Cricket: Jae's Really Peculiar Game

Threw a trash can at a cop so I could get a coffee, then ran away when he yelled at me, making him even more angry. The best part? Got 2x exp in my next fight. 15 minutes later, I'm crying while listening to voice mails from my Mom. Dont get me wrong though, this is an absolute hilarious rollercoaster of emotions so far. Can't remember the last time I had so many laughs playing a game. Also, the [strike]body building flower[/strike] SUPER STAMEN is the most majestic thing I've ever seen. 10/10

A funny and pretty chill jrpg with a nice story to it and fun combat. More gameplay here: Let's Play Cricket: Jae's Really Peculiar Game. https://youtu.be/IpoirDPN438

Doing homework, not worrying about the responsibility of adults, and eating junk food. Playing this game brings back of memories of being a kid. I played the demo during Next Fest so I had an idea of what the game offers and it pique my interest with the hand drawn art. There is turn based combat with squirrels, plants, humans and other things. After winning certain amount of fights, you get experience, can learn new attacks, and increases friendship level. As you unlock new friends, they will be added to the bench and you can switch them in if you want. [h1] Pros: [/h1] - The story is emotional and will hit home [spoiler] for anyone that has lost a parent. [/spoiler] - There are hidden heal items and tokens to find in the game, which rewards exploration. - Boss fights are forgiving. If you die, you can respawn without losing money or items. - Combo attacks was a bright spot because you can try different attacks based on your active party members. - OST fits the theme of kids taking on the world and facing challenges of growing up. Each area and custscene has its own unique music. [h2]Cons: [/h2] - The timing based attacks are not my favorite part. If you miss, you deal less damage or heal less. For a game that is casual, this is an odd feature to add in. - Too many forced battles and run does not always succeed. Also, enemies respawn too frequently so you need to fight more enemies if you don't beat the area quickly. - Fights are largely the same in the game with 1 to 4 enemies to defeat. Later, harder battles have enemies that deal more damage and can do multi target attacks. [h3]Suggestions: [/h3] - Running on the pathways could be better. There is an auto run feature, but if you run into a wall or object you stop running. Adding a bike or roller skates would be another option. - Add a map feature so its clear where player can travel too and places previously visited. - Add elements to attacks, classes like tanks and mages, or strengths/weaknesses. This will add more strategy besides killing off 1 enemy at a time. I prefer this over the timed attacks. - Add mini games like in the Twilia section that player can access anytime. They are fun to play and add more variety to the game play. - Add more background or details about Zack and Jae. There are gaps with information such as how they met and why they became friends. [b] Conclusion: Overall, a nice casual RPG game. The story is touching and reminds you what it was like being a kid. The turn based fights are lacking in variety, however, the developers put effort into focusing on the characters and their relationships. [/b] [quote=author][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/] Follow IndieGems for more reviews like this one.

Cricket is a charming JRPG-inspired adventure that follows Jae and his friends on a heartfelt quest. The story revolves around friendship, hope, and personal growth, with a quirky cast of characters whose personalities shine as the plot unfolds. Their interactions feel natural and full of charm, making you care about each one. The game really stands out with its combat system. It takes classic turn-based mechanics and spices them up with timed attacks and a special power bar, so you have to stay sharp with every move. Nailing the timing for max damage adds a nice layer of strategy, making battles feel dynamic and rewarding. Exploring the maps can be a little frustrating, especially with enemies constantly respawning, and it’s worse when you’re far from a save point. But overall, the story is delightful, and the gameplay keeps things fun and engaging.

This is a pretty good game overall! Pros + A fantastic plot with good dialogue, the game is clearly meant for children but the story is surprisingly heart wrenching that touches on loss and feeling out of place amongst your peers. I really commend writing that can both make you chuckle and shed a tear in equal measure. + Very cute art style that seems almost straight out of a children's graphic novel like "Amulet: the stone keeper" or "The Babysitters Club" (some people say it's like a Saturday morning cartoon) +Combat is engaging and fun, it's similar to Mother 3 combat where it's a JRPG that rewards timing on the beat with extra damage and extra damage blocked when attacked. There is a bar that fills as you attack enemies that can be used to improve the power of your attacks or slow down time so you can match your timing perfectly when blocking or attacking. Honestly really fun that picks out some of the cooler features from classic JRPGs. Cons - save system is a bit bad, where save points are spread pretty far apart. It was updated to have more save points but I'm someone who likes to save often and it still feels a little light to me. -Game feels like it wasn't bug tested nearly enough, it has a surprising amount of graphical glitches and areas that have interatables that don't work. -This game really feels rushed. The maps feel empty and there are not really any side quests or reasons to explore. Game also has a literal "win" button in combat that feels like a debug feature that was left in the game. Overall I give it a 4/5 stars Most of the concern goes to how buggy and subpar the overword is. Game probably should have had more time to cook. But it's a truly fantastic title, especially in regards to the writing and combat. I think this developer has potential to make great games, but I hope they get the chance to prove it while working on fixing bugs and making a more tightly designed game.

It’s less about challenging gameplay and more about delivering a heartfelt narrative. It has all the standard components of an RPG—turn-based combat, leveling, equipment,—but none of them stand out. You play as Jae, a boy nicknamed Cricket, who lives alone after the death of his mother. Though he’s still connected to his sister in another city, it’s his best friend next door who provides a guiding hand in his day-to-day life—and in navigating a world where talking animals and plants are the norm. The narrative really kicks off after a mysterious girl with dreams of reaching the moon crosses paths with Jae during one of his forest adbentures. Her wish to visit the moon—a place where dreams are said to come true—resonates deeply with Jae, whose own dream is to bring his mother back. This sets the stage for a journey filled with new friends and oddball enemies (like vengeful flowers and a fish-market-dominating shark mafia). While the story tugs at emotional threads, it doesn’t exactly break new ground. That said, its charm lies in the emotional impact rather than plot twists. It also touches on some deeper themes with sensitivity, and that alone might be reason enough to see it through. Combat follows a turn-based RPG format. You’ll see enemies roaming the field, and whether they rush you or flee depends on your level. Engaging them first gives you an extra turn, and each fight plays out with all the expected bells and whistles—though don’t expect any radical innovation here. Four options are available in a battle: single attacks, group attacks, items, and tactics. The game rewards timing skill too; hitting a button as a circle aligns boosts your attack or blocks incoming damage. A unique element is the "tide meter," which fills as damage is dealt or received. You can use chunks of it to boost single attacks, or to unleash a powerful group attack. It adds some strategy, though not enough to lift the battles beyond routine. Difficulty-wise, the game leans easy. There’s a hard mode and even a "win" button for players who’d rather experience the story without combat hurdles. So while depth exists, it's rarely necessary—you can coast through most fights with basic attacks. Characters gain experience and level up automatically without player input on stat distribution. Gear and abilities can be managed through an in-game smartphone, which also handles inventory, party selection, and messages. A neat feature, though again, not crucial for success. There's even a friendship system that unlocks combo attacks, but like many features here, it's entirely optional. The world feels like a continuous dungeon, unfolding screen by screen. You’ll smash objects for coins, open cookie cans (this game’s version of treasure chests), and chat with NPCs who usually don’t have much to say. There are no side quests, no secrets (unless you count hidden paths), and not much incentive to explore beyond grabbing a few stat-boosting items or new gear—which rarely changes your effectiveness in battle. Dungeons are compact and visually distinct enough to avoid being boring, and while enemies respawn as soon as move away far enough, you can usually dodge them with ease. Navigation is simple, and while maps only work in major towns, the linear design makes it hard to get lost. Voice acting is mostly absent, replaced with repetitive grunts and murmurs like “oh” and “hmm” that quickly become grating. Thankfully, these can be toggled off in the settings. On the brighter side, the settings menu also includes several quality-of-life features, such as assist options and a fully customizable difficulty setup.

Отличное юмористическое рисованное JRPG-приключение с тактическими боями и проверкой реакции. К сожалению перевода на игру не выходило (только английский), но разобраться можно. Перевод на игру желателен для понимания глубокого лора. Возраст 7+ (пеги) https://youtu.be/Sksp6gdVrq4 Минус в игре пока нашёл единственный это отсутствие облачных сохранений.

10/10 GAMING EXPERIENCE! BEST GAME EVER!!! This is a really fun emotional tear jerker, I loved every minute of it! never felt boring! The game knows how to not break the tone of a really important scene and knows how to make me cry. loved the visual gags, dialogue, characters and game play. DO NOT SKIP THIS GAME AT ALL! I knew the game was gonna be one of the best I ever played when I tried the Demo at Lvl Up Expo in April of 2024. highly recommend this game for everyone, the story is complete and one of the best storytelling and writing I ever seen in a game. This is truly a work of art and I hope to see more of this game such as merch, fun shorts, and comics. The people behind this game are truly nice people and I met them and they're really awesome people and introduced me to this masterpiece. Thank you for showing me a great gaming experice

Well buttah my biscuits, now I can go and gossip about the latest news in narrative design. Clearly a labor of much love and passion, Cricket has amazing and engaging writing, fun and nostalgic gameplay, and boppin' music. Works great on steam deck!

I've played about 4.3 hours of this game and i have a weird feeling this game was made for kids. With that said it seems very liberal and seems to be aimed at an audience that im not a part of. Pros: Headbanging horses A turn based combat system that is middle of the road. Not bad and not great aka good Artwork and sharkwork Cons: woke cast that at one point yells pronouns at you Very easy as an adult to get bored quickly in the story Screen tearing which i think the devs will workout with a patch at some point Overall, I tried to get through the game to get the full experience, but i just found myself not having fun with the game. I hope this game can find its audience, but I just don't enjoy it.