曇りのちにぼし : Cloudy, then Dried Sardines

曇りのちにぼし : Cloudy, then Dried Sardines is such a ridiculously cute little game that I could not help but smile at it. I play as Miya's owner and simply go outside to watch an impossible shower of dried sardines falling from the sky. It is a tiny premise, but I liked how quickly it turns something completely absurd into a relaxing little activity. The gameplay could hardly be simpler. I use the mouse to click on the falling sardines and try to build a high score. What I like is that the game never pretends to be something more complicated than it is. There is no huge tutorial or complicated progression system to learn. I just look up at the sky, start clicking and immediately understand what I am supposed to do. The coin system gives the simple catching mechanic a little more purpose. I can spend what I earn on a dress up gacha and collect different outfits for Miya. I enjoyed this because it gives me something cute to work toward after the basic score chasing starts to become familiar. The customization also fits the game's playful personality really well. The presentation is probably my favorite thing about it. Everything is colorful, simple and centered around Miya, and the fal…