Tanuki: Pon’s Summer review – an adorable raccoon mends the world, one parcel at a time

Nintendo Switch/2, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/series X/S, PC; Denkiworks/Inpleron Limited This gentle game of fixing and fetching, in which you play as a furry post office worker on a BMX, has a slow, calming magic that delights in routine and restoration Arriving alongside Novemb

Nintendo Switch/2, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/series X/S, PC; Denkiworks/Inpleron Limited This gentle game of fixing and fetching, in which you play as a furry post office worker on a BMX, has a slow, calming magic that delights in routine and restoration Arriving alongside November’s blue wave , Tanuki: Pon’s Summer is a game of quiet restoration that feels perfectly suited to the current moment. Tasked with repairing an ancient shrine in the weeks leading up to a local festival, you’ll find yourself cleaning out trash, mending broken arches and slowly bringing a small rural community back together. It sounds a bit like JL Carr’s compact but enchanting novel A Month in the Country , except instead of shell-shocked veterans of the first world war you’re left exploring the rich inner life of a Japanese racoon dog who can ride a BMX.

Even so, the mixture of steady progress and general low stakes proves intoxicating. This is a short game, but it’s hard not to linger over it. Continue reading...