Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge preview [PAX] — As wholesome as it gets

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend PAX East, where I met up with the two developers behind Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge. This is their first game as a studio, and the developers at Humble Reeds have a strong premise and a deep understanding of what they want their game to be. When you first look at Kamaeru, it is likely you will be immediately enchanted by the cute, cozy, hand-drawn graphics, but they’re only a piece of this intricate puzzle.

Players take the role of Cleo, a young woman working to restore biodiversity to her local wetlands and find frogs while doing it. First and foremost, Kamaeru is a frog collection game, so they will appear in furniture around the home. Feed the frogs and snap pictures of them to add them to your encyclopedic Frogedex, and collect hundreds of them of various rarities. In a nice personal touch, players can also name the frogs they have captured.

Get money to buy supplies for your frogs by creating a sustainable farm on the wetlands. Develop your lands by placing vegetation that attracts bugs and build an apiary to attract bees. Then, reap what you sow and turn it all into eco-friendly products through mini-games. Jams and cardboard can both be made through minigames and sold for a profit, thus allowing you to purchase furniture to customize your frog sanctuary and attract more frogs. Of course, you can paint furniture to add personal touches. Earn three-star ranking photos by capturing the frogs when they’re in specific furniture. It’s important to keep a balanced refuge, so check on various stats, like the bioscore, carbon capture, and biodiversity.

There are plenty of upgrades to buy, like helpers who will collect bugs for you. Progress a simple tech tree as you develop your land, in a simple yet compelling gameplay loop.
The developers made it clear that nothing about Kamaeru will be punitive, and there are no time constraints. Quite simply, it’s coziness condensed into its purest form. Unlock the manager’s hut and listen to the radio while looking over your achievement book, and relax.

Talk to various characters in the area to unlock side quests. There are about 10 hours of narrative content to play through, and the sandbox mode is endless. As you play through the game, you will unlock more protagonists and by extension, more biomes. The quests will naturally lead you through the game’s progression.

Overall, if you’re in the market for a well-made cozy game that will definitely put a smile on your face, then check out Kamaeru: A Frog Game on Steam. Kamaeru is expected to be released this summer.