to a T Review – Charming, Strange, and Surprisingly Deep

to a T Review

We’re all different in one way or another. Some of us, more obviously so. Like Teen, the protagonist of to a T, which springs from the imagination of Katamari Damacy developer Keita Takahashi. Teen — or whatever you chose to name them — is apparently permanently stuck in a T pose. Of course, why and how Teen is in that scarecrow-like posture is the stuff of the narrative. No spoilers.

Coming of Age

to a T begins on Teen’s 13th birthday, but it’s a pretty normal day all in all. There’s lots to attend to: getting dressed, going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, and eating breakfast. When you’re stuck in a T-shape 24/7, you learn to accommodate. Maybe you use an oversized spoon to eat your cereal, or retrofit a faucet to aim upwards. Best of all, maybe you have an extremely well-trained and helpful dog.

A couple of things are immediately apparent. Teen is infectiously upbeat and undeterred by their strange handicap. Bad or troubling things will happen along the way, but Teen is generally not an angry adolescent, though they are sometimes fearful or reluctant. The second revelation — probably very obvious — is that Teen’s posture problem is a stand-in for any differently-abled or marginalized person. Given that the audience for the game is likely younger people, it’s a strong and important conceit.  Generally, the game’s themes are handled with a great dollop of weirdness, humor, and unpredictability.

A Day in the Life of a T

If I had to describe to a T in genre terms, I’d say it’s a puzzle-adventure game, though really the puzzles are mostly replaced by mini-games. The game is divided into episodes that are, on one hand, all about mundane everyday life. T goes to school, is harassed by bullies, explores the town, rides their bike with friends, etc. The narrative gently approaches some darker themes, some family struggles, and lots of ways in which dealing with Teen’s handicap both strengthens and impedes their life.

to a T could easily become insufferably preachy, but thanks to the developer’s well-known sense of humor, it never does. Odd touches are everywhere, like that the town’s shops are owned by giraffes, or Teen learning to helicopter their arms and taking to the sky. There are lots of funny/weird anthropomorphic animals, and plenty of kid-friendly potty humor, because who doesn’t love a good poop joke? Pretty early on, you realize that this is an unpredictably strange little place.

Unlike Katamari Damacy, to a T’s action and gameplay mechanics take a back seat to the story. That’s ok, because the narrative is an entertaining one. Less positively, the actual mini-game parts are kind of disappointing and lack imagination or engagement. Controls and camera don’t always cooperate, either. Sure, to a T was made for kids, but most kids are pretty savvy about what makes good gameplay. Aside from the mini-games, there’s an economy of sorts. Teen can collect coins and use them for new outfits or stylish haircuts.

Catchy Tunes and Colorful Pictures

to a T is definitely charming, and this comes through most clearly in its colorful, stylized art and infectiously delightful music, both very appealing. The nonsense noises that stand in for voiced language are a bit annoying, but I get the decision.

There’s no denying that to a T has an affecting message about the struggles of being different, but it’s cloaked in an amusing story and illustrated with appealing visuals and music. Undemanding younger players might not notice the disappointing mechanics, but older gamers probably will and feel the need for more substance. There’s a lot to enjoy about to a T, it’s just a shame the gameplay can’t quite match the warm-hearted quality of the writing and quirky ideas.

***Xbox code provided by the publisher for review***