The Day I Became a Bird review – Very short, very sweet

I’m sure we all remember the feeling well. You’ve just noticed someone special in your class at school, and all of a sudden, you’re in love. You’ll do anything to get them to notice you. Anything. Even turn into a bird – which is exactly what young Frank does in The Day I Became a Bird.

You see, the object of his affection, Sylvia, isn’t interested in playing with him, or any of the other kids. She cares only about birds. And when he realises this, Frank’s determined to impress her, even if that means becoming a bird himself. Cue a short adventure that culminates in him building and wearing a giant bird costume.

The Day I Became a Bird is little more than an hour long; a very short, but sweet adventure that follows Frank over a number of days. You’ll play in the yard, go to school, visit the park and more. With short tasks to complete in every level – gathering leaves, or restoring ripped drawings, for example – this is a very laid-back adventure, but one that will leave you feeling rather heartwarmed after it all.

There’s a hint of a collect ’em up here, with feathers dotted throughout each level for you to pick up. Some can simply be gathered off the ground, but to get others you’ll need to complete simple activities (like stacking some books, or playing a game of hopscotch). You don’t need to find all feathers to complete the game, but if you’re a completionist, it adds a very small amount of longevity to proceedings.

After each level, you’ll complete a simple jigsaw puzzle, revealing an image that’s related to the level in some way. Some levels have you in control of Frank through his day, whether it’s exploring a classroom or running around the park. Others are a little more whimsical; an endless runner style level of Frank on his bike, tasking you with moving left and right to ride through gold rings.

For its short running time, then, The Day I Became a Bird manages to be varied, and it does a great job of holding your attention. It helps that it looks so beautiful, thanks to its wonderful hand-drawn art style; each screen looking like an illustration from a children’s book.

It’s too short to pack a real emotional punch, but it’s still easy to feel warmed by the cute narrative offered up by The Day I Became a Bird while it lasts. It may be a little underwhelming when the credits roll – you might think ‘is that it?’ – and yes, I wish I was a little longer. But I can see myself playing through this again, simply because it’s such a lovely little experience.