Momento Review (PC)

Choosing between a patchwork plushie, a dinosaur, or a pink unicorn is a bit like deciding which Pokémon to befriend before embarking on a noble journey through the emotionally turbulent times of a childish fantasy. Naturally, it also has some weight to it, too, given that the decision you make in Momento isn’t a momentary lapse of judgement, but a lifelong commitment that just so happens to define you as an individual. And it’s the little things here—the plushies and the heirlooms, that is—that frame your mind, your interests, and your career. Who will you become, and how will these small keepsakes play a role in your development?

Momento is all about witnessing the evolution of time—the journey that we make, as well as the small but seemingly crucial trinkets that harbor sentimental value and, ultimately, the power to shape our lives. A space toy, for example, holds the ability to inspire us to transcend the boundaries of human life, whereas an old compass has a purpose to alter our fascination with architectural exhibits. Objects, as ordinary as some of them may seem, can shift our perspective on the world and pique our imagination. Momento, as a sentimental indie that serves only to illuminate the possibilities, simply asks us to sort through them and to figure out which of them are likely to elevate our ambitions.

While there isn’t a great deal of gameplay to tangle with here, Momento does provide all of the right tools to keep you engaged for the short duration of your stay. In the beginning, you find yourself with a choice to make. A simple choice I’ll admit, but one that also has the power to steer your emotions and your future. In an effort to highlight these possibilities, Momento invites you to gradually work through various phases of your life, organize items, and witness certain items as they slowly become a part of the furniture, both literally and figuratively.

In a similar vein as Unpacking, the game often tasks you with organizing your inventory—an act that more or less revolves around finding the perfect location for a stack of heirlooms, and framing your home in a way that suits your ever-shifting personality. Unlike its kin, however, you don’t need to find the right spot to hang your decor. Rather, you just need to seek out a spot that works for you. To that end, you have little to fret about. The game doesn’t frown upon you for making small mistakes, nor does it prevent you from progressing further into the story due to a slight miscalculation in your ability to optimize your space.

As I mentioned earlier, choices are what make a game like Momento turn on its axis. As you work through each scenario, items become more important, as do the actions you take en route to your final destination. Even with little to no context or dialogue to expand the story, the world tells its own tale, not necessarily through its characters, but through the little details that flesh out each canvas. A small item, for example, can open up several new doors. You don’t always know where the door will take you, but frankly, that’s sort of the point.

The good news here is that, despite there being multiple choices and endings, Momento isn’t a game that you can fail. In fact, once you unravel one of the endings, the game gracefully rewinds time and allows you to explore other opportunities, with additional trinkets to unpack, timelines to unravel, and career choices to mull over. Moreover, as there are no bad endings for you to accidentally unlock, you can more or less pick and choose at your own pace and still find a satisfying conclusion. That’s a huge plus in my book.

To compliment its laid-back gameplay style and oh-so-forgiving nature, Momento features a warm and inviting atmosphere—a setting that primarily focuses on fuzzy cartoon-like colors, intricate sketch work, and theme-appropriate lighting. With all of these wholesome features in tow, the game itself is a real delight to weave together, despite there being little to no major challenges to overcome or consequential puzzles to tackle. It’s cozy, and thankfully, coziness works in its favor here.

While the game is rather short and lacking in major plot elements, its inclusion of various endings and choices, settings and heirlooms does add an extra layer to the overall experience. And, as luck would have it, there’s a good amount to poke at here, too, with enough trinkets, unwritten stories, and several time periods to keep you immersed in its timeline of events for a handful of hours, give or take.

It goes without saying at this point, but if you are a fan of organization sims that blend lightweight puzzle elements with interactive visual storytelling facets, then there’s every chance that you’ll enjoy Momento. It might not provide all that much of a challenge for you to poke away at, but for what it’s worth, it is likely to make you develop a newfound love for old trinkets. We’ll let you decide whether or not that justifies the price tag.

Verdict

Momento conjures a newfound sense of belonging in a world where old trinkets and heirlooms bear the power to alter fate, the environment, and to inspire those who cherish seemingly ordinary objects. With a warm exterior and a whole host of intricate touches to ferry its keepsake-oriented spirit, this lovable indie immediately checks all of the right boxes. Or at least, it does for those with a heart for lightweight puzzles and interactive memoirs à la Unpacking.

While you might struggle to find a good challenge to wax your mind here, you are likely to uncover a good game with a lot of beautiful set pieces and interwoven elements that pull on all of the right heartstrings. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then I’d suggest taking the time to grab the crate and start sorting through old artifacts in this warm world.