Mail Time Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Mail Time
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
Mail Time key art

I am looking for a blue windmill to make sure that I find the cave housing the only character for which I have two letters in my bulging backpack. Someone else is asking me to find mushrooms and now suggests that the next sample might be poisonous. And, apparently, no one in this forest knows exactly where to find Greg, the guy I need to get a letter to if I want to get the official stamp of approval to become a mail scout.

But for now, my character’s focus is on platforming. A cluster of mushrooms acts s jump pads, giving me the air time to glide my way to a specific branch. From there it’s just a hop and skip to a certain woodpecker character, who stays close to the highest point of the area. I then jump and again glide over a big field of flowers to reach an elevated picnic area.

Ham is here but I don’t want to deal with his quest right now, so I look for Socks. He has already charged me with finding trash strewn around the place and seems interested in seeing how each item tastes. His worm feud is also charming. Maybe I can combine two tasks, looking for discarded items while also keeping an eye out for the blue windmill.

Mail Time is developed by Kela van der Deijl and published by Freedom Games. I played on the PC on the PC. The game will also arrive on the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 5, and the PS4. The title is a cozy and fun adventure with a focus on climbing and gliding.

Mail Time
Mail Time
Mail Time
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Players become a mail scout-in-training on the day when they finally get the real-world test that will earn them their official title. They just have to find someone named Greg to deliver a letter. Of course, things are not easy. None of the animal characters you meet seem to have any idea about this person, at least at first. And they all have their own problems which can all be solved by delivering items or letters.

Mail Time’s world is delightful. There’s humor in the writing, with plenty of puns and allusions, but everyone is also sincere and kind. Their problems do not involve saving the world, or the glade, but I still felt plenty of satisfaction when I completed a quest. After all, being a mail scout is all about bringing joy to customers. Some of them don’t send or receive letters but it is still very fun to find and talk to them about mushrooms or rocks.

The core gameplay is one note but well-implemented. Our mail scout can run, jump pretty high, and glide. There are no new moves to unlock and no complex combos to execute. These three small actions allow players to reach the highest branches in the tallest tree to then glide around the world or to find the more well-hidden characters. There’s no pressure and no fall damage, which fits the overall cozy approach. Take in the sights, glide anywhere you want to, and try to remember where everyone is.

By getting messages from one area of the forest to another, players will find more clues about their ultimate letter target and they will also accumulate stamps. The game has no map but the space is not big enough to truly get lost. There were some moments when I drew a blank trying to remember where a particular character was but, after a few minutes of quick and fun movement, I usually spotted them or a structure associated with them in the distance.

There are trinkets spread all across Mail Time to collect, encouraging gamers to test each bouncing mushroom and isolated branch. The title’s focus is on accessibility with a very small number of truly challenging jump and gliding sections. Personally, I had trouble finding all the mushrooms, but that might be the most complex quest in the game. The game’s world isn’t that big, so try to search all nooks and crannies.

Make sure to talk to the characters even after completing their quests. It’s their bubbly personalities that make the world feel alive. Mail Time is not a long game and the biggest compliment I can offer is that I wanted more of it, both in terms of extra locations to glide around and more animals to interact with. The title is a great introduction to open-world platforming for young players and for those who might be discouraged by the focus on challenge that other titles in the genre have.

Mail Time creates a colorful world out of a small patch of woods, with a variety of locations and characters. Everyone has a distinctive look and personality, making it easy to remember where to look for them when delivering something. I had a few graphical glitches, especially toward the end of the game, but nothing to spoil the experience.

The characters talk quite a bit but they are not voiced. The world is filled with sound, matching the overall cozy theme, and the soundtrack is equally relaxing, with a different theme for each major area to add variety. All the songs fit well with the general relaxed vibe of this universe.

Mail Time
Mail Time
Mail Time
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The Good

  • Great cast of characters
  • Gliding ability
  • Cozy vibe

The Bad

  • Limited gameplay
  • Relatively short game
  • Some small graphical glitches

Conclusion

Mail Time is a delightful experience, filled with interesting characters and almost no conflict. All the different quests are fun to engage with and the game offers a nice sense of discovery. I love being helpful and trying to make this small patch of forest a better place for everyone. The party at the end is also a great reward for all the exploration.

The gameplay is relatively limited and the title is short. It can serve as a great way to introduce younger players to platforming and a bright and colorful open world. It can also warm the heart of jaded veterans of the genre. Mail Time is nice and fun enough that I wished there was more of this world to explore and really hope the developers are thinking about a sequel.

A review key was provided by the publisher

story 9
gameplay 8
concept 9
graphics 8
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 8.5
Editor's review
very good
 

Mail Time Screenshots (21 Images)

Mail Time key art
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