Universe For Sale Review (Player2)
An interesting story in a lovingly-constructed world, with a cast of colorful characters in an equally colorful setting. A lot of thought was put into the world and its lore, complete with its own philosophies and religions- someone really thought these things through!
Gameplay is mostly of the simple point-and-click variety, with a sprinkling of mini games (the universe-building one being the most interesting, and most frequently encountered). This is almost a visual novel in its simplicity, but the format excels at telling the game's story, which is really the star of the show. If you are patient with it, and let yourself soak in the world and its color (with a lovely minimalist music score to accompany you), the experience comes together nicely while piquing your curiosity along the way.
Art style is children's book-ish in its color and rough charm. The characters in particular were a joy to encounter and look at- such variety! Music was beautiful, haunting, and minimalist; I found myself just sitting and listening to the piece that plays at the main menu, from start to finish, as it kept growing and adding layer after layer. If you love the cello, you will adore this game's soundtrack.
Whoever did this game's translation into English did an amazing job. There is a set of scenes with a beautiful poem whose reading spans the game; it surprised me to learn that it wasn't originally written in English, given how beautifully it flows in the language.
One thing that could have been better: the cursor interactions were sometimes hit-or-miss, with the little arrow that tells you there's another scene you can walk towards not appearing within a consistent margin of the screen's edge. Nevertheless, nothing game-breaking or too frustrating.
If you're in the mood for a good story told, perhaps with a glass of wine to join you as you unravel a mystery that starts out seemingly tangled but unravels itself towards a poignant conclusion, give Universe for Sale a try; it may end up being your cup of tea, from which a whole new universe springs forth.