Bundle of Joy

A really good Warioware like game that starts to dig into very personal reflections on raising a baby right around the pandemic. Despite opening up the protagonist POV for a player insert it does a really good job in grounding the experience in some very particular personal reflections.

The art is cute, the minigames are fun, and the music elevates the enjoyment. I have fun playing this game even though I'm not a parent. I'm guessing parents will appreciate it even more.

Bundle of Joy is a short narrative-driven game that combines a series of quirky minigames with heartfelt storytelling. Set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, you step into the shoes of a new dad navigating the chaotic and emotional journey of early parenthood. Each day presents a mix of baby-care tasks and moments of reflection, capturing the highs and lows of this life-changing experience. Pros: ✔️ Charming Minigames: The collection of WarioWare-style minigames is both entertaining and endearing, adding a playful touch to the parenting theme. ✔️ Heartfelt Storytelling: The narrative offers a sweet and genuine look into the challenges and joys of new parenthood, resonating with authenticity. ✔️ Embracing Imperfection: The game cleverly incorporates the idea that perfection isn't necessary, reflecting the real-life unpredictability of caring for a newborn. Cons: ❌ Random Elements Feel Off: Some aspects, like the randomly generated conditions, can feel a bit disjointed and may disrupt the flow. ❌ Lack of Clarity in Minigames: A few minigames don't provide clear instructions, leading to confusion during gameplay. ❌ Timing of Release: Set during the pandemic, the game's impact might have been stronger if it had been released closer to the global shutdown. Conclusion: Bundle of Joy offers a unique and touching experience that blends humor with the realities of early parenthood. While it has its quirks, the game's sincerity and charm make it a worthwhile play. Score: 7 out of 10 diaper changes — a heartfelt journey through the mess and magic of new fatherhood.

Been following the development of this for a few years, but wasn't expecting the final result to be so touching. Bundle of Joy is half a game about the ups and downs of parenting, half a snapshot of a very specific moment in time (COVID lockdowns), and half just a celebration of semi-ridiculous minigames. Yet it manages to bring these three halves together in a gloriously cohesive way. The pacing of the game is a keen observation of life with a newborn, while the inherent sense of constant and inevitable failure leaves you wondering if this is actually a game at all. Either way, it was difficult to keep myself from a little tear at the end. Uniquely enjoyable. [Disclaimer: Parent for 14.5 years.]

Emotionally enriching af! I love it!

I love a game that represents a real life experience through mechanics. The minigames are perfect for the story; they're just frustrating enough to feel overwhelming as they pile up, while still being fun to actually engage with on a moment-to-moment level. If invited to think about it before playing, I would have felt compassion for new parents at the start of COVID, and wondered at the feelings of new stress and isolation; this game, though, does a fantastic job of sending you through the stresses and thought processes and logistics of things that I wouldn't even have considered. Plus, I just love to grab a fistful of minigames at every opportunity. I really enjoyed this game and I hope it starts a trend of giving more human experiences a Warioware of their own.

A short but impactful game, delightful and thoughtful! The wariorware mini games are fun and challenging, and the writing is excellent.

The minigames are cute, I do wish there would have been more of a variety but the minigames are really a backdrop to the story of being a new parent. If you like stories about parenting and or games like Wario Ware you might enjoy this.

Bundle of Joy is a true trojan horse of a game, presenting itself as a collection of fun parenting-themed mini-games while containing the sort of deeply poignant moments of raw self-doubt that any new parent will recognize but few new fathers openly discuss, let alone make art out of. This is a hard time that is easily forgotten once a child gets older, often hand-waived in conversations, but there is so much truth here not only in the emotions but also in how any new tasks becomes normalized through repetition and ritualized through love. The last few years have seen a wealth of games that use thoughtful design, narrative, and mechanics to try and capture a very specific corner of an experience, and not only does Bundle of Joy squarely belong in that company but it should played by any current or prospective father who needs space to remember or reckon with emotions not often raised in any medium.

The best thing videogames as a medium can do is to tell a story not with words or visuals (we have books and movies for that), but with gameplay itself. Bundle of Joy does exactly this, turning the life of a new dad during the pandemic into a hectic flurry of mini-games. Some of them are janky or frustrating, but that's the exact thing the game tries to convey. The game is great both as an experience for the player, and as an experiment for other game developers to learn from.