‘Bathhouse Creatures’ Demo Review: A Good Way To Unwind

Two words were all it took for me to put this game on my radar: “Diner Dash”. Diner Dash was one of my first PC games, which I found myself playing hours on end almost daily in my early childhood. When I came across Bathhouse Creatures, it made me realise how much I’ve missed playing those types of games and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. The game also persuaded me by including different types of animals, such as ducks, capybaras, and shibas, all of which I adore.

Bathhouse Creatures is described as a cozy management game where you, the player (fondly referred to as “Egg-stra wonderful human” or “dear young manager”) are tasked with restoring various bathhouses, many of which hold special meaning to some of the game’s cast whether its Ruck the Duck or Hana the Capybara.

As per usual, the pixel-art style was another selling point for me, coupled with some lovely animations that help to make the game more alive. As I spent more time on the game, I began to realise a strange sense of familiarity with the art style, and that’s when I realised that the game is visually similar to Stardew Valley, which made me all the more comfortable.

In the game’s current state, it’s quite easy to understand the mechanics, and while it may feel a bit overwhelming at times, once you’re able to establish a routine, each in-game day feels like a breeze to complete. The game rewards that effort by giving you currency to purchase upgrades, which makes the process even easier and as indicated by the upcoming features, even at times automates the more repetitive aspects. The upgrade system also gives me a great deal of satisfaction as I yearn to make everything the best it can be.

The game does feature minor story elements where you get to learn a bit of history about the bathhouses through former customers/owners. These tidbits of lore are given as you progress through the days and aren’t very text-heavy, allowing players to easily understand it without making the story feel overwhelming or a “chore” to get through. Players are also able to learn what the other customers think through a feedback feature that begins in the second level. It’s a small but well-appreciated way to have extra character interactions.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the time I’ve spent on the Bathhouse Creatures demo. Not only has it managed to bring back my love for this genre, I’ve also had a lot of laughs. I’m pretty excited for the full launch of the game as I look forward to seeing how far I can go with the upgrade system when dragon training and the Magical Filtration systems arrive, as well as getting to learn about the upcoming characters.

Bathhouse Creatures is developed by Sleepy Rocket, a demo version of the game is available now on Steam.

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this game from https://www.game.press

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