Mai: Child of Ages

Mai: Child of Ages is a demonstration of great ambition and passion on the part of Chubby Pixel. It is an action-adventure game that manages to combine time-based puzzles with a gameplay concept and a story about identity and destiny. The alternation between Mai as a child and Mai as an adult is the real trump card, creating truly well-designed puzzles. The greatest strengths are the originality of the time puzzles, the artistic atmosphere, and the touching storyline. The biggest flaws are the imprecise controls (especially in battle), the sometimes distracting pace due to overly large areas, and the shallow combat. If you're looking for an adventure that makes you think and challenges you with excellent puzzles, overlooking the inevitable technical imperfections due to the small size of the team, then we recommend purchasing it, especially if you love exploration and Zelda-like and Ghibli atmospheres.

For anyone seeking a thoughtful, well-crafted adventure that isn’t afraid to ask big questions through small details, Mai: Child of Ages is an essential experience.

Mai: Child of Ages marks a turning point for Chubby Pixel and for the Italian indie scene. It blends dungeons, puzzles, and combat into a journey where time unlocks themes of identity, growth, and memory. The game may not escape challenges and rough edges, but its vision and courage make it a work worth following, one that claims a place on the international stage.

Ambitious action advevnture inspired by The Legend of Zelda that ends up falling short

Mai: Child of Ages has a great concept but multiple small flaws add up to a less than memorable experience. Despite the wonderful music and the great contrasting presentation, the repetitive puzzles, clunky combat, and technical issues just don't make for a good time.

When Mai: Child of Ages attempts to blend experimental gameplay with deeply personal storytelling, it does so with a great deal of heart. It doesn't always work—combat can be dull, technical problems can disrupt the atmosphere, and philosophical ideas may not resonate with everyone—but its goal is clear.