I was sold on Tanuki: Pon's Summer within minutes of opening its Steam page. As someone with a soft spot for trash-goblin tanuki and the laid-back charm of Japanese summers, the promise of a courier simulator featuring bike-based tricks was impossible to ignore. After spending time with the demo released for this year's Steam Next Fest, I can safely say it delivers on that promise with a heart-warming, cozy loop that feels like a perfect companion to a lazy afternoon.
In this game, you play as a tanuki with a big, bouncy belly tasked with delivering packages across town. The ultimate goal is to raise enough money to restore the town shrine before the Matsuri Festival. While the premise is simple, the execution is pure delight.
Cycling With Style
At the heart of the experience is a trick system that feels like a more approachable, forgiving take on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. You can pull off double backflips, rail-grinds, and Superman moves with ease. The physics are impressively smooth and intuitive, and the game is generous with its landings; you have to really mess up a trick to trigger a crash. For the most part, even a crooked landing will result in a satisfying 'flump' and an automatic correction, keeping the pace of your deliveries brisk and fun.
The cycling mechanics transform what could have been a mundane delivery job into an playground. Whether you are sprinting to catch air off a ramp or rail-grinding between errands, the movement is consistently rewarding. It turns the downtime between jobs into an opportunity to practice your repertoire of tricks.
More Than Just Deliveries
The demo offers a surprising amount of variety beyond just riding a bike. I found myself serving beer to patrons at a local izakaya and even engaging in a bizarre, unexpected encounter with a sumo wrestler. These moments of variety are punctuated by the sheer personality of the world. Pon’s homebase is a standout, designed as a cozy little Hobbit-hole cluttered with trash, a retro TV, and a game console—it is hard not to feel charmed by the level of detail poured into every corner.
Everything about the game, from the food assets to the way Pon wobbles as he moves, is crafted with an innocent, infectious energy. In a gaming landscape that often feels increasingly cynical, Tanuki: Pon's Summer feels like a necessary, cozy escape.
- Highly intuitive and forgiving trick system
- Incredibly charming, cozy art style and atmosphere
- Variety of side activities beyond simple deliveries
- The current demo is relatively barebones
- Trick system may feel too simplistic for hardcore skating fans