Sumire Reviews

Sumire is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10
May 28, 2021

A beautiful love letter to Japanese games and culture with a simple but heartfelt narrative from start to finish that's both comforting and life-affirming.

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8 / 10.0
May 30, 2021

Sumire is an emotionally charged adventure, with some unexpected dark moments to keep you on your toes.

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May 29, 2021

Sumire mostly accomplishes what it sets out to do through its remarkable visuals and emotion-evoking narrative. It somehow manages to be both thought-provoking and soothing, despite some shortcomings with the dialogue options.

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85 / 100
Jun 7, 2021

Even though some parts may be arguably scary for children, important lessons are to be learned and beautiful artwork to be appreciated. With good replayability but no fast-forwarding enabled, you may not immediately feel the urge to start a new game. Still, someday if you feel like picking up a heartwarming tale and giving Sumire the worst day of her life, the game will be there, ready for your poor choices.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 2, 2021

Sumire is a beautifully told and emotionally resonant story about a young girl struggling to find reasons to be hopeful. A well-paced narrative full of character-driven growth delves deep into themes such as loss and growth, while its watercolor art style and acoustic soundtrack paint a beautiful picture of rural Japanese scenery. A charming world and simple but fun puzzles add variety and are almost enough to forget about issues like frame rate dips. Ultimately, Sumire makes the most of its brief runtime, and it's a day trip I won't soon forget.

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Jun 29, 2021

Sumire is the type of game that anyone who loves story-telling and visually stunning environments will be drawn in by. It doesn't reinvent any of its inspirations - and in some places, like its puzzles and its replayability, it's noticeably less impressive than some of its peers - but the experience as a whole exceeds these individual qualities. GameTomo delivers on the promise of its premise, and Sumire is an easy recommendation for those who enjoy visual novels or memorable narratives.

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KeenGamer
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
May 30, 2021

What makes up the "perfect day"? For young Sumire and her magical friend Flower, the desire to meet a lost loved one spins into a journey of redemption and hope. Join them in a colorful narrative adventure across town, ticking items off a special bucket list along the way.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2021

Sumire is a short, yet charming and bittersweet story of a perfect day and a magical adventure

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7 / 10.0
Jun 14, 2021

Sumire is a visual novel adventure that should appeal to anyone who has experienced loss or just ever felt disconnected from the world. It's perhaps over too quickly for the price, but it's an enjoyable, fulfilling adventure while it lasts.

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8 / 10
Jul 1, 2021

Sumire is a beautiful game, but it is not for everyone.

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GameSpew
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 27, 2021

If you enjoy narrative driven adventures, make sure Sumire is on your radar. Packing in a powerful message in its two-hour run time, it’s the type of game that will inspire you and make you think about your own life in meaningful ways. It may be short, but this beautiful game will stick with you long after the credits have rolled.

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Jun 1, 2021

I haven't been so deeply affected by a game as I have Sumire in a very, very long time. This is an artful experience with a valuable core message; don't take anything for granted. Sumire has a literal day to achieve what she needs to. Metaphorically we all only have one "day" on this planet, and we shouldn't waste it. You may be driven to tears playing Sumire, but that's not a message you'll soon forget. Not with the powerful way this game presents it.

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Unscored
Jun 1, 2021

Sumire is a delightful, heartfelt, honest and genuinely emotional narrative experience. At about three hours long, it’s a game best enjoyed in a single sitting — though it’s also worth noting that the game is very replayable to see how different choices along the way play out, and indeed how the whole thing concludes if Sumire finishes her day having favoured a particular type of karma. Is being a “good person” always the answer? Is Sumire herself justified in doing bad things after how she’s suffered? And what’s with all the crows?

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9.5 / 10.0
Jun 6, 2021

Even then I found myself sitting on the title screen after the credits rolled, listening to the music for a good twenty minutes before I finally turned off my Switch, spending that entire time processing the story I had just experienced. When a game can do that to me, I know that it's an experience I want to recommend. If you enjoy emotional stories with admittedly shallow gameplay, you absolutely should be giving Sumire a try.

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Cubed3
Nayu
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jun 20, 2021

The first glimpse of Sumire's soft hues on the title screen indicate the strength of the emotional connection felt from Sumire's story. The messages arising from her adventure are powerful and will resonate with anyone who has suffered grief in any form, as well as help prepare people for how unique death is in its effects. The myriad choices that need making, plus the decent amount of challenges, encourage using the One More Day option once the game ends to this charming must-play title on Nintendo Switch.

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Liked-a-lot
Jun 2, 2021

Sumire is a sweet, engrossing narrative adventure, that doesn’t shy away from some heavy topics. The price point in the eShop might be a little high for 3 hours of playtime, that would be my only major complaint about the game. There is some replayability to be had in the game especially if you want to complete all the challenges. I was very happy with the ending I got and couldn’t bring myself to play the game again to get a bad karma ending and complete the challenge (achievement). What can I say…I like a happy ending, who doesn’t?

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INVEN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jun 4, 2021

'Sumire' is a game like a fairy tale about one strange day of Sumire, a little girl in a rural village. Watercolor-like graphics and various mini games animated the whole game more vividly.

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Noisy Pixel
Jerad Gribben
8 / 10.0
Jun 1, 2021

Sumire is built on more narrative than adventure. Replayability comes with multiply play-throughs that add more insight to the situation and alter the conclusion. Through its childish design, Sumire covers exceptionally complicated topics that are both enchanting and thought-provoking. While the slow pacing and overall gameplay loop might hinder progression for some, I believe this to be a gem of a game.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 9, 2021

You can tell when some forms of media are going to hit you hard. The moment I began playing Sumire on the Switch, I suspected it would have the potential to devastate me. And I mean, I was partially right. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and haunting game, one where every moment can count, and it can leave you feeling about how much people’s actions can matter.

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NookGaming
KuroKairin
8 / 10.0
Jun 30, 2021

While there are some nuances left to be desired in view of the big themes it touches on, Sumire has nonetheless successfully told a thought-provoking, magical yet realistic growing-up story of a young girl living in a little Japanese village. The art is charming, its music is something to die for, and the game has enough compelling elements to make it worthy of more than one playthrough. But more importantly, it is a work that touches the heart.

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