback for an otherwise enjoyable game.
- “Linux performance for this game is great.”
- “I don't know if it's an optimization issue that can be solved, but I very much hope they figure out how to address this in a patch, because it's a legitimate pain point.”
- “Once the performance improves and the game is patched further, I'll happily change my review.”
- “Nothing has been optimized and it is such a shame, particularly due to the actually fun and adorable gameplay (when it works, and doesn’t freeze).”
- “That being said, given the amount of performance issues the game still faces after two months post-release, I can't recommend the game as it is now.”
- “Mineko's Night Market is a good game held back by two things: a clunky UI and a lack of optimization.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Mineko's Night Market is widely praised for its charming and cozy qualities, featuring beautiful graphics, a vibrant night market, and a unique blend of Japanese folklore. While some critics note a lack of dialogue that can make the experience feel somewhat shallow, the game's art direction and character personalities contribute to a delightful and immersive environment. Overall, it offers a warm and inviting ambiance that resonates with players.
- “Despite the criticism I give it on its lack of dialogue making the game feel a bit vapid, there is still a unique atmosphere to Mineko's Night Market that I haven't seen yet.”
- “However, the gameplay is fun, the story is sweet and interesting, featuring Japanese folklore with a lovely, hand-drawn art style and cozy atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is prime cozy!”
- “Charming atmosphere.”
- “Its atmosphere with changing seasons, the growing of the night market, the personality of the characters, and the art direction.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's cute art style and character design, which enhance the overall appeal and contribute positively to the character development experience.
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-500 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game offers various features and content that enhance its replayability, encouraging players to return for new experiences and challenges.
- “There are so many different paths to explore, which really enhances the replayability.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique, making it hard to put the game down.”
- “There aren't enough elements to keep me coming back for more.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to replay it.”
- “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying feel pointless.”