(Image courtesy of Steam. “‘Toem 2’ immerses players in an imaginary world.”)
Rick Dalton
Connector Editor
“Toem 2” is developer Something We Made’s follow-up to their 2021 game, “Toem.” The new game launched on September 29, 2026, and follows the same nameless photographer on a photo taking adventure to a distant land. Exploration is the name of the game, and the photographer meets a lot of interesting folks on their journey. “Toem 2” is an incredibly cozy, relaxing experience. There is no failure, no fighting, and the worst things that happen in the world are some minor plumbing issues.
The photographer, who lives in Homelanda, learns of a beautiful, massive tree called the Whirling Birch that is expected to bloom and shed a single, silver leaf at a festival in a distant place called Whirlhill. A picture of the blooming Whirling Birch would make a lovely gift for their grandmother, so they go on an adventure and bring their trusty camera, which they use to snap photos and help the residents of Cropten, Taletorp, and Deltburg along the way. Each locale has a different vibe. Cropten is a farming community, Taletorp features knights and wizards, and Deltburg is a bustling city with an impressive aquarium. Each area is broken into a dozen or so small spaces to explore, which are filled with NPCs to assist and simple puzzles to solve. The dialogue is quippy and light-hearted, which suits the cozy atmosphere.
Gameplay consists of moving around the map, simple platforming, and of course, taking photos. Each level introduces an attachment piece for the camera, which the player will need solve certain puzzles in the game. The photographer snips fungal growths around Cropten, helps rebuild Taletorp with a hammer, and fix up all the leaky pipes in Deltburg. It does not make a lot of sense that the camera works that way, but the camera attachments add a small level of complexity above with “Toem” offered, and that is a bonus. Gameplay is fun and effective, but it is very basic.
Assorted humanoid and anthropomorphic animal characters make up the denizens of “Toem 2.” Each one has a dilemma that only the photographer can solve. A farmer cannot find his cat. A knight busts his leg and needs someone to gather toadstools to bring to the alchemist so they can brew a healing potion. One guy just really wants a hot coffee and cannot be bothered to go get one himself.These quests involve a combination of snapping photos, gathering ingredients, interacting with the environment, and tracking down other characters before they can be completed. Some are simple fetch quests, and most do not have more than a couple of steps. However, as “Toem 2” is meant to be a short, relaxing experience, the simplicity is reasonable.
The art style and sound play a big role in setting the atmosphere. “Toem 2” employs a monochromatic color scheme with delightful pen and ink style doodle animation. It has a distinct, vibrant look that is quite pleasing. The soundtrack is comprised of a mix of styles that suit whatever part of the map the photographer is exploring. Given that the locales include farms, beaches, caves, dungeons, modern cities, museums and more, that makes for quite a diverse array of tunes to choose from. Cassette tapes are one of the collectibles in the game, and the player may listen to the tracks at their leisure. Other collectibles include pictures of the various animals spread around the world, some of which are well hidden and require use of camera attachments before they are ready for their closeup.
“Toem 2″ offers some fun upgrades over its predecessor, but it remains a rather simple experience. The game rolls credits after about three hours, and everything can be completed in approximately five hours. It is a fun little palate cleanser between more serious games, but “Toem 2” is no must play.
Grade: C+
