Bear and Breakfast

Bear and Breakfast is a 2022 management sim video game developed by Romanian studio Gummy Cat and published by Armor Games. It was released on 28 July 2022 for Microsoft Windows, with a Nintendo Switch version released on 15 September. The game follows the exploits of Hank, a bear who opens a bed and breakfast. Its gameplay mixes elements of classic management games with narrative passages and branching dialogues.

Bear and Breakfast
Developer(s)Gummy Cat
Publisher(s)Armor Games
Producer(s)Miruna Bercaru
Designer(s)Rareș Cinteză
Programmer(s)Andrei-Teodor Bogdan, Laurențiu Ganță
Artist(s)Ioana Șopov
Writer(s)Rareș Cinteză
Composer(s)Andrew Landry
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows
  • 28 July 2022
  • Switch
  • 15 September 2022
Genre(s)Management sim
Mode(s)Single-player

Bear and Breakfast was met with mixed reviews by critics, who praised its art style, atmosphere and characters, but criticized its restricting gameplay and pacing.

Gameplay

In Bear and Breakfast, the player controls Hank, a bear who comes into possession of a dilapidated bed and breakfast which he must fix and operate in order to cater to human clients.[1] The purpose of the game is to maximize guest satisfaction by building and decorating various rooms and facilities. As the game progresses, so do the demands of guests, with wealthier and more sophisticated clients requiring larger and better furnished rooms.[2]

The game consists of around a dozen areas which can be unlocked by completing quests and advancing the main story. Other mechanics employed by the game include resource management, crafting, and a card-based cooking minigame.[3][4]

Development

Bear and Breakfast is the debut game of Bucharest-based studio Gummy Cat. In development since 2019, the game was first announced in August 2020 during Nintendo's Indie World showcase as a PC and Switch timed-exclusive.[5][6] Initially planned for a 2021 release, it was delayed until the following year after Gummy Cat experienced various production setbacks including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and being targeted by a cryptocurrency scam.[7] It was finally released on 28 July 2022 for PC with Armor Games as publisher, while the Switch launch was further delayed by issues with the controller settings and the team's reluctance to repeat the work crunch that preceded the game's PC release.[7][8][3] The Switch version was released on 15 September 2022.[9]

Bear and Breakfast uses the Unity engine. According to Gummy Cat, their influences included games like The Guild (2002), Theme Hospital (1998) and Sierra-published city-builders like Caesar III (1998).[5]

Reception

Bear and Breakfast received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[10][11]

Bear and Breakfast was praised for its art style, music, humour and cozy atmosphere, but also received criticism aimed at some of its gameplay mechanics, particularly its pacing, the lack of player freedom and the integration of narrative-driven elements in the management sim formula.[1] In its review, Rock Paper Shotgun commended the game's "whimsical charm", but also described it as holding a "wealth of untapped potential", criticizing the way in which it rarely allows the player to freely explore and expand, likening this approach to a "well-intentioned but suffocating bear hug".[3] Similarly, The Guardian described it as a "management game that's obsessed with managing its players, rather than letting them exercise control".[14] Conversely, GameSpot felt that the main gameplay loop "has a satisfying rhythm to it and a challenging complexity" and lauded both the game's "delightful management system" and its accessibility.[2]

References
  1. Toh, Sherry (1 August 2022). "'Bear And Breakfast' review: too laidback a 'laidback' management game". NME. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. Ramée, Jordan (28 July 2022). "Bear And Breakfast Review - Four Star Stay". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  3. Toms, Ollie (28 July 2022). "Bear And Breakfast review: a cute but stifling management game that squanders its potential". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  4. McClure, Deven (28 July 2022). "Bear & Breakfast Review: Quaint Management, Questionable Narrative". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. "Gummy Cat talks about Bear and Breakfast's soothing gameplay and inspirations". DailyBits. 13 August 2021. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  6. Edwards, Gage (18 August 2020). "Timed-Exclusive Bear and Breakfast Announced for Switch". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. Valentine, Rebekah (2 August 2022). "How Bear and Breakfast Opened for Business Despite Multiple Challenges". IGN. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  8. Jones, Gary (27 July 2022). "Bear and Breakfast Release Date and Time – Switch Delay Explained". HITC. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  9. Smith, Mina (30 August 2022). "Bear and Breakfast Finally Has a Switch Release Date". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  10. "Bear and Breakfast for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. "Bear and Breakfast for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  12. Rudek, Jordan (26 September 2022). "Bear and Breakfast (Switch) Review Mini". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  13. Wachter, Sam (15 August 2022). "Bear and Breakfast Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. Hetfeld, Malindy (29 July 2022). "Bear and Breakfast review – a cute management sim … if you bear with it". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group plc. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
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