Tengami may not be the most complicated title on the Wii U, but Nyamyam’s tale is absolutely one of the most unique.

Tengami is designed to be a serene, relaxing game, so it makes sense that the design reflects this goal.  You won’t find much action in Tengami.  There is no tension, nor any enemies.  In fact, aside from the wolves in the first chapter, the main character is the only living being in the game.  Even the main character walks at a steady pace.  Fortunately, Tengami has little backtracking; just enough to give players enough time to take in the world around them.

A short game, the story of Tengami is kept to a minimum.  The protagonist is tasked with gathering the flowers of the tree in which he has eternally rested under.  Players will travel through a forest, mountain, and ocean, in order to recover these flowers.  Each chapter ends with a haiku, which adds a bit more to the tale.  No other conflict arises in the game, so the player can enjoy their travels.

Since Tengami is meant to be told in the style of a fairy tale, the entire world is a pop-up book.  Those wanting a game that utilizes the touch screen got their wish with Tengami.  Everything is controlled through the touchscreen; moving the character, turning the pages, and pulling tabs are all executed with the stylus.  This mechanic adds a visual flare to the puzzle-solving aspects of Tengami.  These puzzles are not too complicated, but this is no reason to penalize the game.  Nyamyam’s goal was to create a game that can be completed in one or two sessions, so players racking their brains trying solve these challenges would be counter-productive.  At the same time, some puzzles will really task players to pay attention to their environment in order find the solution.  There are even times where players will need to pay attention to what is happening while the page is turning. 

Tengami is an interesting game, to say the least.  Nyamyam’s title is a great example of interactive storytelling.  Story is kept to a minimum, leaving the plot to a few haiku’s and the player’s mind to create.  Tengami is a game that is meant to be played once every few months, just to hear the story again.  If you’re going into this game expecting anything but a serene tale, you’ll be sorely disappointed.  I’d even go so far to say the Tengami is the most relaxing title I have ever played.