Minis Review

Minis is a menu-based casual/social game developed by Cherry Credits that is extremely similar to most other games of the same ilk. For those unfamiliar, this means the game is loaded with multiple meters, currencies, cooldown timers, and in-app purchases, making for a game that gives players a way to scratch their management game itch while always offering the option of paying real money for speedier and more rewarding returns. While this gameplay model may seem insidious to some, Minis seems completely playable without spending any money; it just might not be the most interesting experience you have with this kind of game, though.

The player's task in Minis is to build a tribal village, complete with farms, huts, training grounds, etc. without a terribly specific goal in mind. This makes Minis a rather open-ended game. Players can build up their village to progress through all of the game's upgrade systems, go from quest to quest in a linear fashion, or even fight other players or NPC monsters. In this sense, Minis seems more like a set of tools and systems to be manipulated freely, rather than a game in the traditional sense of the word.

Minis presents itself with a colorful, cartoony aesthetic, provides plenty of guidance for players that may be overwhelmed by the volume of tasks the game presents, and incorporates progression hooks (i.e. experience points) to keep players hungry for more. While this may all be well and good, all of these features are present in many other games that came before Minis, like Farmville or Galaxy Life Pocket Adventures, making the game seem rather unremarkable by comparison.

All that being said, Minis is a perfectly fine task management game. If the idea of managing your own tribal village from your phone sounds neat, definitely check it out. But, if you've already invested in a different game in this genre, or have already sworn off of them, Minis does not have anything new to offer.