Toem 2 is a Cozy Camera Game That Features Even Better Exposure
Low-stakes picture puzzler and adventure game Toem is back with a sequel, Toem 2. Once again, you take control of the young photographer as you travel from location to location, meeting characters and accomplishing tasks. It’s more of the same, but it’s hard to complain when the result is so damn wholesome—and oddly satisfying. In Toem 2, you’ll be making the journey through an expanded world with brand new biomes to witness the Whirling Birch Bloom.
While that familiar gameplay returns, there are a few added mechanics to change things up. You can now jump and climb in Toem 2, introducing new vertical challenges. The game's biggest hook for me wasn’t just its visual style, but how this new movement felt. While the new jumping puzzles require slightly more hand-eye coordination than the first game, they remain incredibly forgiving in true cozy game fashion. Moving around the world feels genuinely fun, and the platforming adds a refreshing layer to your traversal.
Your main objectives often revolve around your camera, which can do much more this time around. While the controls remain familiar and intuitive for snapping great photos, the device now functions as a sort of multitool. You'll use it in wildly untraditional ways—like cutting or hammering—which opens up far more environmental interaction than the original game allowed.
Of course, there are lots of little secrets to discover around every corner, and each of Toem’s characters is uniquely charming. Puzzles aren’t just fetch quests (though fetch quests certainly abound); they often require a little more creative thought. Tasks never feel like busywork, and the solutions can be surprising and gratifying. The Photo Challenge Guild even returns to add an extra layer of difficulty to the mix for each area you’ll travel through.
Like its predecessor, Toem 2 highly encourages thorough exploration. While you don’t have to complete every quest in an area to move on, you’ll probably want to. After all, who wants to leave a startled bear without his jam, or refuse to help a worm control the growth of strange vines that make her sneeze? The sequel includes larger areas with different themes than the original, making for even more joy in discovery.
The world is full of life and personality, even without being in full color. The hand-drawn style is unique, whimsical, and satisfying to play. This is further elevated by fantastic sound design that constantly reinforces a "you’re doing a good job!" feedback loop. From the little clicks and beeps that let you know you're on the right track, to the collectible soundtrack cassettes you can find along the way, the audio design shines. This is all in addition to the stamps you collect to access new areas and the new outfits hidden in gift boxes strewn about the world.
Toem 2 is chock full of the charm of the original, with even more to do and see. It’s extremely rewarding to get to know the world around you and interact with everything you can through the familiar lens of your trusty camera. When you do, you’ll find that there’s a lot more magic in its world than simply making it to the end. Toem 2’s magic is in its simple, satisfying journey of breezy exploration. It’s pure joy.
Toem 2 is out tomorrow on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
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