▲ Recommended
2 hrs
曇りのちにぼし : Cloudy, then Dried Sardines is such a ridiculously cute little game that I could not help but smile at it. I play as Miya's owner and simply go outside to watch an impossible shower of dried sardines falling from the sky. It is a tiny premise, but I liked how quickly it turns something completely absurd into a relaxing little activity.
The gameplay could hardly be simpler. I use the mouse to click on the falling sardines and try to build a high score. What I like is that the game never pretends to be something more complicated than it is. There is no huge tutorial or complicated progression system to learn. I just look up at the sky, start clicking and immediately understand what I am supposed to do.
The coin system gives the simple catching mechanic a little more purpose. I can spend what I earn on a dress up gacha and collect different outfits for Miya. I enjoyed this because it gives me something cute to work toward after the basic score chasing starts to become familiar. The customization also fits the game's playful personality really well.
The presentation is probably my favorite thing about it. Everything is colorful, simple and centered around Miya, and the falling fish create a strangely cheerful atmosphere. I also like the idea behind the story because Miya is the one who asks me to go outside and look at the sky, which makes the whole experience feel like a little shared moment between a pet and its owner.
My biggest problem is obviously the lack of depth. Once I have spent enough time catching sardines and collecting outfits, there is not much else to discover. The core activity is enjoyable, but it is very easy to reach the point where I have seen most of what the game has to offer. I think more challenges or additional activities would have given it a longer life.
Even so, I think the small scale is part of the charm. I can open it for a few minutes, play around with Miya and then close it without feeling like I have left something unfinished. That makes it a nice little comfort game rather than something I need to commit a lot of time to. The fact that it is free also makes its tiny scope much easier for me to accept.
Overall, 曇りのちにぼし : Cloudy, then Dried Sardines is a wholesome little clicker game with a genuinely adorable presentation. I liked the simple catching mechanic, the silly concept and the outfit collecting, even though there is not much depth underneath it. It is definitely more of a cute distraction than a substantial game, but sometimes that is exactly what I am in the mood for.
Rating: 6.3/10
The gameplay could hardly be simpler. I use the mouse to click on the falling sardines and try to build a high score. What I like is that the game never pretends to be something more complicated than it is. There is no huge tutorial or complicated progression system to learn. I just look up at the sky, start clicking and immediately understand what I am supposed to do.
The coin system gives the simple catching mechanic a little more purpose. I can spend what I earn on a dress up gacha and collect different outfits for Miya. I enjoyed this because it gives me something cute to work toward after the basic score chasing starts to become familiar. The customization also fits the game's playful personality really well.
The presentation is probably my favorite thing about it. Everything is colorful, simple and centered around Miya, and the falling fish create a strangely cheerful atmosphere. I also like the idea behind the story because Miya is the one who asks me to go outside and look at the sky, which makes the whole experience feel like a little shared moment between a pet and its owner.
My biggest problem is obviously the lack of depth. Once I have spent enough time catching sardines and collecting outfits, there is not much else to discover. The core activity is enjoyable, but it is very easy to reach the point where I have seen most of what the game has to offer. I think more challenges or additional activities would have given it a longer life.
Even so, I think the small scale is part of the charm. I can open it for a few minutes, play around with Miya and then close it without feeling like I have left something unfinished. That makes it a nice little comfort game rather than something I need to commit a lot of time to. The fact that it is free also makes its tiny scope much easier for me to accept.
Overall, 曇りのちにぼし : Cloudy, then Dried Sardines is a wholesome little clicker game with a genuinely adorable presentation. I liked the simple catching mechanic, the silly concept and the outfit collecting, even though there is not much depth underneath it. It is definitely more of a cute distraction than a substantial game, but sometimes that is exactly what I am in the mood for.
Rating: 6.3/10
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