Minami Lane

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• DEVELOPER: Doot, Blibloop
• PUBLISHER: Doot, Wholesome Games Presents
• PLATFORMS: PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck
• GENRE: Cozy / Management Sim
• RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2024
• STARTING PRICE: 4.99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Cozy games are often criticized for being too repetitive, too short, or lacking an engaging story, as their primary goal is to provide a relaxing experience. However, a few titles stand out within the genre. These games are also quite accessible to many players, just like Minami Lane. Minami Lane is a charming yet simple management simulator that tasks you with revitalizing a boring street, guided by a tanuki named Ema. It quickly catches your attention, even if this genre usually isn’t your go-to.

Where Did My Tanuki Go?

The game simplifies the often overwhelming nature of management sims. Instead of managing multiple aspects at once, you’re in charge of a single street at a time. Starting with minimal buildings, such as one residential property, the game gradually introduces goals like attracting a younger population. The tutorial is seamlessly integrated into the gameplay, making it easy to understand the mechanics without feeling like a separate task.

Minami Lane operates on a daily cycle, with each day ending around 8 PM. At the end of each day, you receive a performance summary highlighting areas of success and improvement. The game also provides helpful tips and tricks as visitors offer suggestions to improve living conditions. Whether it’s lowering the price of ramen or adding natural spaces, these hints make your job easier, and completing objectives unlocks more buildings.

There’s no pressure to progress quickly, allowing you to enjoy the process of designing and managing your streets. For those who prefer a more laid-back experience, the sandbox mode is particularly appealing. It lets you focus on aesthetics without worrying about revenue, encourages creativity, and allows you to create beautiful street designs. There are also cute interactive elements, like picking up trash or finding your Tanuki, so you’re not just staring at your streets.

Residents also leave feedback about the shops, prompting adjustments such as adding more roses to a bouquet or changing the music in the karaoke bar. Additionally, the surveyor building collects residents’ opinions, helping you make informed decisions. On top of that, the daily news mechanic introduces random events, both helpful and challenging, which are fun to explore. If you enjoy short and sweet time-managed games, Minami Lane is the perfect choice.

Final Thoughts

However, with roughly three hours of gameplay, the experience feels like it ends just as you’re settling into the rhythm. Once you learn the mechanics, it’s easy to breeze through the game, and overall it leaves you wanting more content. Despite its short length, Minami Lane has significant potential for future updates. Currently, for those who prefer a relaxing experience, the game offers a sandbox mode with two options: creative mode, with all buildings unlocked, and planner mode, with limited starting money.

Minami Lane is accessible to everyone, as you can speed up or pause time; play slowly, explore all the details, nicely adjust every corner of the street, place parks, and admire your creations. You don’t need to put in much effort, but a part of you will still want everything to be perfect. It works flawlessly on the Steam Deck, so if you find yourself at the beach wanting to relax in the shade, you can enjoy Minami Lane there too.

You might return to this game after a long day at work, but in general, you’ll play it only as much as necessary. Once you discover everything the game has to offer, sandbox mode is currently the only thing keeping it from feeling rather lacking in content.

Review copy provided by the publisher