I’m always excited to try a game that seems a bit different. Assemble with Care by developers Ustwo games, had me intrigued, but the colorful front cover and the mystery of what it is exactly I would be doing sealed the deal. This casual story driven game is hidden behind puzzle solving by putting together antiques.
You play as Maria in this indie game and she has come from a past where her parents raised her in a family owned antique shop. Maria takes her skills on the road in order to see the world and ends up in Bellariva hoping to get more jobs putting things together. She finds out there is a lot more to the town than Maria anticipated.
For an, admittedly older game (that I had never seen before), the story is really unique. People that love to tinker with things may find this oddly satisfying. If you’re in to retro things, then that’s a bonus. One of the first items I was able to help assemble was an old tape deck. I feel like some people may be scratching their heads at this, but it is a cassette player that you carry along with you. I was able to jump right in with useful (and quick) tutorial help. Before I knew it I was able to fix the tape and the player for the young girl who missed her mom.
The art style stays in a comic strip style with pastel colors while making the different antiques in a bold color. This makes each item easy to focus on and examine. With each item you and Maria fix, you start to see the real stories behind each person you are helping. Some of the stories really make you feel bad or tense but in a way, this makes you want to keep fixing things to understand what these items mean to people. All of the art and the plot come together with gentle music that is a little peppy to keep the mood stable and not distracting.
Each antique gives you a unique challenge. Sometimes these items seemed easy to do, but do you know how long it has been since I’ve put an actual film roll in to a camera? This will be challenging to people without the knowledge of these items but tearing things apart and putting them back together is very satisfying. Each chapter, the items get harder but that is part of the fun too.
Anyone that likes these types of games should give it a try. Kids would like probably like it too. Not only that, but they would learn a lot about different items. The game is nice to look at, very relaxing with the music but also makes you think and feel for others.
9/10
Available on IOS and PC.
