Toem 2

Toem 2 (stylized as TOEM 2) is a 2026 photography adventure game developed by Swedish independent game studio Something We Made and published by Something We Made and popagenda. It is the sequel to Toem (2021), and follows the same photographer several years after the events of the first game. It was released on 29 September 2026 for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5.

Toem 2 retains the monochrome visual style and photography-based quests of its predecessor while using more fully three-dimensional environments. It adds freer traversal, including jumping and climbing, and camera attachments that allow the player to interact with objects while solving quests.

Gameplay

The player again controls the unnamed photographer from Toem. Several years after their first journey, the protagonist learns that the Whirling Birch is about to bloom during the Whirlhill Festival and leaves Homelanda to photograph the event. The journey passes through regions including Cropton, Taletorp and Deltburg. Residents give the player requests to complete, many of which involve photographing animals, people or objects. Completing requests awards stamps, which are used to obtain tickets allowing travel to subsequent regions.

As in the first game, exploration generally uses an elevated perspective, while using the camera shifts the view to a first-person viewfinder. The sequel allows the protagonist to move more freely through the environments by running, jumping and climbing. Camera attachments obtained during the journey can be used to manipulate parts of the environment as well as take photographs. The player's journal records completed quests and photographed creatures, and collectible clothing can be found while exploring.

Development

After completing Toem, Something We Made worked on several prototypes for other projects. According to studio co-founder and artist Lucas Gullbo, none developed into a project the team wanted to pursue, while continued work on updates for Toem led them to return to its setting. The sequel was developed in Unity but was built largely from scratch rather than from the first game's codebase, using tools the studio had developed since making Toem.

The team retained the series' monochrome presentation. Gullbo said that colour had frequently been suggested as an addition for a sequel, but the developers considered the black-and-white appearance part of the setting. The larger development team allowed environments to make greater use of 3D modelling. Gullbo cited a three-dimensional dinosaur skeleton created for the first game's Basto update as an experiment that helped inform the sequel's combination of 2D characters and 3D scenery. Jamal Green and Launchable Socks returned to compose the soundtrack.

Something We Made announced Toem 2 on 10 December 2024, when it was in early development and scheduled for release in 2026. The announcement was made during the 2024 Wholesome Snack presentation. Gameplay was shown publicly during the Day of the Devs Summer Game Fest presentation in June 2025.

A free Steam demo, containing part of the Deltburg region, was released on 6 June 2026. The game had initially been scheduled for summer 2026 before its release was set for 29 September. It was released on 29 September 2026 for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5.

Reception

Toem 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. OpenCritic determined that 87% of critics recommended the game.

Reviewers compared the sequel closely with the first game. Sam Loveridge of GamesRadar+ praised its writing, side quests and photography puzzles, while noting that its approximately four-hour length left her wanting more. Jenni Lada of Siliconera found that the new camera mechanics and 3D elements worked well with the existing visual style and structure.

Willem Hilhorst of Nintendo World Report gave the Nintendo Switch 2 version 7.5 out of 10. He considered the game very close to its predecessor, with relatively small changes, but wrote that it achieved what the developers intended. Samuel Heaney and David Flynn of GamingTrend likewise praised the visual and mechanical refinements but felt that much of the game repeated ideas from Toem; they reported taking about five hours to complete the journal. Jordan Biordi of CGMagazine gave the game 9 out of 10, describing the sequel as an expansion of the original game's photography and puzzle mechanics.