“Home is not a building, but a feeling of belonging.” – Kirby Larson
Overview
Minami Lane is a charming building and management sim that allows players to develop and customise a cosy street, manage shops and the population, compete quests, and try to keep the residents happy.
Narrative
Minami Lane does not boast a vast narrative aspect. The focus is on building and managing each street, but there is a slight story to each quest, such as the tangible journey of trying to get a street with different ages to exist harmoniously, or trying to attract a new type of resident to the area. On top of this, a delightful tanuki named Ami will help explain tasks and new tools or objects. Ami is the only named and recurring character but makes a nice addition to the experience.
Gameplay
The main premise of Minami Lane is to build and manage a cosy street, filling it with shops, houses, parks, and people. The game progresses in days that consist of a build phase, a living phase, and a daily recap. The gameplay and controls are both very intuitive and easy to get immersed in. Each day is relatively short in terms of real time, but can be paused or allowed to run at a choice of three different speeds.
The game includes a sandbox mode, but the main content consists of five missions that each involve building a street with a specific goal in mind. Goals include things such as having different types of people live harmoniously, or reaching a certain number of villagers and a high satisfaction level. There are optional goals attached to these such as complete within a limited number of days, or without building more than a set number of buildings.
Available building options include a book shop, a ramen stall, an onsen, and a florist, amongst others. The player can manage the stock that each outlet sells, choosing or creating products and determining prices with an aim to keep the locals happy. Resident satisfaction is based on a number of things such as selection of products, prices, and beauty. Clicking on individual villagers as they go about their day will reveal their thoughts, offering insight into what they like and dislike about the street and its facilities.
It is possible to upgrade completed buildings to increase certain aspects such as number of residents, beauty, and shop rank (to attract more customers). There are two main types of residents, youths and elders, though later in the game it is possible for yokai to inhabit the player’s street.
The player must run the shops with at least some success in order to earn more money for building and upgrades. It is also possible to earn money in a few other ways. Each day Ami will be hidden somewhere on the street, a successful find will net $30, collecting trash is worth $5 a piece, and petting cats and greeting cyclists will also award money. Recycling unwanted buildings will also refund a portion of the original cost.
Styling
Minami Lane has an incredibly cute, hand-drawn art style. It uses a limited but gently vibrant colour palette that verges on pastel shades, focusing on greens, oranges, browns, and yellow. This creates a visually pleasing and cohesive street design despite the somewhat restrictive customisation options. Soft crayon-like outlines add to the cosy aesthetic and help create a whimsical look.
The soundtrack has some variety but mostly consists of subtly energetic tracks with a moderate tempo, they are jolly without being frantic. The music tends to sit comfortably in the background, creating ambience without being overbearing or distracting. A range of delightful sound effects such as cat meows and bicycle bells work to enhance the cosy street vibe and help with immersion.
Summary
Impressively created by a small three-person development team, Minami Lane is a wholesome and engaging game. It is a lot of fun to build different streets and attempt to appease the different villagers and their varied tastes. The experience is very casual and relaxing, with attainable goals and minimal pressure. It boasts a charming art style and delightful sound design that both work together perfectly, matching the overall feel of the gameplay.
It will take around 4-6 hours to complete, with all the achievements (if available on the player’s chosen platform) and provides a good amount of entertainment for a very reasonable price. Minami Lane is entirely family friendly and can be enjoyed by a variety of player types. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game and would highly recommend it to fans of more laid back building and management sims.
If you like this game, you may also enjoy the following reviews:
Havendock – A Fun and Relaxing Dock-Building Adventure – Haven Park: Play as a Chicken in this Cute New Building Game! – Bear and Breakfast – A Cute and Casual B&B Management Sim
