Setting the Table: Mr. Saitou in the Lunch-Break RPG Buffet
It’s been two decades since “To the Moon” taught us that heartfelt plot beats outweigh 16-bit sword fights, and now Mr. Saitou—the latest brainchild from Laura Shigihara & co.—slides onto your tray. At a lean 2–3 hours, it’s the epitome of “short & sweet” single-player RPGs, sitting comfortably next to the likes of Rakuen and Finding Paradise. But how does this pixel-chic office odyssey stack up when compared to its narrative-driven peers?
Storyline Showdown
- Mr. Saitou: White-collar burnout meets whimsical fantasy after a hospital stint—think cubicle blues transmogrified into talking sphinxes.
- To the Moon: Two scientists gate-crash a dying man’s memories for a final wish. High emotional stakes, zero body armor.
- Rakuen: A hospitalized child explores a parallel dream world. Warm, familial vibes with some emotional debris clearance.
Unlike the tear-jerking crescendo of its cousins, Mr. Saitou dials back the melodrama in favor of sly office humor—ROI jokes included—and a surprisingly touching friendship arc. It doesn’t reinvent the “hospital-fantasy” trope, but it does give it a corporate spin.
Gameplay Mechanics: More Talk, Less Combat
- No combat, no leveling, just point-and-click exploration. Hardcore speedrunners rejoice: your A-to-B run will clock in under the time it takes to brew espresso.
- Puzzle design leans gentle—“synergize, optimize, ROIs, and cherry pies” is as close as you get to “hard mode.”
- The Edudungeon (yes, that’s its official name) is a playful riff on archaic JRPG dungeons, minus random battles.
Compared to the layered puzzles of Undertale or the multi-stage quests of Rakuen, Mr. Saitou feels breezier. If you crave challenging brain-teasers, you might pine for the old guard—but if you just want to ride a fantasy train and toss golf balls at existential dread, it’s a smooth ride.
Visuals & Audio: Pixel Jazz Meets Y2K Office
- Charming 2D pixel art that borrows from early 2000s web aesthetics—think pastel cubicles and Anthropomorphic spreadsheets.
- Soundtrack by Shigihara, Toby Fox and No Holds Bard balances lo-fi jazz with occasional sneaky chart-topper vibes.
- Character portraits and cutscenes are minimal but expressive—enough to sell the gags, not enough to hog memory.
Visually, it slots between Eastshade’s painterly maps and Retro City Hustle’s neon flare; aurally, you’ll catch echoes of Rakuen’s piano warmth with a dash of Undertale’s quirky leitmotifs. It won’t break any sound-design Barriers, but its cozy charm is hard to resist.
Community Reception & Steam Stats
With a Very Positive Steam rating (95% of 424 reviews), Mr. Saitou has clearly struck a chord. Players applaud:
- “Heartwarming narrative without feeling manipulative.”
- “Brevity is its strength—perfect one-sitting experience.”
- “Office humor that actually lands.”
Chastised faults are mild: some wish for deeper puzzles or longer runtime, but the consensus is unanimous—this bite-sized RPG is efficient, relatable, and weirdly delightful.
Final Verdict: Cubicle to Caped Crusader
When weighed against genre standards, Mr. Saitou isn’t aiming to dethrone the narrative RPG titans. Instead, it carves out a micro-niche: a post-overtime fantasy jaunt that’s more philosophy seminar than boss fight. If you’re hunting for sprawling worlds and sprawling mythos, you’ll find better meaty mains elsewhere. But if you need a quick palate cleanser that packs a gentle emotional punch—and secretly wondered what your TPS reports would look like in a fairy tale—Mr. Saitou is your 9-to-5 escape.
In a gaming landscape full of epic sword swings, it’s nice to see one average salaryman finally claim his ROI—in friendship, not spreadsheets.
