Momento Review

Momento is a “cozy room decorator” where everything you put on a shelf will change your story. Developed and published by Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio, it was released on the 7th of June 2026. Seeing that it’s from an Australian dev, I had to check it out for myself. Plus, I was interested in the concept of a branching narrative via mementoes; so let’s see if Momento will leave me with fuzzy feelings or leave me thinking that materialism isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

You follow the life of Sam. Starting from childhood, you’ll be decorating their rooms however you see fit with the items available, changing how they go through life. Make them wonder more about the world and beyond, experience the highs and lows of love, and maybe help them through tough times they may never see coming. And it all starts through thorough interior decoration.

The controls are fairly simple to grasp, considering you can play the entire game using only a mouse. You can pick up whatever isn’t nailed down and put it anywhere that is deemed acceptable. Put vinyl records and photos on walls, books on shelves, and blocks in cupboards. As long as it’s not clipping into anything, you’re good. Items can also be manipulated, changing their orientation or how they’re displayed (e.g. a book being laid flat on the floor, open or closed).

There are also tons of little notes and messages you can read, such as titles of books or Sam’s text messages to their loved ones. Nothing is ever told to you outright, so it’s up to you to figure out how things are going in Sam’s life by snooping into their stuff.

However, what shapes Sam’s life path is contained in golden boxes. They’re locked at first, but by interacting with certain items (usually pertaining to two different interests Sam has), you can open them and select what type of object will shape their life. For example, choosing a soccer ball will make Sam an athlete, while choosing crayons can turn them into an artist. There are quite a few branching paths you can take, so there’s definitely some replayability here. You can go to drastically different rooms depending on what you choose.

There are also these little easter egg puzzles that you can solve, usually by putting items together in a particular place. They’re not too hard, as you do have a hint button that’ll highlight everything you’ll need to solve them, but you won’t be getting them all in one shot, as many of them require specific items you’ll only get through one of the gold chest choices. If you want to get everything, you’ll need to replay the level a few times. It’s not that hard, though, and it’s a little extra encouragement to experience everything Momento has to offer.

Solving all the puzzles will unlock special furniture for the Creative Mode, where you’re free to create your dream room with whatever you’ve gotten during the story. Create whatever you want and take screenshots of it, then save the room for later. I’m not personally interested in this mode, but you can definitely create the dream room you’ve always wanted.

This all doesn’t matter if the game doesn’t look nice, but here I really liked the art style. It is bright and colourful, with tons of details in each little thing. Though rooms can tend to look a little busy given all the stuff you’ll get to decorate the place, it’s all so nice and peaceful with some great use of lighting.

However, there were a few hiccups, like accidentally dropping objects and the finickiness of snapping similar things together. Also, some items can get hidden pretty well behind objects, so if you lose something, it might leave you a little bothered. Though, again, there’s always that hint button and hovering your mouse around will let you find it eventually.

Overall, my time with Momento was a delightful journey through the milestones of a life (or lives) I will probably never live. Despite the occasional minor frustration, the game offers a charming, relaxing, and thoughtful experience that makes it well worth playing. If you’re looking for a game to scratch that Unpacking itch (with added replayability), it’s a definite recommendation from me.