Bobara review: a cosy capybara idle game with a lot of waiting around

A capybara in a warm bath

Bobara is an idle game, a type of app where little happens until something appears to reward your patience. Its centrepiece is Momo, a tiny capybara relaxing in a Japanese water bath. According to Pocket Gamer, Momo seems cosy and content in the warm water.

The game is built around gentle observation rather than challenge. Players tap parts of the screen, and Momo responds with short phrases about himself and his surroundings.

Weather that follows you

One feature stands out: the app tracks your local weather. The reviewer noticed trees changing and whistling when it was windy outside, and rain in the real world bringing rain to the game.

Pocket Gamer describes this as a nice touch that makes the game feel connected to the world beyond the screen.

Boba tea and hidden trinkets

At the bottom of the app sits a boba tea that players can change, ideally to match a drink they are having in real life. There is no way for the game to verify this, so the tea can be changed freely.

Changing the tea lures different creatures or items to Momo, which are stored in a tea house. Some trinkets are food items such as pretzels and milk bread, though they do not appear around Momo. Characters named Cha and Yuki also join Momo and can be tapped.

The app also supports Siri, so players can change their boba by voice command, and it can be placed on an Apple Watch. Pocket Gamer calls this a nice touch.

A collection without a goal

Beyond tapping and collecting, Bobara does not offer much else. There is no real goal beyond hoping to collect everything the game contains, and the reviewer describes it as more of a collection and a pet than a game with progression.

The reviewer also wished it were possible to interact with the trinkets, move them around a house, or decorate in some way. In short, the verdict is that Bobara is charming in moments but involves a lot of waiting around, with not enough to keep a player interested for long.