Bear and Breakfast review: Stardew Valley meets Animal Crossing in chill management sim

When you — a bear named Hank — stumble upon an abandoned shack in the woods, you do what any eager, well-meaning bear would do: You start a rustic resort for corporate getaways under a company named Pawn Voyage. The old buildings have been left behind to fall into ruin, while the woods are long since abandoned by humans. Pawn Voyage doesn’t seem to care WhoThe work is taken over by the bear. There’s money to be made from humans — why shouldn’t a bear benefit?

BearAnd Breakfast is developer Gummy Cat’s debut project, an adventure game that pulls management inspiration from the likes of Theme Hospital and RollerCoaster TycoonLife-sim and other elements Stardew ValleyAnd Animal Crossing – New Horizons. Hank, his buddies and their discovery of sylvan begin to see the benefits. They are hungry for adventure, food (Hank should learn how to cook), trash and garbage.

Do humans worry that their bed-and-breakfast is being run by bears? Yes, if he’s not wearing a hat and shorts. (Otherwise, they’re cool.) They stay, despite any doubts. Hank and his animal friends expand their resort area into a variety of biomes. Every new area brings new challenges to the mix. Your first cabin needs only beds; later cabins need entertainment and heating. (Humans, am I right?) Hank oversees all of the resorts in conjunction, and he also learns a lot about woods life: How did they get these structures? What was the reason they were abandoned in the first place? Was there a catastrophic event that brought him and his mother here?

Gummy Cat/Armor Game

Bear and BreakfastThe management aspects are combined with the adventure in the woods without any friction. You’ll make progress even if your B&B kind of sucks. Hank’s eagerness and naivety are the perfect foils for the resort-running gameplay — much like the player, he’s simply doing what he’s told, because he’s eager to help.

It is easy to start this job. Hank must clear out the cabins and then collect any resources scattered about. Hank is able to find various materials, such as wood and parts for machines, that can then be used in the construction of cabins. Early hours can be spent gathering materials, making furniture and furnishing rooms. With a solid business up and running, Hank’s free to explore more areas and plan out future expansions.

The early hours are as leisurely as they sound, especially considering that there’s no real punishment for keeping a shitty bed and breakfast. The humans won’t be happy and will give you bad reviews, but they will still pay. For multiple stay, I neglected to feed them at the same location. They were upset, but… not This upset.) Pawn Voyage, the creepy corporate entity, doesn’t really care about the specifics as long as humans keep showing up.

However, their demands eventually rise when Hank is urged to improve comfort, decor and other amenities. There’s a benefit to doing this — more money! — but there’s no “game over” for failing to meet their expectations. This is how real companies should operate!

One of Bear and Breakfast’s greatest qualities is the sheer amount of options available for crafting. You have many options for crafting. Bear and BreakfastAs the process progresses you will find new furniture and customizations as well as recipes at each of the crafting tables. The system will be familiar to anyone who’s built a room in Sims 4Oder Animal Crossing – New Horizons. You can make multiple items at the same time, which is great news!

Gummy Cat/Armor Game

The first couple builds are simple, but there’s eventually space for lavish bedrooms, decked-out bathrooms, and grand dining rooms with attached kitchens. And then there’s the specialized rooms, like movie theaters, bars, and arcades. Special amenities are also needed in resorts, such as heaters for guests to stay warm.

Even though there are many choices, I found a comfortable cycle that was both enjoyable and productive. Bear and Breakfast. Automating certain tasks, such as booking guests and cooking or serving food, is possible. This was a task that I enjoyed doing because it brought me joy. At the start of each day, I’d cycle through my properties and make sure all empty rooms were filled for the next day, ensuring I had a consistent flow of guests through the spaces. Then, I did a quick loop around the rooms and the rest of the property to pick up trash that my human guests left behind — not only out of the goodness of my heart, but because you can use trash (or valuables, as they are to Hank) to buy new decorations. At the properties with kitchens, I’d cook and refill the buffets so everyone had something to eat — except for that one resort that I conveniently forgot about for multiple in-game days.

Once finished with my dailies, I’d start to work on whatever upgrades or quest lines I had amassed. This could be as simple as making the rooms more welcoming for guests or guiding 10 people through their stay. This post-chore period is also when I liked to explore all of the map’s nooks and crannies. I often checked in on all my animal pals to see what’s up — getting friendly with them and helping them out meant additional assistance at the bed and breakfasts.

That’s also how you’ll learn about some of the forest’s mysteries, and answers to the questions of WhyThere are many abandoned buildings throughout the woods. Bear and Breakfast actually gets pretty dark at some points, if you’re willing to go deep into the woods to look for answers. These secrets are second only to the gameplay. Bear and BreakfastIt’s about creating a holiday spot. All roads lead to it. It means that some questions are left unanswered — like what the heck is going on at Pawn Voyage — but it’s easy to overlook any lingering mysteries.

Gummy Cat/Armor Game

Hank, such an adorable character. He is the perfect reflection of the very best of Hank. Bear and Breakfast. As you’ll discover when playing, humans returning to the area is complicated. That’s all part of what happened in the area and why it’s been largely deserted — by humans and animals — for so long. Some people want to see humans return. Some characters are more cautious. Other people are more hesitant. Bear and Breakfast isn’t really making a judgment itself. The game balances mystery with joy through the whole playthrough.

There’s a lot to do in Bear and BreakfastYou will have a lot more stories to unravel and meet many different people. You’ll pick up tons of trash and serve food to the humans that threw that trash on the ground. You’ll put down carpets and hang photos on walls, install plumbing and hire someone to fuel your fires.

Hank is the best person to help. He’s just a little guy who wants to help some folks out.

Bear and Breakfast It will arrive on Windows PC July 28th. Armor Games sent us a code to review the game before it was released. Bear and BreakfastNintendo Switch is likely to get this feature at a later date. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions from products sold via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.