Tohu

About

"TOHU is a single-player Point and Click game with excellent mechanics, plot, graphics, and music. As the agile Girl or her mechanical friend Cubus, explore vivid fish planets, meet intriguing characters, and solve intricate puzzles to repair the Sacred Engine. Experience a beautifully drawn and immersive world that comes alive with fascinating details and quirky inhabitants."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 248 reviews

story35 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

The art style is charming and beautifully crafted, creating a whimsical and immersive world.
The puzzles strike a good balance between being challenging yet not overly frustrating, making for an enjoyable gameplay experience.
The soundtrack is delightful, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.

Some puzzles can feel unintuitive or rely on trial and error, which may lead to frustration.
The game features long animations that cannot be skipped, which can slow down the pacing and become tedious.
The story lacks depth and coherence, making it feel secondary to the gameplay.

story
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The story of Tohu is often described as simplistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it feels more like a vehicle for the puzzles rather than a compelling narrative. While the game's visuals and music are praised for their charm, the plot is frequently criticized for being flat, rushed, or confusing, leaving players wanting more substance and emotional impact. Overall, the story is seen as a cute backdrop to the gameplay, but it fails to engage or resonate deeply with many players.
- “The art, story, and narration are all incredible; you can tell a lot of effort was put into this game.”
- “The story, while very basic, kept me entertained and motivated throughout the playthrough and actually had an interesting ending in my opinion.”
- “Dan Gartman's whimsical art shines in the setting and the story has a sweet charm and wholesome ending.”
- “The story is a bit of a letdown; it teases as if there's a deeper meaning but it doesn't really expound upon it.”
- “The story is lackluster, NPCs aren't very memorable, and the overall theme falls a little short.”
- “The ending also seems rushed, with zero emotional impact and an explanation that rips holes in the plot, even such as it is.”
music
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
32%
4%
The music in Tohu has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the contributions of composer Christopher Larkin, known for his work on Hollow Knight. While the soundtrack is described as lovely and immersive, some players noted issues with sound effects overpowering the music, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and a captivating soundtrack makes Tohu a recommended choice for fans of aesthetically rich puzzle games.
- “Music to my ears: instead of characters talking all the time, Tohu uses music and sound effects to tell the story.”
- “The art style, the music, and the story are really nice.”
- “When it comes to the music, it is clear Christopher Larkin gave it his all despite this being a smaller game, and the music really inspires you to explore these strange worlds.”
- “The most bare bones settings page I've ever seen, not even a separate slider for music/SFX.”
- “I am not gonna lie, I bought this game because Christopher made the OST, but to have that OST be overshadowed by robot clanking SFX as you are trying to put cogs together is a poor choice for a game where you want to think and have fun figuring out puzzles.”
- “It is also louder than the music, which you can change nothing about; there is just one slider for the master volume.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
39%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, which creates a whimsical and visually appealing fantasy world. Many reviewers highlight the cute aesthetics, beautiful animations, and vibrant colors that enhance the overall experience, although some note that the integration of puzzles with the visuals can be confusing at times. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its charm and enjoyment.
- “Its distinct art style perfectly encapsulates a beautiful and quirky fantasy world.”
- “The excellent visuals and the large variety of creative puzzles are the reason why I pushed through and finished Tohu; they’re also why I adored its quirky and whimsical world.”
- “Tohu looks great; again, I’m going to talk about the graphics because look at this game, it’s a feast for the eyes.”
- “The puzzles and graphics didn't click right with me.”
- “The artwork is very pretty, but the characters are too whimsical, there's little to no thematic coherence between all the random objects in the world, and the whole thing moves too slowly to be fun.”
- “So in the end, for $15 you get a 5 hour long, really simple puzzle game which has little brain work required, with very cute graphics.”
gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a charming art style and solid mechanics like character swapping, but often suffers from frustrating puzzles and unclear signposting. While some players appreciate the unique puzzle designs and the ability to explore diverse locations, others find the gameplay tedious and the controls imprecise, leading to a less enjoyable experience overall. Ultimately, it appeals to fans of point-and-click adventures, but may disappoint those seeking more innovative or challenging gameplay.
- “I really liked the ability of swapping between characters; it's such a great mechanic!”
- “Its diverse gameplay consistently delivers unique experiences, evading any sense of monotony or repetition.”
- “The gameplay is basically a simple but good click-and-point adventure with challenging puzzles.”
- “While a few unique puzzles were entertaining, the overall weak narrative and hit-or-miss gameplay drag Tohu down.”
- “So many puzzles have great premises, but they are over way too soon and their mechanics are way too underutilized.”
- “Art and music are great, but puzzles and gameplay itself felt a bit lackluster.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its enchanting and soothing qualities, evoking a fairy tale-like charm that blends sweetness with a touch of grotesqueness. While the art, music, and overall aesthetic contribute positively to the experience, some players find the atmosphere less immersive due to a simplistic story. Overall, it offers a lighthearted and enjoyable ambiance, though backtracking can be tedious at times.
- “Moreover, its enchanting and soothing atmosphere, reminiscent of a serene fairy tale, provides a healing ambiance worth recommending.”
- “I would overall recommend this game; it takes approximately 4 hours to complete and is quite cute. The atmosphere is very sweet but grotesque at the same time.”
- “So in short, all the aesthetic aspects in this game are great: the art, the music, the atmosphere, and the characters.”
- “I would overall recommend this game, it takes approximately 4 hours to complete and is quite cute, the atmosphere is very sweet but grotesque at the same time.”
- “I get that it helps with taking in the atmosphere, but sometimes you are trying to backtrack and it's just kinda tedious.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever puzzles, charming characters, and whimsical animations, which contribute to a delightful and quirky atmosphere. Players appreciate the abundance of funny details and interactions, making the experience enjoyable despite a lack of narrative depth. Overall, the game's lightheartedness and adorable elements create a captivating and amusing adventure.
- “The world is great and I adore all the weirdness and funny critters.”
- “It's world is mesmerizing, filled with funny little details, as well as wonderfully odd and meticulously animated creatures.”
- “Tohu does not offer much in terms of compelling narrative, but it makes up for it with many cute and genuinely funny visual interactions.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, with many noting that the character change mechanic and lengthy animations detract from the experience. While the game's art and charm are appreciated, the repetitive and drawn-out nature of puzzles and backtracking can lead to frustration.
- “Beautiful art, but incredibly tedious and dull.”
- “I found it to be a very charming and fun game; however, it is slightly tedious at times with all the little animations making everything move along very slowly.”
- “I get that it helps with taking in the atmosphere, but sometimes you are trying to backtrack and it's just kind of tedious.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is praised for its polished design and heartwarming story, which features whimsical art and a charming conclusion. However, some reviewers feel that the ending is rushed and lacks emotional impact, undermining the narrative's coherence.
- “The story is heartwarming and unique.”
- “Dan Gartman's whimsical art shines in the setting, and the story has a sweet charm and wholesome ending.”
- “The story is good, the puzzles are good, it's well-designed overall, and the entire thing feels very polished and wholesome.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its surreal and visually appealing character designs, which effectively convey personality traits. The combination of beautiful art and engaging music enhances the overall experience, making it particularly appealing to players who appreciate unique aesthetics and freeform puzzles.
- “The art is beautiful, the character designs are cute, and the music is very nice.”
- “The character designs are just as surreal as the environments, and you can guess the personality of a character from their design alone.”
- “I recommend Tohu to players attracted to its world and character design, who are looking for more freeform puzzles.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with users reporting stuttering and compression artifacts in video cutscenes, despite the large file size of 13 GB. Overall, the performance is described as poorly optimized.
- “Cutscenes are in video format and are somehow rubberbanding (stuttering) while also looking compressed. How is the game size 13 GB?”
- “First of all, the game is horribly unoptimized.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players report a generally stable experience with minimal significant glitches, though some have encountered occasional softlocks that can be resolved by reloading save files.
- “I didn't have many significant glitches during my playthrough; however, I did experience one softlock, which I managed to fix by using the save file.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users highlight the game's "infinitely replayable" nature, indicating that it offers a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs without losing its appeal.
- “The game is infinitely replayable, offering new experiences with each playthrough.”
- “I find myself coming back to this game time and time again; the replayability is outstanding.”
- “Every run feels fresh and exciting, making it a game I can play endlessly.”