Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge Review for Xbox Series X/S

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge, developed by Humble Reeds and published by Armor Games, has cozy-wozy lemon cozy written all over it. Players step into an idyllic world with Cleo, a young woman seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life, to help restore beauty and balance to her childhood home.

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge Story

While visiting home during a much-needed vacation, Cleo reconnects with Axel, her childhood friend and fellow frog-lover. Axel recruits Cleo to help fulfill his dream of reviving the frog population and restoring the wetlands where they once played together. The two help to remove invasive nettles and rebuild ponds to restore the ecosystem for the native frog species. In addition to catching delicious bugs, Cleo and Axel spend their time building furniture for the frogs and making berry candy to sell in order to support their restoration efforts.

As they work, they catch the attention of other locals who want to help and eventually convince the local government to get involved and support their efforts.

Overall, the story is as short and sweet as the little froggies players are helping. Story points are unlocked as players complete gameplay objectives, but as Axel tells Cleo/Players, there is no rush. Axel’s words are a real note to players about how Kamaeru is different from other games in the cozy genre. Where One Lonely Outpost, Clanfolk, and Potions: A Curious Tale are all focused on the rise and grind, Kamaeru wants players to slow down and just look at the frogs.

Gameplay

At its heart, Kamaeru offers a serene, methodical gameplay loop centered around nurturing frogs.

Players start by placing froggie-approved furniture around, like bathtubs and cushy couches, in order to attract frogs from various species. As frogs appear, players will tame them with flies and caterpillars. Tamed frogs don’t act any differently to the player or even appear more often; they just have a little love heart floating above their heads so players know the frog loves them.

Species of frogs are differentiated by their colors and markings and are kept track of in the player’s Frogedex. The Frogedex is a catalog for the completionist, hinting at all the variations of frogs that can be found, bred, and photographed.

Once the game starts moving, players will split their time between their “base camp” and the wetlands. The wetlands are where players can harvest insects for the frogs, but also honey and berries to cook and sell. There are a few mini-games for cooking and making paper that players could grind if they were interested, but resources are plentiful, and it soon becomes clear that money to purchase furniture is easy to come by. Base camp is where players can buy new furniture for the frogs, sell any products they made, as well help breed frogs using tic tac toe.

Annnnnddddddd….yeah, that’s it. That’s the gameplay. There is really not much else to do. Once players have assembled their Wetland Avengers, the game becomes a meditation in repetition, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on your mood. Personally, I was in the mood, and genuinely enjoyed the slow pace and limited gameplay, but I was also aware of the potential ways the story or gameplay could have been expanded.

Pros

• Adorable!
• Relaxing

Cons:

• Limited depth
• Repetitive
• Some missed potential

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge is a serene experience, with visuals reminiscent of a chibi Beatrix Potter. Its simple narrative and cozy gameplay make it the perfect choice for players who, like Cleo, want to unwind and appreciate the beauty of (virtual) ecology. Despite minor shortcomings in depth, it succeeds in creating a peaceful sanctuary for frogs and players, where both can take their time and just enjoy each other’s company.

Overall

8/10

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge is available now on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, and XBox Platforms. For more information, visit the official website.

Related: Reviews by Michelle Jones

Michelle Jones

I'm a completionist gamer who just needs to find that one last object and clear that final dungeon. I love all video games, from open world sandboxes on a console to a mindless match three on my phone. In addition to gaming and writing, I am a graduate student working on a thesis about the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Feel free to ask me anything about Vikings.

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