If you haven’t heard of Messenger yet, then you’re in great company. I was lucky enough to have someone on the writing team mention it in our Discord, or I never would have found this little gem.
Messenger is a small, thirty-minute exploration game where you run around helping deliver mail. That’s it. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s so utterly charming. You’re treated to some chill music, and the art style is reminiscent of a more simplistic Ghibli style.
What makes this game interesting is the way that it’s rounded out at the horizon in the same way that Super Mario Galaxy or Katamari Damacy is. It’s clear that you are in a world of your own within a tiny ecosystem of buildings, forests, and water features. It’s pretty impressive how much life they were able to pack into such a small environment.
It also helps liven things up by being able to see other players running around the world with you. You’re all sharing in the same little world, and that feels special in some way. Especially when you can get others to interact with you by using the little emotes that range from hearts to poop emojis to have a very scaled-down interaction.
You can even change the way your avatar looks in Messenger. There’s just so much personality in this tiny game!
Fans of exploration-type games like A Short Hike will likely find something to love in this tiny world. The only thing that I wish was handled better is the… well, the handling. The controls are fiddly in that the camera view is hard to steer, so turning to see your surroundings is a bit of a chore. Thankfully, you do get the hang of it, and it becomes more intuitive even if it never feels fully fluid.
This is certainly a game that older kids could enjoy if the controls don’t make it frustrating. And, since there are only emojis as forms of communication, you don’t have to worry about the other players running around the world while your tiny people play.
Personally, I think Messenger is a triumph and the creators, Vincente Lucendo and Michael Sungaila, should be very proud of what they were able to achieve. Additionally, the music by Kevin Colombin fits seamlessly into the environment and helps to cultivate the cozy experience that Messenger brings.
If you want to explore the little world in Messenger, then you can follow this link. It’s a free-to-play browser-based game that’s ready and waiting for your exploration!
