Cozy gaming has a new addition to its ranks with the game Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories which combines a cute narrative tale about friendship with a mystery of political intrigue that rather surprisingly is centered around melons. This story exploration game which was developed by Froach Club and published by XSEED Games is actually a sequel to an RPG Maker game simply titled Melon Journey. The original game was released in 2012, though players do not need to have played the original before diving into Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a single-player game with retro-style pixelated graphics in a green tint that is a bit reminiscent of melons, though it is likely also a nostalgic nod to the Game Boy. Players control the main character Honeydew, whose name can be changed to whatever the player would like. Throughout the narrative adventure, there are many NPCs to talk to, places to explore, choices to be made, and mysteries to solve, all with no combat.

Melon Journey, the main character in the factory with crates of Sweet Habanero Chili Melon Soda

Honeydew is a simple girl who works in a factory but leaves to visit Hog Town after a mysterious note and the disappearance of her best friend, Cantaloupe. Most of the game takes place in Hog Town, where Honeydew gets caught up with a not-so-threatening gang called the Cavity Crew. There she also finds there is a political upheaval happening with the Kitten King trying to run for mayor to overturn a law that makes melons illegal in Hog Town. Throughout her exploration and adventures, Honeydew can make friends with fun characters and there are many side quests with clever storylines to follow.

Melon Journey political scandal, a news reporter stating "If the Kitten King is elected, melons may be legal in Hog Town for the first time in years"

Within Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories there is an ongoing theme of melons being essentially hard street drugs in the city of Hog Town. Simply having some melon seeds can put someone in jail. As more of the story is uncovered, this becomes an even darker theme, which feels a bit off-putting when combined with the cheerful animal characters and cute aesthetic of the game overall if too much thought is given to the implications. Philosophical debates could easily be had simply from this otherwise adorable game.

Besides melons, the other major theme of the game is friendship. Honeydew meets friends, new and old, along the journey, and choices that the player can make have the opportunity to strengthen those relationships. These eccentric animal friends as well as other NPCs in the narrative add a lot of humor to the Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories and bring the cozy feeling to the surface even while the crime and corruption are taking place behind the scenes.

Melon Journey Hog Town, main character is talking to an old dog named Mr Snyder who says "When you got a problem, pawn it off on somebody else who's standin' around lookin' bored. Works every time"

The soundtrack to Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a surprisingly good lo-fi experience within the game. There are more than 90 different jazz- and electric-inspired songs that were composed by markeryjane and give the adventure a very low-key feeling even during some of the more intense moments. XSEED Games even has a special "Melon-choly Lofi Soundtrack" on YouTube that has some of the tracks on it for people to enjoy.

Fans of cozy gaming will enjoy this narrative adventure mystery, with cute characters and fun retro graphics. It is a short game, although there are at least two different possible endings that can require replaying some of the game in order to see. Many of the choices made in the game will lead to different outcomes, and saving frequently would be recommended for anyone who wants to be able to see all the varieties.

Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories releases on April 6, 2023, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam download code for the purpose of this review.

Source: Poppy Works/YouTube, XSEED Games/YouTube