I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic settings. It’s always interesting to see how different people interpret what the world would look like or what caused it. While the cause varies, one of the more common factors is war. One of the few constants in life, and while it never changes, what weapons war is fought with do. Right now, we have every weapon in our arsenal, and the rate at which it’s evolving is a scary thought. But what if war were fought a different way? What if it were fought with all-powerful hamsters that could summon any weapon or army they wanted? 

Okay, while that is an odd question, it’s what comes to mind when I play MOCHI-O. A tower defense game set in a post-apocalyptic world where your main weapon is a hamster named MOCHI-O. Don’t worry, MOCHI-O isn’t defenseless. It has access to a vast arsenal, and it’s the key to your survival. As strong as he is, it’s still up to you to guide him, train him, and make sure he stays happy. The end of the world has never been cuter in MOCHI-O, the latest from developer Zxima. A fun time, but one you might not play for that long.

Who is MOCHI-O?

MOCHI-O takes place in a post-apocalyptic world constantly at war. You play as the newest keeper of the country’s best weapon, a hamster named MOCHI-O. As cute as he is, he is also a deadly weapon who can be quite volatile and has gone through a few keepers because of it. You aren’t alone, though, as your director will be checking in on you from time to time to make sure you and MOCHI-O are getting along. It’s up to the three of you to survive each incoming attack while finding a way to try and end this war for good.

I was not expecting to be as charmed by the story as I was. It’s fairly short but was a welcome break between missions. All the characters felt alive, and I enjoyed their dialogue. Even if he doesn’t talk, MOCHI-O is also full of character and contributes just as much to the story. All three have such a fun dynamic that I think could’ve lasted a bit longer. You can finish the main narrative in an afternoon, and while I’m glad it didn’t overstay its welcome, I wouldn’t have objected to a couple more interactions. But it’s still a cute, if short, story full of charm.

War Never Changes

Now, while I enjoyed the story, the biggest draw of MOCHI-O is the gameplay. It’s a 2D tower defense game with some pet-raising elements. The primary game mode has you hold MOCHI-O in your right hand while you fend off invasions. You do this by moving your mouse cursor around the screen to aim where MOCHI-O will send attacks. You start with a simple gun attack, but you can unlock more as you play. 

When you defeat enemies, they drop seeds, which you also collect by moving your mouse around. These seeds will level up your current attacks, up to the level cap. Coins will also drop during these levels that can be used to buy new weapons and permanent upgrades. Enemies can also drop special seeds that can buff you or debuff them, or crates that have a chance of upgrading your current attacks. You also pet MOCHI-O before each level for some buffs, a cute and welcome distraction.

It sounds like there’s a lot going on, but the actual game doesn’t feel very involved. You essentially just move your mouse around while auto-attacking. This can be fun at times, but after a while, all challenge goes out the window (especially when you unlock the ability to hold a second hamster). After the first couple of levels, you’ll probably have most of the weapons and have no problem hitting level caps. Some levels have boss enemies, which do pose a challenge, but also ones I never lost to. In an afternoon, I beat all the base story levels and the hard ones that unlocked right after. It also has an endless mode, but that gets monotonous after a run.

The game also has a pet-raising element. It’s not much, but you can feed MOCHI-O to build your friendship and decorate the base. While cute, I stopped decorating the base after the first couple of missions. One thing I always did was feed him because it’s an easy way to get buffs. The feeding game has you throw seeds in MOCHI-O’s mouth. You press a button in the corner to throw, but be careful, the cursor is always moving, so you can miss. If you hold the button down, the seed will raise your friendship more. Not missing will for a while will also do this. It’s a fun enough distraction that I always found it worth it, especially when you unlock more hamsters.

Screen Overload

In MOCHI-O, war has never looked so adorable. The art is a delight, and I always liked looking at the game. All the characters have great designs, from the hamsters and enemies to the director herself. The animations are great too. I could watch the hamsters on a loop if I wanted to. It’s nice that you can collect the art too, it’s just stuck behind decorating the base, something I lost interest in. I never got tired of the art, but there can be too much of a good thing.

One major problem with the game is how crowded the screen gets. In later levels and endless mode, the screen turns into a visual mess, and impossible to tell what’s going on. It’s easy to lose track of enemies and take damage because you just couldn’t see anything. Since it’s all auto attacks as well, there isn’t much you can do besides wait it out. It hurts the replayability for me because it doesn’t help the monotony I start to feel, and it just becomes the equivalent of static on a screen. 

The War is Over

MOCHI-O is fun but short-lived. The writing and art are full of charm. But the core game became monotonous after a while. I loved all the designs and could watch the hamsters on a loop. But the game becomes monotonous, and replayability suffers when levels turn into visual messes. I can still recommend trying out MOCHI-O. The visuals are worth it, and aside from gameplay issues, it is fun for short sessions. Just know you may not come back after a couple of sessions. 

Disclaimer: MOCHI-O was reviewed on PC (Steam).