Mineko’s Night Market review: merchant sim meets cozy island vibes

Houtong Cat Village is a former Taiwanese coal-mining town which has been taken over entirely by cats. The place is a cornucopia of feline residents: black cats loafing on parapets, white ones lazing on motorbike seats, and even an exhausted calico lounging on top of the town’s weathered mascot statue. Cat cafes, kitty kitssch and cat-themed shops are all over the place. It’s impossible to walk even a couple of meters without encountering a tabby. There, time seems to move at a slower pace. Yet before you know it, the sun has set, the cats have retreated to the snuggest of nooks, and it’s time to leave.

Mineko’s Night MarketIt is reminiscent of this coziness. One thing is that the game takes place in a village centered on a feline of some kind: Nikko. He wears a wood mask and stands tall. From Mineko’s Night MarketReminiscent of old cartoons on Sundays, these hand-painted wood houses and shops are created by laying paper cutouts over each other. Residents are reserved and polite, except for one boisterous kid named Bobo. Mineko, who is fascinated by the legends of the village and its folklore, becomes fast friends with Bobo. They mesh into an incredible duo. Bobo pulls Mineko into all of his adventures.

There’s also a myriad of small, relaxing tasks you can complete at your leisure, such as creating handicrafts, gathering resources, and petting as many cats as humanly possible. Mineko’s Night Market is a slow, leisurely experience that lets you roll along at your own pace — one in which you can while away many hours without realizing how long you’ve lingered.

Image: Meowza Games/Humble Bundle

The pastoral story is propelled forward by a mythical tale. Bobo quickly embroils you in a grand conspiracy around Nikko, which he believes has something to do with the presence of sharply dressed, shady-looking thugs who have trapped the island’s cats in tiny cages. Bobo sees himself as a strategist, but like most sidekicks, he’s a planner, not a doer. This means it’s up to you, as Mineko, to travel to various parts of the island to free these kittens via a series of stealth minigames, where you’ll need to sidestep the thugs’ vision cones to avoid detection. Then there’s the village itself; once a bustling tourist attraction before your arrival, it has deteriorated to a somewhat dilapidated state, its eponymous night market largely vacant and lifeless. In an effort to bring life back to the area (and increase revenue), its organizer wants you to open a stand to sell crafts.

Many of the Mineko’s Night Market is cozy and languid, early chunks of it border on laborious — it begins at a slow, heavy gait. The island’s majority is hidden, and only certain sections can be accessed if you are able to afford the necessary tools. With so few resources available in the village, the only way to earn money is to frantically pick as many flowers you can and make bouquets that will be sold at the Saturday night market. Moreover, the cat-rescue stealth minigames can get stale quickly, given that they aren’t particularly challenging.

Image: Meowza Games/Humble Bundle

But once you get over the initial lull and gain access to more of the island’s corners, Mineko’s Night MarketThe number of available activities is staggering. With more areas, you’ll be able to gather more resources with which to craft new items. Neighbors will ask you for favors, and in exchange, they’ll grant you new crafting recipes. The village can welcome new friendly merchants. Fishing is possible as seasons change. Once-abandoned museum reopen as the city becomes more vibrant, allowing you to showcase a variety of foods, flowers and gemstones.

All of the ancillary activities that it offers, Mineko’s Night MarketIn-game Saturdays are the culmination to all of your efforts over the past week. At the titular bazaar, you can sell your goods to haggling customers, visit other booths, impulsively purchase delightful snacks and plush toys, and participate in the event’s festivities, from cat racing to live performances. After the bazaar, I return home to the peace of night in order to get back into my zen-like chores and pastoral duties.

There are some days when it seems like everyone in this small town wants you to do something: 10 sheets of paper to fix a weak wall, 2 matcha lattes for thirsty neighbors, or a sports beverage for an aspirant athlete. At one point, a vendor even jokingly requests 120 blocks of wood to build their store — a joke to be had at your expense. If you are able to put these thoughts aside, Mineko’s Night MarketIt’s a good place to spend a few minutes. This cozy sim invites you to take a moment and enjoy the flowers. You can pet them as they lay on their backs, purring from the depths of their stomachs.

Mineko’s Night Market Released on September 26 Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. Humble Bundle provided a code for a PC pre-release to review the game. Vox Media is affiliated with other companies. Vox Media can earn affiliate commissions, but this does not affect editorial content. This is where you can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.