Steam Next Fest is a truly wonderful event that gives the spotlight to wonderful indie titles that are coming soon. Now that it is finally here, I took the opportunity to try out as many of the demos’ available. While I was eager to jump into each one and provide you with a review, when it came to the delightfully charming world of Bear & Breakfast, I couldn’t help but take a minute to sit back and relax.
“Bear & Breakfast evokes a sense of playful childishness while feeling refined and at times witty.”
I first heard about Bear & Breakfast during the recent Wholesome Direct that aired during E3. It is a wholesome bed-and-breakfast management sim in which you take on the role of a lackadaisical bear named Hank. His amusing and frankly relatable languorous demeanour immediately drew me into the colourful and cartoony world of Bear & Breakfast. Thanks to the intricately detailed world bursting at the seams with quirky and uniquely comforting character designs, exploration across this idyllic landscape populated by a dense yet enticing sea of trees feels distinctly homely.
Despite the dilapidated appearance of the various cabins you must restore, Bear & Breakfast is a visually stunning title. The whimsically fantastical art style helps bring to life a world filled with talking animals and a cartoonishly charismatic old woman. It is reminiscent of a modern-day Cartoon Network show such as We Bare Bears, and yet feels wholly unique. It evokes a sense of playful childishness while feeling refined and at times witty. I certainly couldn’t help but feel a tad nostalgic when gazing across its scenic and arresting landscapes.
“It never feels overly complicated to create the perfect room, yet the systems on offer don’t feel as if they lack depth.”
When it comes to gameplay, Bear & Breakfast never failed to disappoint. There is a fulfilling satisfaction of clearing out a deteriorating environment. Removing all the garbage that suffocates a once beautiful nature resort feels not only righteous but soothingly relaxing too. It’s made even more rewarding when you discover you can trade in the garbage for delightful cosmetics for your cabin.
Rebuilding the cabin is immensely rewarding too, and the level of freedom granted in doing so is amazing. It never feels overly complicated to create the perfect room, yet the systems on offer don’t feel as if they lack depth. The process of creating the ultimate cabin is genuinely satisfying, and welcoming visitors to stay feels fun yet simple.
I did notice a few minor issues while playing. The predominant issue that permeated throughout some of my playthrough was that no items could be placed beneath Hank. This often resulted in me having to back out of the construction menu to move him out of the way. While it is a very minor issue with an otherwise phenomenal game, it would be easier to simply allow the player to position items beneath Hank.
“Bear & Breakfast rarely failed to disappoint.”
Honestly, I feel as if I can’t sing Bear & Breakfast’s praises enough. From its outstanding visual design and world building to its refined and incredibly enjoyable gameplay, Bear & Breakfast rarely failed to disappoint. This is a game well worth checking out, and one I cannot wait to play the full release of.
Be sure to head on over to Bear & Breakfast’s Steam store page to try the demo out for yourself. You can also wishlist it on Steam to be notified of any future updates.