Tea for Sana

Made by a solo developer, this short game will have you walk around a gorgeously crafted pixel graphic world, talking to people and mysterious creatures, all the while collecting ingredients and making tasty meals in a cute cooking mini game. Also, a delightful soundtrack makes for a perfect backdrop on your adventure. Sounds simple but this game is anything but. The writing is where this game really punches above its weight. It is beautifully evocative and intimate, suggesting it comes from a deep well of personal experiences. Although the game is on the shorter side, it manages to artfully tackle themes of memories, conflict, loss, reconciliation with the past and, ultimately, healing. In a way which, regardless of one’s background, speaks to our common humanity. All of it is underscored with three possible game endings. As the end credits roll and a hauntingly beautiful song begins to play, you know that the story of Vesna and Sana will stay with you for a long time. Highly recommend breath of fresh air.

This is one of my most favorite games of 2025, but also of ALL time! I had such an incredible time playing this game! The story and lore are probably my favorite aspects of this game. The story is touching and emotional, and the lore is really interesting. The world looks beautiful, and the different kinds of music in different areas is really well done. The gameplay mainly consists of carefully reading what objects, creatures and friends are saying to Vesna (the MC), and lots of exploration. The player is given subtle hints about what to look for, where to look, or what to do, by interacting and talking. I thought the puzzles/riddles weren't frustratingly difficult, and although some were pretty easy, none were boring. After about an hour in the game, I got stuck on knowing what to do once, but that was just me unknowingly missing an object I had interacted with before (part of my longer playtime was because of that). A friendly fellow player in the community discussions helped me out though. After that, I was able to progress pretty smoothly. I still have 3 achievements left to get ([spoiler] I wasn't able to find the last spirit, even with the special mushroom item [/spoiler]), so I'm glad to be replaying this again sometime!

Its a short game, but the perfect size for the story, which was lovely! The story deals with grief. Having lost a parent recently, I was worried it would be too heavy for me but it was sweet and peaceful. There is interesting lore about the world that you can read about but its optional and also not a huge info dump. It paints a compelling picture while still letting you fill in the blanks organically. Game play: There was no grinding or tedious mini games. They have a run button and a few teleport points which are nice, even though the map is small. The dialog was thoughtful and not long winded. Some problem solving but nothing too complex, so the game does not hold your hand, because it doesn't need to.

Wow. This game came out of nowhere for me, the pixel art looked cute in 'New' on Steam and it didn't cost much, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Played the whole thing in one sitting. (Ran very well on Steam Deck by the way.) Excellent storytelling at work, there's a whole world here of spirits and folklore and it feels alive. The game gives you just enough to intrigue you and give you a sense of something deeper, but it retains the mystique by not explaining every little thing. It just feels magical. Gameplay wise, you explore and interact with things. You collect ingredients for recipes and the recipes themselves through just looking around you. You help others through your cooking, and need to remember how to prepare something and what steps to take (but it's very forgiving and not a truly strict memory test!) You save by sitting on a bench outside your house, and there's fast travel via [spoiler] the brother pipes (don't worry, it makes sense in game) [/spoiler] You may need to interact more than once with a person or object, but nothing felt too esoteric in the moment. Walk around the map and interact with stuff or talk to a character again if you get stuck. It was a lot of fun thinking of how to solve the next magical conundrum or think of what the next recipe might be. Sound design was lovely, especially the [spoiler] ending song, which was very moving and thematic. [/Spoiler] Every theme fit the area I was in, and sound effects etc. all fit well. There was one sound effect I thought was very cute [spoiler] the lost sheep says baa like a human! [/spoiler] The pixel art is lovely, and what drew me in initially. Some sprite work stood out [spoiler] Sana's face [/spoiler] and the [spoiler] various spirit sprites [/spoiler] were very well done. It's all just very pleasant to look at. If I had any suggestions or critique, for accessibility I'd add options for font size, and a toggle option to run so the button doesn't have to stay pressed. It wasn't initially clear that you save by interacting with the bench, which might get missed if you don't interact with everything like I tend to in games. Some people might be bothered by the length of the game as it's about 3 hours, maybe longer if you try and get every achievement [spoiler] and there are two endings I believe, but I only got 9/12 achievements! [/spoiler] I only unlocked achievements after finishing the game, so don't be concerned if something doesn't pop up as you're playing until right at the end. And it was a bit tricky finding [spoiler] the books and the sprites, even with the mushroom [/spoiler] but the price is very fair for what you're getting. This is essentially a solo dev made game (I think apart from input from an artist and a composer) and that's incredible. The dev should be really proud of what they've made here. This is the chill game you're looking for if you're a bit burnt out from Hades and Silksong and want to play something sweet and moving that doesn't wear out its welcome. I really hope this game gets on a ton of those 'hidden gem' lists, because this actually is one.

Loving it so far. The story is engaging, exploring is addicting, and the pacing is perfect. Highly recommend if you enjoy indie games

This is one of the most comforting games I've ever played. You can tell that a lot of love went into this. The pixel art is gorgeous, the music is soothing and atmospheric, and the story is very touching. All of the recipes you cook sound so delicious it makes me want to try them in real life! If you love warm, cozy games like I do, I highly recommend you give this a try.

This is a really special game. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The art, writing, and music were all phenomenal and the story was quite touching and therapeutic. There are multiple choices with some characters so you could play it through twice. The only issues I had were not realising you have to sit on the bench outside your house to save the game. There is no autosave feature! I had to replay most of my game because of this reason so watch out for that. I also had a few achievements only show up upon completion which caused me some confusion, but this is a very minor thing. I really enjoyed it, 8/10 from me. The credits song made it all the more special because I realised I had heard the melody somewhere before, during the game.... ;)

"Tea for Sana" is one of those rare indie gems that sneaks up on you with its simplicity and leaves you thinking about it long after you’ve set the controller down. What appears at first to be a cozy, slice-of-life game about brewing tea quickly blossoms into a tender narrative experience filled with charm, emotional depth, and quiet beauty.

The game drew me at first because it reminded me of stardew valley, but after playing it i can say that while the "vibe" is similar, this game holds its own and the biggest similarity to SW is that you can feel how much love was put into the game. 10/10 for the art style, the story and the mechanics. edit: i love the part where you whip out a pipe and smoke

This one is really great! It oozes charm born of genuine passion and love, it tells deep stories without pretentiousness and it teaches valuable lessons without ever feeling like it moralizes you. The puzzles are fun and reasonably challenging, the music is wonderfully fitting and it's overall a very memorable experience. Also, it respects the player by expecting them to pay some attention and occassionally connect dots through dialogue or item descriptions. I like when games do that! Highly recommend!