Mineko’s Night Market Is A Quaint Social Sim with a Built-In Saturday Night Fever

Social simulators are a great project for everyone. Mineko’s Night Market As soon as you hit start, the game begins. S Xbox One and PC, with Game Pass the game features the title character Mineko along with their father. As the newest residents of a Japanese island, they quickly set out to improve the place.|S, Xbox One, and PC with Game Pass, the game introduces titular character Mineko and their father, who are the newest residents on a struggling, Japanese-inspired island and quickly take it upon themselves to help improve it. 

You can get caught up in a lot of work around the island right away. Mineko is able to quickly craft items that she can sell at the market for cash. This is the beginning of Mineko’s journey to success – the island’s an explorable location, with people to meet and secrets to find, but it all comes down to a comforting pattern: scavenge, craft and discover what you can in the week, then settle down to sell what you can come the weekend.

Mineko can find all the ingredients they need around the island, whether it’s to make beautiful flower arrangements or trinkets. They will also be able create delicious food. However, this island is plagued with a secret, and some areas are blocked off by agents who are embroiled in their own mystery – Mineko will have a hand in unravelling this and other secrets dotted around their new home.

It becomes increasingly difficult to craft, but part of the excitement is in finding these materials and negotiating with people to acquire them. Mineko’s energy is kept up by Japanese themed snacks. 

At the center of town, Mineko’s scavenging efforts can also contribute to local hotspots, such as museums and specialist shops. By making enough donations, Mineko can help these destinations thrive again – but it’s not entirely altruistic, as this will inevitably bring more visitors to the island. Mineko will also be working to improve the house of their father, who is in need when they first arrive. 

All of the week’s hard work culminates in one single event – the Night Market. A staple of the island’s community and the highlight of the calendar, all of the townsfolk come together to socialize, swap stories, and most importantly, sell their stock. It’s a bit rusty at the beginning, but the Night Market slowly comes back to life as more vendors appear. 

Roll up, roll up

The market is where the tranquility of the village simulation transforms into chaos. It’s extremely tempting to just display the most expensive items you have, but the whims of capitalism force you to go beyond that tactic. Every customer that visits Mineko’s stall will have specific wants and needs, and they’ll be willing to pay different amounts, so you’ll need to be smart about the stock you show off and how much you haggle, or you might not sell anything at all. 

Unlike a lot of social sim games, this event gives you a compelling, timed goal to work towards – while playing my entire week became quickly consumed with finding the weirdest thing to make and sell to my fellow islanders. My days from Sunday to Friday are filled with harvesting materials and making gifts for friends. I also help my father fix his house, occasionally petting a cat..But in my mind, the flames of the business were always burning. 

Mineko’s Night Market It’s a charming little adventure that has a fun gameplay loop and manageable goals, all wrapped in a dry sense of humor. S Xbox One, PC and Xbox One.|S, Xbox One and PC with Game Pass today.