Our review of to a T, developed by uvula. Available Now for Windows/Steam/Deck (reviewed), PS5, Xbox X/S.
WHAT IS IT?
The latest fun little experiment from Katamari mastermind Keita Takahashi.
IS IT GOOD?
It’s delightful.
WHO SHOULD PLAY IT?
The King of All Cosmos. Also, kids and parents.
NA, NA NA NA NA NA NA
The SEO-averse indie game to a T is the latest in a long line of comically offbeat, genre-defying digital playgrounds from the mind of Keita Takahashi.
Best known for the legendary Katamari Damacy (one of the best PlayStation 2 games of all time), Takahashi’s unique style combines a childlike whimsy with a surreal and yet rigorous approach to world design. Takahashi-san’s worlds are ridiculous – but they also have a certain internal logic which can be deeply rewarding for players who spend the time exploring them.
In Katamari, that ethos manifested in the form of a tiny little cartoon prince, tasked with rolling up the universe’s detritus with a magical ball that instantly clings to any object it touches. (You’re better off just seeing it in action.) Later titles, like the equally delightful Noby Noby Boy – which features a caterpillar-like boy whose extendable, twisty body roams the world like a three-dimensional Nokia Snake – proved that Takahashi-san was more than a one-trick pony. The inexplicable, undefinable Wattam is an overlooked highlight of the PS4/5 library.
to a T (the unusual capitalisation is deliberate) is arguably the most accessible of Takahasi’s games yet, starring an unfortunately programmed teenager, canonically named “Teen” though you can customise their name, who finds themselves stuck in the default programming pose known as the T-Pose. It is, as always, an inherently goofy premise, but here combined with an oddly sympathetic, even compassionate depiction of the struggles of living in an unusual body. Teen bumps into things. They have a hard time with doorways. They require a really long toothbrush. They often rely on the help of their adorable little dog (named “Dog” or whatever custom name you decide) to fetch items out of reach.
It’s all quite charming, with puzzles that never become overbearing, and a story that’s both kid-friendly and yet never patronising.
DO YOUR BEST
Only the hardest heart could resist smiling while playing to a T. From its opening moments to its charming finale, this approximately six-hour puzzle-adventure is the perfect portable pleasure, just long enough to offer up some variety, not so overlong that it overstays its (self-admittedly saccharine) welcome.
Moment to moment, to a T is primarily a storytelling game. There are minigames and light puzzles to solve, but by and large your goal here is to move from plot point to plot point, A to B to C. Kid-friendly design doesn’t have to mean quite the level of simplicity on offer here, but if you view it properly through that lens, its structure and near-absence of challenge is easier to understand.
The world of to a T is the best part of the game. It looks a bit like small-town Japan, but it’s colourful and flowery to a cartoonish degree, populated by a mix of human characters and anthropomorphic animals, including various giraffe restaurant proprietors. The central conflicts in the game largely revolve around bullying: “Teen” is repeatedly picked on for their appearance, and the game finds – gentle, non-confrontational, good-humoured – ways to address this.
Again, there’s nothing particularly sophisticated going on here, but it’s an amusing world to inhabit for a few hours. (Accounting for takeoff and landing and that annoying period where they won’t let you turn on your electronic devices, you can beat to a T in the time it takes to fly from Toronto to London.)
FEEL SO GOOD
If this review makes it sound like there’s not much to do in to a T, that’s kind of the point. Yes, there’s eventually a mystery to be solved, bullies to contend with, parents and teachers to please – but those are all in service of goofing around in this fun little world, including its many and varied shops, where you can kit out your custom Teen anyway you see fit. (The game’s welcome gender-neutrality extends to the ability to dress or style your character any way you want, from skirts to gym shorts to silly clown shoes.)
The (overplayed) theme music isn’t quite the Na, Na Na Na Na earworm of Katamari, though it’ll eventually win you over through sheer force. There’s a plethora of secrets to explore, such that there’s mercifully very little penalty for wandering off the beaten path. Also, random stuff happens. Like, all the time. It’s worth it to play through to a T just to see the absurdities – aliens! flying people! – the game can unleash at any moment.
to a T is further proof that Takahashi-san is more than just a gimmick guy. Sure, he comes up with great gimmicks (even his micro-game for the hipstery Playmate was pretty cool!) but he also cares about characters, worldbuilding, and the important things – like how the heck that dog understands and accomplishes everything its Teen needs.
***
Final score: 8/10 little princes and princesses, who are perfect just the way they are.
Visit the official website for to a T here.
