Teacup review - "A wholesome quest for the perfect cup of tea"

I've always been more of a tea person than a coffee lover - I can't go through a single day without basking in the warmth of a cup or two of my favourite brew. Teacup perfectly encapsulates all the cosy vibes that come with a cup of tea on a lazy day in a short but sweet package, but while I absolutely enjoyed my adventure with the titular heroine, is the game going to be - pun intended - your cup of tea?

Table of contents:

• Teacup story and visuals
• Teacup gameplay and controls
• Teacup verdict

TEACUP STORY AND VISUALS

Teacup takes you through the charming tale of an introverted froggy on a quest to gather herbs for a little tea party. She wakes up to the horrific realisation that her supply of tea leaves is completely empty, so she must embark on an adventure to restock her cupboard across the lovely town of Little Pond.

Throughout the game, you'll encounter a colourful cast of characters, with each as wholesome as the last. Scenes are presented with gorgeous painterly visuals, vibrant and larger-than-life from bustling markets to quiet boat rides. Plus, every NPC has something interesting to say, whether they're simply going about their day-to-day activities or they're looking for a bit of a helping hand with a few chores.

THE GAMEPLAY AND CONTROLS OF TEACUP

These little missions that you accept from the townsfolk make up most of the gameplay progression, as you'll either need to talk to a few people to advance the story or accomplish tasks for them in the form of mini-games. These tidbits are nothing too difficult, but they add to the overall charm of the game since everyone really seems to like Teacup (and she honestly seems like the type of person who's always willing to help).

Some of the mini-games are more challenging than others, but thankfully, there's a handy hint system if you ever get stuck (an option I used often in one of the more difficult mini-games). Everything is pretty linear as well, so flitting from one part of Little Pond to another (using your hand-drawn map) is not at all confusing.

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As for the mobile controls, it's a simple matter of using the virtual directional pad and a single button to interact with prompts. Things can get a little wonky with the virtual pad, but thankfully, the game worked perfectly with my DualShock 4 controller. Of course, mini-games will still require you to use the touchscreen, which is actually more intuitive when it comes to tapping away at puzzle pieces or dragging and dropping gears.

WHAT'S THE APPEAL?

Teacup is the perfect example of beauty in simplicity. Playing through the game honestly made me forget about all my worries, immersing me instead in an engaging world of small-town animals and a little frog's quest for tea. Teacup herself is such a compelling and relatable protagonist, mainly because I could relate to her struggles being an introvert myself.

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I felt for her when she tried to get over her anxieties about venturing out into the world, and the wonderfully ironic thing here is that despite Teacup's semi-reclusive nature, the whole town actually knows and adores her. Everyone is just so incredibly nice, and even random NPCs always have something insightful or entertaining to say.

Teacup managed to tug at my heartstrings not because it's an emotional journey but because it's such a pure-hearted experience about the simple things in life. In just an hour and a half, it reminded me how important it is to keep in touch with friends and to take a breather every once in a while - and in the chaos of the world today, snuggling under the covers with a good book and the perfect cup of tea is indeed the ultimate respite.