PC Gamer - UK (2021-12)

T

oem, by Swedish
studio Something We
Made, is not your
usual photography
adventure. Games like
Pokémon Snap, Umurangi
Generation, and Bugsnax, are all in
first-person perspective, with the
viewpoint of the character’s
eye-line and camera’s lens lined up
with each other.

But in Toem this relationship is
completely different. When using
your camera to take a quick snap it’s
in first-person perspective, but the
rest of the game is played from an
isometric point of view. The result is
a totally unique kind of photography
game that lets you see the same
world but in two completely different
ways. It’s a great idea, and one Toem
uses to create interesting puzzles that
combine exploration and hidden-
object mechanics.
The goal here is to help your
cutesy Toem character to complete a
quest given to them by their grandma

• to climb a snowy mountain and
  photograph something called the
  ‘toem’. To get to the icy peak, you’ll
  need to journey through a string of

themed cities and towns, helping

locals with their photographic needs.

Requests can range from a girl scout

asking you to take pictures of bugs, a

bear requesting you to snap the

perfect photo of its fantastical tree

hotel, or cheering up a sad skeleton

by snapping their portrait – all goofy

diversions and utterly charming.

Most of the requests are pretty

easy, but the more puzzling ones will

need your perspective-switching

skills to look in every nook and

cranny. Solutions to puzzles might be

hidden underneath bridges, or in

between the slats of stairs. Toem is a

“A world where you use your camera

to discover lots of little surprises”

world where you use your camera to

discover lots of little surprises.

PICTURE PERFECT

The game encourages you to take

your time to stop and look at the

world and I always found that if a

local’s request was too ambiguous,

looking through the camera’s

viewpoint for a fresh perspective

would always help me find the

answer. You don’t need to complete

every quest to move to the next

location, so if you can’t figure a

puzzle out it’s no biggie, but Toem’s

characters are so silly and lovable

that it fuelled me to finish every

possible task.

If you just want a break from

quests altogether, Toem’s cartoon-y

black and white world is just a joy to

wander around and explore, free

from pressure and time limits. The

soundtrack is also excellent, with

plenty of pleasant music tracks to

ease you into the game’s cozy vibe.

Toem clocks in at around the

three-hour mark, making it the

perfect bite-sized indie to snuggle

under a duvet and complete in one

sitting. It certainly left me feeling

warm and fuzzy.

Switching up perspectives in photography game TOEM

SOLUTIONS TO PUZZLES

MIGHT BE HIDDEN

UNDERNEATH BRIDGES

RACHEL WATTS

THIS MONTH

Took a photo of the Fish King

thatwasverymajestic.

ALSO PLAYED

Eastward, Life is Strange:

True Colours

FAR LEFT: (^) Folks
in To e m aren’t
camera shy.
BELOW: This
neighbour gave me a
pair of clogs, which I
wore for a full two
minutes.
THEGAMESWELOVERIGHT NOW
NOW PLAYING