I am both a lover of all things cozy and an active supporter of all things that promote the importance of mental health. Now, what if we had a game that somehow manages to do both? This is the impression I got after getting my hands on a demo for Soba’s Wish at Momocon 2026, thanks to the developers Clever Bowl Games.

Soba’s wish is all about a fox named Soba who is missing a tail. His wish is to find his tail to restore what he lost, and to do so, players must play as Soba and navigate levels using magical tail power-ups to avoid enemies and pitfalls along the way.

Gameplay-wise, I can immediately see the inspiration from titles like Mario and Sonic. It has a 2d platform style where players go from one end of the map to the other. You collect dandelions and explore levels vibrant with colors and choices in how you play the game. For gamers wanting a more casual experience, there is an exploration mode, but there’s also a challenge mode for gamers who want to test their skills a bit more.

Some obstacles are tricky, so along the way, you can use tail power-ups to help overcome them. Outside of in-level power-ups, Soba can jump and spread seeds to help get from place to place.

However, Soba doesn’t go through these levels fearlessly. He has a disability that affects his confidence. Some of the levels have bees, and he’s terrified of them. He’ll get anxious if he stays near them too long, but that’s ok as he can use that anxiety to help him overcome additional obstacles as well. It’s quite a poetic inclusion to the game that I thought was masterfully done.

Soba’s wish immediately brings me back to franchises that I’m very familiar with and absolutely love. However, it also has its own flair to it that offers incredible levels of comfort with a beautiful message as well. I had a lot of fun playing this game and was in awe of how much I enjoyed the visuals and underlying message. If you want to stay up to date on the game, make sure to check out their website, where you can find out more.