Review: Kabuto Park – A Wholesome Bug-Battler from the Makers of Minami Lane
Catch cute bugs, build your deck and battle your way to championship glory in a super sweet, simple card battler
Genre: Card Battler, Action, Creature Catcher
Developer: Doot, Zakku
Publisher: Doot Tiny Games
How Cozy? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Game Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
If you enjoyed playing Minami Lane and its cozy, charming indie vibes, you’re in for another treat with Kabuto Park, from the same indie developer team (Doot Tiny Games). I absolutely loved this game in pretty much the same way I loved Minami Lane: simple, adorable, and great fun. If you’re a fan of card-battlers and a cozy aesthetic, it ticks all the boxes.
Story
In Kabuto Park you step into the shoes of Hana, a young girl enjoying her summer break in a bright, friendly park full of bugs to catch. Your goal? To collect as many adorable crawlers as possible, train them, build your deck of bug cards and ultimately win the Summer Beetle Battles Championship. There isn’t a deep, sprawling narrative here, instead we get a light, cheerful storyline that provides the perfect backdrop for the core gameplay loop. It’s relaxed yet purpose-driven, which fits beautifully with the cozy theme.
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Gameplay
Gameplay is where Kabuto Park shines (and where your love of card battlers comes into play). The loop is straightforward and fun:
Bug catching: You explore various areas of the park (each with different bugs) and use your net to catch them, where timing and location matter.
Deck-building/level‐up: Each bug you catch contributes cards to your battling deck. You level up your favourite bugs, feed them candies to boost stats, and decide which bugs will form your team for battles.
Battles: For the battling mechanic, cards run for a certain amount of time before the other team uses theirs. You need to strategise which cards (bugs) are strong enough, know their abilities, pick the right mix, and level up to be strong enough to win. You push opponents out of the ring in these cute little sumo-style bug battles.
The gameplay is simplistic overall (which is a plus if you want a cozy, stress-free time) but there is just enough challenge, especially with rarer bugs and upgrading to make sure you’re competitive. I found the bug-catching mechanic fun and even a little challenging when hunting rarer bugs.
Graphics and Visuals
Visually, Kabuto Park is absolutely adorable. The art style leans heavily into the cozy indie look: soft edges, bright colours, cute bug designs and a joyful summer park vibe. The different areas you can go to for bug-catching each feel distinct and inviting. The animations like net swings, bug catches, card battle effects, are simple but charming. I particularly loved discovering the rarer bugs, they look extra sparkly and feel special. The art direction perfectly complements the chill-but-fun gameplay.
Longevity
Kabuto Park is designed more as a short, sweet experience (the developers even say 2 to 4 hours of playtime) but in that short time you get a satisfying loop of catching, battling, upgrading, discovering. If you enjoyed Minami Lane’s bite-sized but polished experience, you’ll likely find this duration very acceptable.
If you’re the type of player who loves mastering decks, hunting every rare bug, and squeezing every last bit of strategy out of a comfortable game, Kabuto Park offers decent replay value.
Conclusion
In all, Kabuto Park is a delightful little gem. The same makers behind Minami Lane have created something that retains the cozy, handcrafted feel while adding a card-battler twist and bug-catching fun. If you’re a card battler fan and you love minimal complexity but maximum charm, this game gives you just that. It’s charming, fun, adorable and most importantly a pleasure to play.
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