Despite screenshot functionality being baked into every modern format, there are surprisingly few games around that focus on the humble art of photography. If you were disappointed by Nintendo’s rather pedestrian return to the genre with New Pokemon Snap, this charming little indie game by Swedish developers Something We Made will show you what Nintendo could have achieved with a little more ingenuity.

Set in a black and white isometric world, your journey begins when the nameless protagonist’s ancient grandmother packs you off on a brief but charming journey to find and photograph the legendary Toem for the old crone. Each world gives you access to an event card that tracks the photographic challenges you either stumble upon or are directly given by the local denizens - completing each challenge awards you with a stamp. Collect a defined number of these in each area, and you’ll be awarded a bus ticket unlocking the next world.

You can complete each world completely at your own pace, interacting with the locals and whipping out your camera to photograph whatever you fancy at any point. The graphics are so charming and the controls so intuitive that you’ll find yourself frequently lining up shots just to fill your album for your own sake, with the completion of challenges proving to be a pleasing side effect.

As you progress, you’ll be awarded items of clothing that unlock abilities such as climbing or running faster. You’ll also acquire accessories for your camera, such as a tripod to more easily line up shots and a hooter attachment to scare the crap out of obstructive birds. Once you’ve actually photographed the Toem, the old bag invites you to join her camping on a holiday island. This is essentially an entire post-game world with even more photographic challenges to complete that was patched in as a thank you from the developers for the game having done so well, and contains what can be seen as the true ending.

The only real downsides are two-fold. Firstly, Toem is a fairly short game, but not criminally so. Secondly, the entire world is, for some reason, rendered in black and white. The graphics are excellently drawn, but compromising the beauty of the world in a game specifically about the joys of photographing it is a bizarre choice. Although we have a fairly good idea as to why the developers did this, we don’t think it was a particularly wise decision considering the game looks a little drab in screenshots.

The lack of colour aside, Toem is the most pleasantly relaxing, engaging and downright enjoyable way to spend a few hours with a camera that doesn’t involve leaving the house. The developers certainly deserved every one of the awards they’ve received for this, as much as you deserve to immerse yourself in its wonderfully undemanding world.

Pros:
Charming presentation // Excellent controls with a well-implemented photography mechanic // Relaxing soundtrack // No pressure // Doesn’t outstay its welcome

Cons:
Would have been far more visually pleasing in colour // Occasionally obtuse challenge clues // A map would be nice // Quite short

91% // Outstanding